I Guess Cheaters do Prosper...

BACKGROUND: So David, Sharon, my grandmother and I were trying to play a a friendly non-competitve game of Skip Bo. We started out playing singles and of corse I came out on top. Then we desided to play pairs (david and Sharon against Me and Grandmommie). Well my team slautered them in two back to back games, then the story takes a turn.

THE PLOT: While we took a break (and by we I mean my Grandmother and I) to go get drinks and take a potty break, David and Sharon were "shuffling" the cards. We all got back together and dealt them out.

THE RESULT: Sharon and David leave us in the dust and win the game. How could this be? They couldn't have gotten that much better in that little of time. They must have cheated.

Now I guess I do have to mention that we played another game and their team won, but not so dramatically this time. Anyone can see what happened during those few moments we were away from the table. I hope they can sleep tonight knowing that they cheated!!!

22-21...At Least That is my Ruling

You know, I have had a hard time trying to deside weather or not Warren got into the endzone on Saturday night. You see they only showed that replay one, and from where I was sitting it sure looked like he got in. But we only saw the replay one time. But then I found a replay of it and have watched it over and over. It is a little fuzzy, but it sure looks like the ball broke the plane of the end zone before his knees touched the ground. You be the Judge!

FINALS ARE HERE, AHH!!!!!

So todya is my BIG day of Finals. I have my geometry and my caculus 2 finals today. I am ready but then I'm not. These are those sort of tests that you can't really study for, you just have to know what to do. Last night I studied til I felt like the kid in my picture.

I guess sometimes all we really need is a good cry!!!

One Huge Mistake

Do you ever think that you shouldn't have done something and wish that you could relive that moment to change it? (especially when that one thing cause a very big chain of events that seem to just be getting worse)

Well I think that I did that today and I wish I could just have that one moment back. I wish I would have never opened my mouth in the first place. (Why do we have to say what we know all the time?)

Oh what I would give for a time machine.

25 Days til Christmas...a Reflection

With it being the first day of december and anly having now 25 days until Christmas, I thought that I would reflect on this special time of year.

No matter what is being celebrated at this time of year (weather Christmas or Kwanza) what is one thing that is a constent?

A Tree!!!

A tradition that started in Germany and was picked up and the implemented into the christian holiday of Christmas, the tree is a major part of it


It is the first thing that we pull out and decorate after Thanksgiving.

And it is what all the gifts go under.

But does it have more meaning than that?

When you lose something, where do you find it? (I know you are probably thinking the last place you look, but I am serious). You find it where you lost it.

In the begining, man lost something in a garden, at a tree. Eve was tempted and Adam followed suit and the two of them ate of fruit from a tree that they were not supposed to eat from. Through Adam we are all born with a sinful nature. But it all started at a tree.

Jesus was born. He lived for 33 years. His ministry the later 3. And he died for all sin where? On a tree. He had to find us where we were lost.

I hope that this Christmas, when you wake up Christmas morning, you look at your tree and remember not only the birth of our Lord and Savior, but his death and resuection that freed you from your sin



It's all about the tree.

A Few Chrismas Present Pics

So this year, my brothers and I desided to do picture for our presents to our family. We do them in black and white and the put them in black frames with white paper trim around the pictures. I think that I have finally desided on the following pictures for gifts:

David Monkeying around on the Fireman's Pole

Joey Relaxing on the sit up bench

Me slidin down the tube slide

All three of us...

Happy Turkey Day

Hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am taking a break for the holiday. I'll update on Sunday.

Don't eat too much Turkey!!!

I Want to be a Full Moon

"What is the major difference between the Sun and the Moon?," Rob had asked.

I had crashed the fresman bible study over at his house and this question really hit me hard.

"The Sun is a source of light and the moon reflects light," came my answer.

"And when does the moon reflect the most light?" Rob came back.

"When the Earth is out of the way." I answered back.

Doesn't that statement just take your breath away? I hit me right between the eyes, and i am the one that said it. We are to reflect the light of Jesus to others. When do we reflect the best? When the world is out of the way. The moon never stops reflecting the light of the Sun, it just gets blocked by the Earth every once in a while. When Jesus comes into our hearts, we become reflectors of His light. The question then becomes, are you reflecting well?

I might not be where I need to be in that area yet. Too many times I find myself getting blocked by the world, by my nature. My reflector tends to get smudged. But I know what I want to be:

I want to be a full moon.

A New Look

So I desided that it was time for a new look to my blog. I hop that you like the transformation as much as I do.

Words of Wisdom...From an Unlikley Sorce

I saw Disney and Pixar's Cars for the first time tonight, and I loved it. The movie was hilarious and I wish I could watch it again. While watching it, I fell in love with Mater. It wouldn't seem likely to have learned something from him, but I did.

While teaching Lightening McQueen his special type of driving (that would be the art of driving backwards) Mater said something that really got me to thinking:

"It doesn't matter if I can see where I'm going, as long as I can see where I have been."



What a line. These last couple of weeks I have been stressing myself out over my future. What am I going to do when I graduate? When will I graduate? How am I financially going to get through the next two years? And the question just keep going and going. I have been so worried about where I am headed that I haven't been paying attention to where I am or where I've been. I have forgoten that God has provided for me these last three years, so why am I worried about he next two?

Sometimes God uses the most unlikely characters to remind us that He is whats important. So thanks Mater for shedding some light into my life.

Well...Its Official

So I guess this whole internet dating thing really works.

Kious was my summer missions partner this past summer...this is her story.

Once upon a time in a land not to far from here (I think in the barren land of Kentucky) lived a fair maidden named Christine (but to her friends she was know as Kious). Kious stated a blog to scribble down her thoughts and have people read them. One day a stranger (a boy stranger at that) commented on one of those thoughts, and a spark was ignited.

Day after day, and week after week, they would comment on each others rambling blogs and it got to a point when commenting just didn't work anymoe. What was next for this maiden and her stranger?...instant messaging (yeah I know, a little high tech for a fairy tale), but anyway they started having real conversations.

Our fair maiden, took a trip to the enchanted land of the Evergreens where she met a beautiful, smart, charming, witty, sporty, young sorceres named Amanda, in whom she confided her story. As soon as our stranger asked for the fedexing of some very stylish and comfortable shoes, Amanda knew where this was going...but it wasn't until their trip the rain forrest that Amanda voiced these opinions and she whipped out her crystal ball and told the fair maiden exactaly what would happen:

"I predict see that you will be dateing byt the end of the summer. Next I see an engagement in your future, it looks like it will happen by the end of the winter. Oh but wait I see a wedding, and it is going to happen right after you, fair Maiden graduate." But it wasn't until their trip to Lebannon when these prdictions were confirmed. (see our maiden's side here)

We skip ahead a little in time and our stranger hops on a steel bird and flew over an ocean or two to capture the heart of the fair maiden. And our stranger turned out to be a handsome prince who indeed won the heart of our fair maiden and are now engaged.

All I have to say is...I better be invited to the wedding (I am the one who prdicted that it was going to happen)


This all make a wonderful story and I wish the two of them all the best. But it doesn't happen for everybody. But as you can see, it does happen every once in a while. I hope that my prince is out there. A girl can wish can't she?

Take My Quiz

Lets see how much you really know about me. Here is my quiz...see how well you can do.

Bulletin Blunders

I borrowed these from Dad's Place Blog...they were just too funny...I couldn't pass them up.

These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services. Enjoy!

1. The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

2. The sermon this morning: "Jesus walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

3. Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

4. Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

5. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

6. Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

7. Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

8. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

9. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

10. The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."

11. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

12. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

13. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

14. Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

15. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

16. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

17. The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

18. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

19. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

20. This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

21. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

22. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

23. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

24. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

25. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Man Kids are Exahusting sometimes

Wednesday nights are full of Sparks, Cubbies, and Trainers (these are the three groups at AWANA). I help with Game Time (I am actually second in command, which means if Rob is gone, I'm in charge)

Well lets just say that these guys wore me out. I get such good sleep on Wednesday nights because of the exhaustion brought forth at AWANA. But you know something...I wouldn't want to do anything different. I love those kids to death.



These are the Sparks...I am the one in the middle with the orange hat on.

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

So yesterday during Sunday school, Rob was talking about being chosen by God. He began to use an illustration about being picked for games at school.

"By a show of hands, who here has ever been picked last for a game of any kind?"

No one raised their hand.

"Come on," Rob said, "anyone?"

Then a thought came to me and I slyly raised my hand.

"Amanda, you? I don't believe it.

"Yeah, I know, but it didn't happen when I was younger, It happened this past summer."

And this was followed by an explanation which was then followed by an outburt of laughter. (If you would like to know the story go check out You're too Old in my archives.)

I Miss the Northwest

There, I said it and I really mean it. Today was one of those pajama days (where you stay in bed, relax and try not to do anything kinda days). So all I did was watch movies that came on tv. Every movie that I caught glimpse of tened to be centered in either Seattle or Portland. They would show places and I would be like "I've been there. I've seen that." This just made me miss being up there. Memories cam flooding back, and I started looking at all my pictures and reminice on my summer. How I miss all my friends.

This one is for you Sam

So I noticed that my good and wonderful friend Samanthat didn't have a picture on her profile. So I uploaded this one so that see could but it on her profile. This is how you do it Sam. Right click on the photo and go to properties, highlight and copy the URL address. Then go to your dashboard and click on edit profile. Scroll down to profile picture and paste the address. Then you will have a picture. Its that simple. Hope that you figyre it out.

So Long Good Friends

My youth minister and his family have just moved to Virgina. They are in the final preparation stages for moving to Africa to be full time missionaries. (because of where they are going I can't say where exactally or even tell you there names. It is very risky where they are headed.

I remember when I baby sat the kids. They are the best. Rarely fought and just loved me. I am really going to miss them. I am going to miss the whole family. But my youth miniser said that I could come visit after about a year of them being on the field. Keep them in your prayers. They are definately going to need it.

The picture is of the kids on there trip to Virginia.

Nothing Really to Report

Yes I know that I haven't updated this site in a while, but nothing interesting has happened lately. I am just boring lately. I have fallen into a rut. I don't know what to do. Hopefully something interesting will happen tomorrow (It is halloween)

Our Trip to UNA

Our story begins at six thirty in the morning. Jordan came by the dorm and picked me up and we drove over to Brandie and Heather's house to meet them so that the four of us could begin our wonderful trip to Florence, AL. Were on on our way to watch the UAM Boll Weevils take on the UNA Lions.

Me and Brandie

Our trip started off great. We were talking goofing around, telling jokes. But then we got to Memphis. No one wanted to listen to me as I was trying to give the right directions and we got lost (I say lost but we knew where we were...we just took a wrong turn). So and hour later, we were back on track and on our way. After one more thirty minute detour as a result of trying to read a 1995 Atlas that had highways labled wrong. We drvoe into Florence, AL

As we drove up to campus and got out of the car, we were in awe. The campus was beautiful. It was at this moment that I fell in love with UNA. If I could I would transfer there right now, but I can't (tear). Anyway, there were quite a few people there and we got directions on how to get to the Stadium. After getting back in the car, we desided to find a Sonic before going to the game. And after a little bit of riding around we finaly found it

I found Adrian in the crowd

So I have to admit that I had a alterier motive in going to the the UNA game. I was going to have a chance to catch up with Adrian (my summer 05 missions partner). He had to work until almost game time and so he didn't get to come early, so my first task was to find him in the crowd. He called me at half time and told me where he was sitting so I grabbed my camera and zoomed in to se if I could find him and I did.

So I desided to go to the home side to see him. When I saw him, all of these memories of our summer in Olympia came running back (And he is still as short as I remember). We caught up with each other. We talked about how school was going and everything. I just wish we could have had a little more time.I also got to meet Leah. She is a sweetheart. She has a great personality and I can tell that she is probably very easy to get along with.

All in all our trip was a success. Although the Weelvils lost, I still had a great time reuniting with old friends and making new ones. After another seven hours cramped in that little car we finally made it home (at four in the morning). I had a great day at UNA.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

So I was looking over some of those pictures that I took at Albert Pike and I realized something...I love picture that are taken of nature. Don't get me wrong, I would much rather be experiencing nature in person, but when you can't get there, a picture can suffice. Nature is purely beautiful.



But i think more that anything, water scenes are my upmost favorite. The way that the sum reflects off the water and the way it cascades as it goes over edges is just beautiful. Different people see things in different ways. I just want to show a little of what my eyes behold as beautiful.

My Brothers

My brothers and I went on a weekend trip to Camp Albert Pike and these are the best pictures that i took of the two of them while we were there.



We had a rock throwing contest and I think I won. But I garuntee that all three of us have a very different idea of who really one (they lie)



Aren't they Handsome? They should go into modeling.

UAM BAND ROCKS

So our football team lost yet another game tonight, but man was the band great. We did such a great job tonight and we had fun cheering on the Weevils (even though they did lose)

This is the guard girls with our Mascot Weezie the Weevil

Brandon and Tim are modeling the new band uniforms

Mr. Meggs trying to act goofy (I think he succeeded)

Me and Brandon, right before game time.

PGB Representing

We had a great time...now its off to bed to catch some z's for class in the morning.

Guess Who I Get to See Next Saturday...

Well, the long awaited reunion has finally arrived. After little over a year I get to see Adrian Frazier again. He was my summer missions partner the summer of 05. He such a great friend and I can't wait to see him again. I AM SO EXCITED!!!



Our schools are in the same conference when it comes to sports. And UAM (my school) plays UNA (his school) next Saturday the 14th. I, along with a couple of friends, are driving to Florence, AL to watch the game. Needless to say that this is going tho be the longest week and half of my life. I can't wait!

A Day of Questions...And No Answers

My very lazy and non eventful day was interupted by a phone call from my brother, Joseph.

"Hey Joe Joe"

"Hey Amanda. How are you?"

"I'm good, You?"

He said he was fine and that he was getting ready to go to his Homecoming dance with his girlfriend. After some further small talk he asked finally got to the reason he called:

"Can you give mama my phone number and ask her to call me when you talk to her?"

You see our mothers birthday was on Thursday. One by one David, Joey and I tried calling her with the same result, her voice mail. We each left her a unique message and then the hardest task of all, waitng for a reply. One never came. And the three of us, under three different roofs, were all saddened.

It took all I had not to break down on the phone with Joe. I didn't know what to sao to him that could have comforted him. And I guess one reason is because I have the same questions that he has, and have yet found the answers. Deep down, we wonder why. Why did she do it? Why did it have to happen to us? Why?

I spent the rest of today just trying to answer these questions for myself so that I can try to begin to answer them for my brothers. And I don't even know where to begin.

We still have these questions...and no answers.

A Do Nothing Weekend

Well it is just me tonight. All I am going to do tonight is sleep (and maybe watch a movie). But needless to say, I'm on my own.

The weekend doesn't look to eventful either...maybe something will come up.

BED REST

This weekend, I was mostly in bed. I started getting really sick on Friday night. I had a bad cough, stopped up nose, sore throat, and a slight fever. I broke my fever late Saturday morning and finally started breething through my nose again by late Saturday night. I slept all day today and right now I feel so much better that I have been feeling all weekend.

So as I was surfing the internet for a picture to portray how I felt I found this next one. And the first thing that cam to my mind was Pastor Dan's FAVORITE song in the whole world.

Can you guess it?


I think I'm gonna throw up...

This last part was for you PD.

An Early Morning Laugh

Since I have to be up this early, I figured I could make it a little better and found this joke:

What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?


Pumpkin Pi

Point UAM

Volleyball is the coolest sport ever! Tonight the blossoms hosted the Tigers for another round of GSC play.



Kathy stood out tonight with a few kills and a couple of blocks. Kathy is from Panama City, Panama. She is the greatest person ever. (What a vertical she has)



BLOCK THAT BALL GIRLS!!!

Our girls are so good. We killed OBU tonight. The blossoms won in three straight games. The last of witch was a slaughter 30-11. What an exciting game.

Passion 07

You might have noticed the new banner in my side bar. It is once again time for passion registration. Passion this year is in Atlanta, GA. It is a great confrence full of college students who love God with a passion.



Ps- If you don't want to click the side bar, you can register here.

Fearless

Do you ever notice how kids between the ages of 4 and 9 seem to not have a sence of fear. And then the older one gets, this once aluring fearlessnes is replaced by a fear of almost everything. Now, I don't know if it is exactally fear, but more of common sence. Youth and adults know that jumping from the side of the pool and landing on your stomach hurts like crap, and don''t do it. Kids know that it will hurt, but think that if they do it enough times it will eventually stop hurting. I guess my point is, I wish I was more like a kid in this aspect and not an adult. I don't want to be fearful, I want to be fearless.

Photo curtesy of Christine (Kious) Hnat

Just ...

I do have to admit that i had a much better day today than I did yesterday (at least after I got out of Calculus). And I think that I laughed for the first time in a week or so. And no it wasn't at the picture of the horse.

A friend and I were alking to class and I turned to tell him something and he was gone. What had happen was as we were stepping over a wire, he caught it with his foot and fell. Well, it had rained last night and needless to say, his clothes were not clean when he got up. But what made it even better was that we were already five minutes late to class so he couldn't go and change. (I almost fell over laughing...but I didn't want to get muddy too!)

Everyone is Looking for a Mascot

Every single person is lookingfor their own private mascot. Someone to praise them when they do good and encourage them when things are looking bleek.



I know that I have fallen into this category, but I am not proud about it. Because I should know that i have a greater encouragement than any mascot could give me, and that is God himself.



Ps- The Purple Avenger was our mascot at Super Summer my purple school year (which was the summer after my Junior year in high school)

Remembering 9/11

Five years after that tradgic day, I take time to reflect on my thoughts and feelings about he whole ordeal.


I don't know about you, but i can remember everything about that day. I (along with four others) were sitting in Mr. Houff's spanish class. We had all missed a quiz on the prievious Friday and were in there before school to make it up. When I was down to question 7, Senior Houff ran in and told us that we needed to turn the television on because a plane had just hit the Wourld Trade Center. So we put our quizzes away and started watching FoxNews. About fifteen minutes after we turned the television on the second plane hit tower two. I believe that it was at that moment that we all realized it wasn't an accident.

As the rest of the students in our class came filling in, Senior thought the we should turn off the TV saying:

"Nothing else is going to happen."

So we went on with our normal activity. About ten minutes before the bell was supossed to ring a knok came on our classroom door. Mr. Mitchel (our principal) call Mr.Houff out and handed him a letter to read to us:

"Students and Teachers, as you have probably heard by now, the United States has suffered a great tragedy this Tuesday morning. Three planes have hit the WTC towers 1 and 2 and the Pentagon. Just moments ago, both towers fell. There is no telling the loss of life that has occurred this morning. As much as this news will affect all of you in different ways, there is no cause for alarm here. We will keep you updated on events throughout the day. May God Bless America"

This was when I stopped listening. I couldn't believe it. What was to be next? We spent the rest of that day glued to the TV. We saw in real time the towers collapse. We knew that our country would never be the same again.

Looking back on those events today, five years later, I am still questioning it. It is hard to fatom this wide scale attack. So many were killed, yet some survived. Their stories are unforgetable and life changing.

I was watching a documentary of 9/11 on the History Channel and the sights of that day brought back all the emotions that I felt that day. It brought back sadness for those that died. Happiness for those that survived. Anger toward those that perpetrated it and funded it. And confusion on weather or not it will ever happen again and what that looks like.