Spring Time!
Enjoy the sunshine – it’s supposed to rain again starting Thursday.
Lena
Interesting Worldview
I need to work on my research paper but I wanted to post this while it was still fresh in my mind.
A few days ago I got into a 15 – 20 minute conversation with a Muslim, 41 year-old (both of which facts I didn’t find out until half through the conversation – for a while I thought he was a Christian of sorts) man on the issues of worldview and faith…
And while you’re all dialing my dad to ask him if he knows what his daughter is doing I’ll take the time to say that:
~I had his permission to be where I was.
~I was with friends – one of whom was in the conversation with me.
and
~I told him all about it when I got home.
Anyway, his worldview is made up of the following (all of which are pretty much word for word statements that he said throughout the conversation):
~There is one Creator.
~Right and wrong are determined by common sense.
~This common sense comes from life experience.
~If you believe in God, you’re okay and will go to heaven (I asked him about atheists then but unfortunately I can’t say what he said because it was a little confusing and I didn’t fully understand it).
~In addition to that I think he said something along the lines of “Excuses are made for those who grow up in a bad environment.”
~Anyone that has a belief that includes God goes to heaven (or, in other words, all paths lead to God). Unless it’s Scientology which is “a whole ‘nother thing”.
Side note: From all that, it’s easy to see that he’s not a good Muslim. At all. If he was, the Muslim faith would be the only way to God, and I’d be a heretic going to hell.
However, according to his view, I’m saved and he’s saved and everyone else is saved (except maybe atheists and Scientologists).
There are some obvious inconsistencies with what he believes – but, since then I’ve been wondering what is the best way to answer someone who believes that everyone is saved, because obviously *I* have a problem with that statement but he doesn’t have a problem with me.
Galena
Hmm…
It’s not very encouraging to find out that your theory is wrong and you have less than twenty-four hours to fix it…
I suppose I can take comfort at the fact that my character is being built and I’m learning perseverance.
Side note: I figured it was time for a theme change. What do you all think?
Galena
I actually am posting two days in a row…
I’m waiting for my sister to stop playing the piano so we can go down to milk the goats and I feel in the mood to make a blog post. That feeling accompanied by actually having something to post is so rare that I thought I would make the most of it.
Recently, I expressed a desire to get an audio bible for “my” ipod to listen to when I run (I study while I walk but during the summer I’ll probably switch to listening to lectures and the bible).
Anyway, my wonderful dad went and bought a really nice one which I tried out today when I went running.
It’s called The Listener’s Bible (ESV) read by Max McLean. If you want an audio bible and don’t already have one, this one is quite good.
Thanks Dad!
In other news,
We’re looking at putting a garden in at our house this year – in the one sunny spot left that’s not on the drain field. As some of you know, the goats are Lydia’s “thing”, the chickens are Anya’s “thing”, well, the garden is going to be my “thing”. I’m not an animal person at all but I do like gardening (even if I’m not that good at it). I’m looking forward to spending time putting it in and taking care of it.
In early January I took up running again. I had tried taking it up seriously last year, but due to some things I just didn’t have the strength to continue. However, I really enjoy (and have always enjoyed) running and being able to run and I’m looking forward to increasing in time and distance. Lydia’s been joining me for part of the time that I run so now Karl just needs to get in the habit and then, in the summer, after I have my license, we can do cross-country running together.
Well, that’s all for now – Lydia’s done playing and we’re off to milk those “lovely, sweet-smelling” animals. (Really, they’re not that bad… I guess.)
Galena
Tagged by my sis.
Well, thanks to these tags I’m posting more on my blog then I have in a long time.
I should be working on my research paper (I have some things I’m going to post on that (Lord willing) sometime in the next 2 weeks which I found quite interesting).
Anyway, I had this all typed up because I had already done it on Facebook, so with just a few modifications (due to it being a few days later):
Tag some friends or family members in the note so they can answer the questions too. Have fun and be truthful!
1. What is your occupation right now?
High-school student and being a loving, dutiful, submissive daughter to my wonderful parents (trying at any rate – long way to go yet)
2. What color are your socks right now?
Brown
3. What are you listening to right now?
Mark O’ Conner.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Some potatoes, I think.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Nope – I have a hard enough time driving a regular car without trying to learn how to drive a stick too.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Lydia, she wanted to know where a recipe book was. (It was right in front of her!)
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Of course I do. And she likes me. Right? Lydia, where are you going?!
8. How old are you today?
17 years, and misc. months
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
I don’t watch TV so obviously I don’t watch sports, which means I can’t have a favorite. I don’t plan on ever watching it either which means that the status won’t change.
(I’d probably like watching anything that wasn’t basketball, baseball or football).
10. What is your favorite drink?
Water or Tea (unadulterated i.e. no milk/cream or sugar). I rarely, if ever, drink anything else.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Not to my knowledge.
12. Favorite food?
Apples probably.
13. What is the last movie you watched?
A Hogan’s Heroes episode (on Saturday), I think.
14. Favorite day of the year?
Probably Christmas – although I wouldn’t want it come more often than it does.
15. How do you vent anger?
I rarely get really angry (now “annoyed/irritated” is a different matter – I’m all to prone to do that, however, I’m working on changing that, with God’s help) – in fact, if I recall correctly, the last time I got angry was in 2005/2006 – it’s in my journal somewhere but I don’t want to get up and go look. Anyway, in answer to the question, if I feel like I’m going to get angry I either go upstairs and utter my rage into my pillow or go outside and walk/run and pray until I’ve recovered – the latter more than the former – although when I was younger it was the former more than the latter.
(Wow – that’s a pretty long ramble – hope it all made sense.)
16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Hmm… I’m not sure I had a favorite – I liked the books I read and the logs, sticks, and branches that turned into questionably sound forts, and the stuffed animals my sis and I played with on summer nights when we were supposed to be asleep, and my cooking utensils and numerous others.
17. What is your favorite season?
I like them all for different reasons.
18. Blueberries or Strawberries?
Oh my – I like them both almost equally well. But I like picking blueberries better than picking strawberries.
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
(Irrelevant for a blog post)
20. Living arrangements?
I live in a home with 9 other wonderful people who I love, 6 not-so-wonderful goats who don’t love me (and the feeling’s mutual), 15 (give or take) smelly chickens, and 2.5 acres of land.
21. When was the last time you cried?
Are we talking crying as in tears pouring down the face or crying as in your eyes are watering?
If the first, I don’t remember and if I did I wouldn’t put it and the circumstances on here for the whole world to read.
If the second, probably the baptism at church on Sunday.
22. What is on the floor of your closet?
Boxes of school, Boxes of dishes and some misc. odds and ends.
23. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
I’m not tagging anyone (and no, it’s not because everyone I would tag has already been tagged) – but if I was: Lydia.
24. What did you do last night?
Worked on my research paper.
25. What are you most afraid of?
~Turning my back and rebelling against God
Side note: I asked my sister and she said “appearing badly in front of others”. I disagree.
26. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburger?
Plain. Or spicy (as long as it’s not too spicy).
27. Favorite dog breed?
I dislike dogs. Sorry.
28. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday
29. How many states have you lived in?
One: Washington.
30. Diamonds or pearls?
I’ve neither worn, researched or studied them enough to develop a favorite.
31. What is your favorite flower?
I don’t think I have one.
Now, off to work on my research paper.
Galena
25 random things about me.
This was something that Marisa K. tagged me on Facebook – and because I haven’t posted for a bit – and who knows when I will next, and because it’s information about me which people may or may not know and because I went to all the trouble of typing it out etc, etc… In short, because I want to, I’m posting it here also:
1. My number one desire, above all else, is to want to and to glorify God in everything I think, say, and do.
2. As far back as I can remember I wanted to cook and be in the kitchen. So, one day at the ripe old age of 9 or 10 I decided to make bread (yeast bread, no less) all by myself while Mom was out shopping. Surprisingly enough it turned out – and I’ve never looked back.
3. After my dad ran a marathon in his mid-30s, when I was between 8 and 10 I would go on 3 miles run with him (that he did to keep in shape). Over hill and over dale – it was fun. And I kept up too. 
4. One of my dreams is to tour certain parts of Europe with my sister and brother. Particularly the French countryside, Switzerland and the Island of Iona.
5. If my sister and I end up old maids (we’ve fixed on 30 for that number 
) we have plans that include living together, a bakery/restaurant, a goat farm and a big garden.
6. I started exercising regularly (rarely missing a day) on May 16th, 2007.
7. I like to walk briskly.
8. Running, despite what some people may say, is fun and enjoyable! You just have to do it in the right way and for the right reasons.
9. My favorite subject in “school” is history – particularly reading about people and events.
10. Given enough time, I can usually place most names and faces that I’ve come across.
11. I’ve been to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
12. I never want to live in Utah – it’s barren and treeless and it looks like its mountains are made of dry, dusty rock. At least the part I was in.
13. My favorite vacation spot is in Pacific City, Oregon at Cape Kiwanda.
14. My favorite fruit is definitely the apple. My favorite berry, however, is the blueberry.
15. I don’t really like chocolate, especially chocolate ice-cream. I don’t really like cake either. My favorite desserts usually involve fruit, (real) whip-cream or nuts.
16. I’ve gutted more than 1700 chickens in my lifetime.
17. I like reading autobiographies and biographies – as well as *almost* every other type of book. An exception would be science fiction. Blech.
18. I only like animals in their place. I’m not fond of them and have no big or real desire to have any – this probably has something to do with my experience with a certain dog as a small child. Nevertheless, I will probably never be the person who suggests getting a pet.
19. I have a phobia of heights. Especially when there are little children around.
20. I used to like the rain a lot – then I started exercising and liked it less. Despite that, I still like it.
21. My favorite male character in Jane Austen is Mr. Knightley.
22. I really like salads – my way.
23. I tend to dress in solid colors – all browns/blues/greens etc… I’m sort of working on changing that.
24. I can play 3 instruments – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I play them well.
25. When I first got my drivers permit, I knocked down an apple tree while trying to park. I still cringe at the thought.
Now, I’d tag people but I’ve no idea who reads this blog and who doesn’t (okay – I have some idea: see below) – so, if you’re reading this and you know me even slightly then consider yourself tagged.
Galena
Edit: On 2/4/09 – 3:35 pm
In addition to my above statement I hereby tag:
Daniel B.
Michael B.
Chelsea B.
Lydia v.
Anya v.
Karl v.
A gift that I will treasure…
About a month back, we listened to a lecture on Charles Haddon Spurgeon as part of our Humanities studies. Motivated by that lecture, I started reading a book of his lectures to his students. However, I didn’t get too far before I wanted to start underlining and marking the things that stood out… unfortunately I couldn’t do that because it wasn’t my book – it was the family’s.
So, I requested that for Christmas I wanted a book of Spurgeon – I didn’t really care what – just as long as it was by him and was my own (so I could mark in it).
Well, guess what I got? Something far better than I had hoped for!
My Dad got this for me – a beautiful, hard-bound 10 volume (5 book) set of Spurgeon’s sermons – in one of my favorite colors, no less. Furthermore, they are mine – which means I can make as many marks and highlight as many things as I want – with impunity.
I’ve already read one sermon and am looking forward to reading more…
Thanks Dad!
Galena
Pride and Prejudice in 10 minutes
I found this especially humorous because it gives me a clue on how guys view P&P.
Galena
