FYI: Posts will be sparse around here until I replace my laptop.... Coming back to work after Christmas break apparently was too hard and it quit on me!
1. driving through autumn covered dirt roads--dripping with rain
2. receiving letters in the mail from friends
3. shuttercal :)
Favorite verse from this week:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 12:1-2
"We all need to fly once in a while.
The rush of joy, the hint of magic, the pensiveness of loss.. It's all part of the ascent. And once you experience it, you are left to look forward to the descent, where the adventure truly will begin."
"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you, Samuel, and am so proud of you. I love the way when you laugh your whole body shakes because you're overcome. I love the way your blue eyes smile and your cheeks dimple and you pretend to be shy. I love your roars and your love of john deere and the way you say "me gwooten-fwee!" I love your heart and I love you, sweet Samuel!
And so today, I'm praising God for you. For your life."
...procrastinator.
I diddle and dawdle until the last minute until I have to do it.
I waste time doing all sorts of things--reading blogs, facebook, photography websites, etc when I should be doing school or chores.
It is not something I'm proud of.
A while ago my lovely sister found an awesome app for google chrome, the browser I use, called Stay Focused. What does it do? "StayFocusd increases your productivity by limiting the amount of time that you can spend on time-wasting websites." Honestly, I think it is really quite effective for the most part. Of course, it is always my responsibility to spend my time wisely, but I think this is a helpful tool. =)
a post is never really complete without a photo...
Right now it feels like everything in my life is changing. Nothing is how it once was.
My daddy has a new job. He has to commute 6-8 hours away one way. He is only home on weekends.
My family switched churches. Everything is so different. The people, the services, what I do, the whole atmosphere.
My dance studio closed. The flooding from Lee was so bad. The teachers still want to teach, but don't have a building. We will have to use another studio's rooms. Classes still haven't started. It is going to take twice as long to get there.
My life changed from camp to coming home. Camp is its own little world up there on the mountain top. Coming back home has been such a change.
It seems like everything in my life has changed this past year--my life at home, at church, at dance, everywhere.
Yet I have a constant.
Your commands ... are my constant guide.
-Psalm 119:98
Right now it may feel like everything is changing and there is nothing to cling to. Wrong. I can cling to HIM.
Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey His
commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
-Deuteronomy 13:4
He is always faithful and constant.
Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He
is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand
generations and constantly loves those who love him and obey His commands.
-Deuteronomy 7:9
I will trust Him.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
It is not about me--it is about Him. --something I learned at camp this summer.
He is using this time to grow me, it may not be comfortable(in fact it is not at all!), but He has my best in mind.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
Scald milk and water. Add butter and sugar. Cool to 100*. Mix 2 c. flour and yeast. Add this to warm mixture. Beat 2 minutes. Add salt and egg. Beat 1 minute. Add 2c. flour and beat well with spoon. Refrigerate overnight(or 4 hours) covered. Roll out. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up. Slice into a dozen rolls and place into greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise one hour. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes until golden.
Cream the sugar and butter. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
Yield: 1 dozen rolls
Note: It is easiest to slice the rolls with dental floss. Take a piece of floss, slide it under the roll to where you want to slice it. Then bring the ends up over the top and cross pulling tight until the floss cuts the dough completely.
I also add maple syrup to the frosting. Sometimes I'll drizzle maple syrup on the rolls before I frost them.
So this recipe I typed up weeks ago, but finally decided to share it. ;) It is my grandma's recipe and it is amazing. I have plans to make a pumpkin ring cake with eggnog icing sometime this weekend...anyone say yum!?! That is after the grocery trip is made to get the whipping cream and other important ingredients. =D
I'm off to a dance meeting...The studio I have gone to for nine years is closing this year due to the flood damage. The teachers are having a meeting to see if we can find anywhere else to have classes--they still want to teach and we(the students) still want to dance! I'm praying that they will find someplace--I don't know of any other studio in my area that has the same quality instruction.
Thursday, three weeks ago, was the day. The day scheduled to go into town. The day that the fearsome orange cones would be waiting for me. I knew exactly how they would be set up near the curb in the back lot of the little blue building. Everything was well prepared for despite everything that seemed to go wrong.
I had gotten my fifty hours down. I had practiced numerous times. Then the suburban didn't pass inspection.
Waiting and waiting forever for the part to come in. When it did come in the morning before the test, there was one other thing missing.
Plan B: borrow a friends vehicle. It even had the same dashboard as Herbie, our suburban, so I felt comfortable in it. (Plus it is shorter than our suburban-yay!) So we trade vehicles that morning and drive to town. Where is their insurance card?
After a couple phone calls and time spent searching through the glovebox and console it is found.
At the library I practiced the dreaded task over four times--perfectly. Yes!--this is going to be easy.
Drive over to the little blue building. In the back lot I practice some more--success!--despite the fearsome orange cones and the crooked curb. After watching me the lady said that practicing on Thursday's wasn't allowed. whoops!
Park. Go inside. Fill out paperwork. Walk outside with the same lady who told us that practicing wasn't allowed on Thursdays.
Check lights--all good. Drive to the back lot.
Attempt one: "I think I'm going to hit the curb, may I try again?" "Yes."
Attempt two: I hit the curb. "Whoops, I hit the curb." "I didn't feel anything, try again."
Attempt three: I hit the curb. "Well. I can't let you try again, I'm only allowed to give three tries. You seem to know what you're doing, but you're just cutting it too sharp. Practice some more and come back next week."
Failure.
My mom put it this way, "That is just God's way of closing the door to you driving by yourself right now. We tried everything to get your test in today, but He kept putting roadblocks in our way. I don't know why, but He has His reasons and your best in mind. We don't see the big picture, but He does."
Now I just have to wait until Sep 29th(the day with the next open spot) to take it again. Hopefully I'll have more time to practice parallel parking with my dad before then! =)
That afternoon also held another dreaded appointment--a dentist appointment. ugh. Dentist appointments usually leave me with a headache from sitting in the dreary and cold room for two hours--or however long it takes them to do all six of us. (not to mention it smells odd too...)
Anyhow, all went well, considering. I can't go to the dentist without thinking of this song...=P...
(so, I had planned to post this right when it happened, but I didn't have time until now to finish writing...)
I've posted many tutorials on how to create different things for your blog. In each of those tutorials I've mentioned ways that you can customize the object. I've gotten several questions asking for more ways to customize the CSS. So I'm going to start a little series on CSS Basics. Some of the topics will include backgrounds, borders, text styles, links, and more. That way you'll have a better understanding of what CSS codes you can add to customize the tutorials. =)
Last week I covered borders, and this week's topic is on text.
Font-Family
font-family:Century Gothic, Verdana, "Arial", Sans-Serif; this section picks which font the text is in, simply put the quotation marks around the font you wish to be used
Font-Size
font-size:110%;
font-size: 20px; this section determines the size of the text, you can choose a specific size in pixels or by percentage
Font-Style
font-style: italic; this section determines whether your text is italic, bold, underlined, or none
Font-Color
font-color:#BAB9B3; this section determines the color your text is, use the html color code ([here] is an online color picker, use the number at the top)
Spacing
letter-spacing:2px; this determines how far apart the letters are, they can be positive or negative numbers
Alignment
text-align:left; this determines where the text is aligned; left, right, or center
Transformation
text-transform:none; this determines if the text is transformed to uppercase, lowercase, or none
The Big Picture This is an example of what a finished section of html for text would be:
I walked outside onto the deck as I slammed the screen door behind me. Sigh. What a very unproductive day. I had been such a grouch. I set my Bible, notebook, and pen down on the table, thud.
Just then, I happened to glance up at the sky...this is what I saw
A small snatch of the sunset. I wanted more. I wanted to see the whole picture.
Leaving my books where they were on the table I raced up the mountain clutching the camera close. Hoping I wasn't too late to get a glimpse of the big picture. Breathless, I staggered to the top. Barely able to hold the camera still enough to take a photo, unblurred, in the fading light.
The sky was on fire with God's glory. Radiating it to all who cared to stop and notice. To all who care to stop. and notice. and praise! At camp it seemed so easy to do that. I was outside all day every day and I was able to notice and praise God for who He is. Yet, at home it is so much harder. I am stuck inside with school, chores, more school, and I don't take the time to appreciate God's glory. I have no excuse. I am called to praise Him.
It doesn't matter that I have a history assignment due. That I am not caught up in German. I am called to praise
"God doesn't ask me to be perfect; He asks me to Praise." --Ann Voskamp
The sunset reminded me of this song:
What can I do?
by Paul Baloche
When I see the beauty of a sunset's glory,
Amazing artistry across the evening sky
When I feel the mystery of a distant galaxy
It awes and humbles me to be loved
By a God so high
What can I do but thank You,
What can I do but give my life to You
Hallelujah, hallelujah
What can I do but praise You,
Everyday make everything I do
A hallelujah, a hallelujah, hallelujah
When I hear the story of a God of mercy
Who shared humanity and suffered by our side
Of the cross they nailed You to, that could not hold You
Now You're making all things new by the power
Of Your risen life
fifteen: small glimpses of sunsets, magnificent. --Like the small snatches we are able to see of God's glory!
I've posted many tutorials on how to create different things for your blog. In each of those tutorials I've mentioned ways that you can customize the object. I've gotten several questions asking for more ways to customize the CSS. So I'm going to start a little series on CSS Basics. Some of the topics will include backgrounds, borders, text styles, links, and more. That way you'll have a better understanding of what CSS codes you can add to customize the tutorials. =)
I'm starting off with borders. Next week I'll cover fonts.
Where can you place borders?
You can place borders on the left, right, top, bottom, or all around.
border-left:
border-right:
border-top:
border-bottom:
border:
What types of borders are there?
Borders can be solid, dashed, or dotted.
What size can borders be?
Borders can be any size. Simply specify the px(pixel) size you want. (ie. 1px, 2px, 14px, etc)
What color can borders be?
Borders can be any html color. Here is an online color picker, use the number at the top. (ie. #F73666, #CEF736, #9649A3, etc)
The Big Picture
So for example, a border code would look like this:
border:1px dashed #f5dc4c;
(first listed is where the border is, the width, the type, and then the color)
Another example would be:
border-bottom: 3px dotted #f4f4f4;
You can also list more than one border for the same section like in this example:
"The gift list is thinking upon His goodness -- and this, this pleases Him most! And most profits my own soul and I am beginning, only beginning, to know it. If clinging to His goodness is the highest form of prayer, then this seeing His goodness with a pen, with a shutter, with a word of thanks, these really are the most sacred acts conceivable. The ones anyone can conceive, anywhere, in the midst of anything. Eucharisteo takes us into His love. I am struck and I long chime: Daniel is only a man of prayer because he is a man of thanks, and the only way to be a woman of prayer is to be a woman of thanks. And not sporadic, general thanks, but three times a day eucharisteo." --Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts (ch 3)
(eleven: early morning light for using my shutter to see His goodness...)
"But the only words that really matter? Are the ones I live. This convicts me.." --Ann Voskamp
