everything changes

If you've somehow stumbled across this blog, this is pretty much my former life, my highschool life. If you've done some reading on here, you may have noticed I love Lois Walfrid Johnson's Viking Quest series. In those books, the main character went on a long journey and came back a different person. Yes, she was still herself... but those who knew her noticed a difference right away.

Like her, I have vastly changed in the last few years. I have gained so much more than I ever thought I would, only to lose much of it. I could say more, but it is difficult to put the joy and suffering of almost three years into mere words. If you want to get to know me better, visit my active blog, landofexpectations.blogspot.com. There, I post my art and attempt to bring beauty into the lives of others.

Live long and prosper. And may we grow in understanding of the grace of God, and the meaning of "solo Dei gloria."

philippians 3:12-16

doesn't it amaze you how patient God is with us? this passage made that quite clear to me, especially the last two verses...anyway I thought I'd share it.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

in the glistening

My summer's been going pretty well. I've been getting good grades in my math class, trying new art styles, and relaxing which is wonderful. And watching lots of Horatio Hornblower and Star Trek Voyager. I found a real jewel in the Voyager character Chakotay. I've added him to my list of "people whose example my future husband must live up too." Whoever the dude is, I feel sorry for him already. :D Just kidding... Anyway Chakotay really is a great character, and I delight in finding great characters. It's how I felt when I discovered Hornblower, and Superman (the Superman of Superman Returns). Looking at my Voyager wallpapers, I realize that over ten of them feature or include Chakotay. I think I'll show y'all a few highlights.






credit here.

*squee* I just love making wallpapers!!! 'Tis hard to control my enthusiam. :D I wanted this post to be longer, but I've got to go, so I'll try to post again before too long. Comments are splendid, and I'll try to visit your blogs soon too! I hate that I've practically never visited them in recent times. Go with God!

life is good, eternal life is better

That song gets really annoying actually...not that I don't love Stellar Kart. :D

So I've been doing a lot of different stuff lately. I'm taking an online math class, which isn't too bad. We just finished learning about voting, and I passed my first test. I'm also making art as usual and posting it on NarniaWeb, which is where a lot of my artist friends hang out. Then I update my art blog fairly recently. (If you want, check out THIS page for Narnia stuff I've posted on there. And Aslan, look at THIS Hornblower stuff. I kinda went on a Hornblower craze.) And then I'm attempting to keep up with my lovely college friends on Facebook. So it's a lot of stuff going on. (And I haven't written anything creative in AGES which is just sad. Perhaps my next post should be something creative *shrug*) Overall I'm feeling rather quiet right now, so I'll just post some verses and then begone. Do email/comment and catch up with me, if you haven't lately...

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:1-16

of the lost and open sky

On this half lit day
With your crown beneath your wings
Ev'ry word just echoes
And the empty world sings

Where have you gone, my feather light heart?
I never imagined I could leave.

In the glistening
Of the lost and open sky
Tiny piece of you sits
Simple wish waits for reply

Where have you gone my feather light heart?
I never imagined I could leave.

~Where, by Lisbeth Scott and Harry Gregson-Williams


I miss my friends. I miss tiptoeing around sensitive topics while chatting with D. I miss L's hugs. I miss B cause I love her to bits. I miss the "your mom" jokes that bounced between V and E.

Then there's my family. I didn't know it was SO much more fun to watch Phil of the Future with Mom instead of alone. My little bro is growing up bit by bit. My sister is graduating. My cat is losing weight so we're all pampering her with tuna and tasty cat treats. Life goes on. But I wish it wouldn't. Change hurts.

So you can pray for me about that, if you think of it. Also that God would hold me TIGHT.

And check out my latest project.

P.S. A good quote from Star Trek TNG:
"If there's nothing wrong with me, there must be something wrong with the universe."

what I've learned my first year at college

Silly putty is a priceless gift. An amazing study-buddy.

I officially do not like Picasso. And that's that.

Feelings do not equal truth.

Classes in which the teacher doesn't do grade adjustment=YUCK.

Mercy and grace...are wondrous. From God and from teachers.

Feelings do not equal truth. It can't be said too often.

Elections matter, but incumbents win. To quote my Politics teacher. That statement just tickles my funny bone. So which part is true?

In Christ alone my hope is found. And I love that song, which I'd never heard before coming to college.

"Horatio Hornblower rocks." It sounds even cooler when you say it with a Welsh accent like Ioan Gruffudd.

Feelings do not equal truth. (I can't count the times I had to remember that this year.)

God is faithful. Always. And even when life stinks, there is no wickedness in Him.

this is to let you know I'm still alive

but currently quite busy with final projects, keeping up with class reading, etc. Hard to believe the end of the year will arrive so soon...I'm going home in less then two weeks!! Home for the summer...seems like some kind of happy dream you expect to wake up from any second. But before then I have work to do...there will still be two more chapters to read for Earth Science and three more online quizzes, one due tonight and two due next week. And then I'm not sure how much Politics reading we're going to have... I have finals for both Earth Science and Politics, but they're not cumulative so that's happy. As for Speech, me and four of my classmates will be doing a symposium-forum on Wednesday. That's when we each make a mini-speech but all on the same overall topic so it combines into one big presentation. And at the end we take audience questions. I practiced my individual part for the first time yesterday and it was just the right length, between 4 and 6 minutes, so that's good. Annnd then there's also my Illustrator final project, due a week from Monday. I've already spent maybe 5 or 6 hours on that so it's already well underway. For that project, I'm designing a snowboard, a surfboard, and a skateboard, all with the same theme. And I'm designing a company logo to go with them.

Anywho...the summer will hopefully be less busy...meaning time for blogging! I'll be taking an online math course, and probably doing a few other things too...but no more crammed schedules thank goodness.

~from Horatio Hornblower, the TV miniseries. Pretty cool, I like it.