Through My Blue Eyes

About Me

My life is not my own, for I belong to Christ.

It is because of God's grace and for His glory that I "live and move and have my being."

I am currently back in Indiana, studying English Education at Purdue University, far from the home I've come to know and love in Victoria, Australia

My family means the world to me.

Living in America and loving in Australia, I am blessed indeed. Complete Profile

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Sunday, September 30, 2007

It upsets me...

...that people who have the blessing of CYPU events (and/or youth groups) fail to make an effort to take advantage of them. You don't know how blessed you are until it's all gone. So don't waste it. Please. These things are important.

Thank you.

Goodnight.

Charity | 11:04 pm

// posted by Charity @ 11:04 pm |

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Saturday, September 22, 2007

A night to remember...

We ate our homemade cheesecake,

drank our Matt-approved coffee,

spent hours upon hours chatting,

examined countless concerns about college,

received wise and caring counsel,

discussed aspects of life in the church,

reviewed opportunities for witnessing for Christ,

vented to the point of almost crying,

considered Biblical concepts,

and ended up with exceedingly dry contacts

Thanks, Matt and Justine.

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart,

And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel...

As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

--Proverbs 27:9, 17

Charity | 12:23 pm

// posted by Charity @ 12:23 pm |

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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Power shortage...or not

The power went out on Sunday afternoon, just before we left for evening service. As people started arriving at the building in which we meet, we formed a circle just inside the doors and talked about what we should do. It was cold and it was dark. Jan, half-serious and half-jokingly, suggested church by candlelight. In the end, we decided it would be best to go ahead with a service at Tony and Norma's house--they still had power. The set-up in their living room worked nicely. I thought about the fact that if our church had been just a little larger, we wouldn't have been able to meet there. Isn't it wonderful that God knows and plans even these things? His power is evidently shown, even when ours is lacking.

We pray that God will grow our church--in His own time and way. Sometimes I forget to consciously look for the ways in which He is working. I find it easy to think about how we are lacking. How much better to recall our fulfillment in Christ. What a blessing to be a part of His purchased Bride.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart."
--Galatians 6:9

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
--1 Corinthians 15:58

Charity | 5:22 pm

// posted by Charity @ 5:22 pm |

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Thursday, September 13, 2007

"Don't cry, Shopgirl...don't cry."

I L O V E the movie "You've Got Mail". I watched it for the first time a few months ago, and I've probably seen it 10 times since. I don't know what makes it so incredible but I can watch it over and over and not get tired of it. The songs, the lines, the actors... It is just completely wonderful. (Well, okay, not completely...but definitely one of my favorites.)

Maria and I learned about how new species evolve today in Biology class. We took a test on natural selection and its obvious effect on life. I felt so enlightened, let me tell you. Actually, I felt rather uncomfortable. I didn't have a specific argument or refuting statement, and even if I had been able to think of something, I don't know know if I'd have had the courage to say anything. We discussed it a bit at dinner, and Dad gave me some "light reading" -- three books, to be exact. I really do want to learn how to better defend what I believe, even if I don't use it for a public debate. I know that a series of lectures is not going to shake my faith, but I think it's good to try to be better prepared when opportunity might arise to share about it.

This week has gone by so quickly. More like this month. Or this year. Maybe I look forward to things too much and forget to live in today.

Well, before I start to wander into my late-night thoughts, I think I'll end this post and head to bed. Gute nacht.

Charity | 9:48 pm

// posted by Charity @ 9:48 pm |

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Saturday, September 08, 2007

Real Life

I have eaten 6 meals in the past 2 days. That is more than I ate on all the other days of the week combined. I missed my appetite.

As I dried the dishes tonight, Benji washed and listened to Adventures in Odyssey on his mp3 player (his pride and joy!!). He would randomly say lines from the episodes he was listening to. I was amused.

Tomorrow I teach Sunday school. I'm thinking some preparation is in order.

But first, I'd like to use my blog for the overrated purpose of posting some not-so-overrated quotes:

"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls--
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like a deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills."
--Habakkuk 3:17-19
"For all people walk
Each in the name of his own god,
But we will walk
In the name of the LORD our God
Forever and ever."
--Micah 4:5
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and
your life is hidden with Christ in God."
--Colossians 3:2
"Waiting is...
Steadfastness, that is holding on;
patience, that is holding back;
expectancy, that is holding the face up;
obedience, that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do;
listening, that is holding so quiet and so still as to hear."
--S.D. Gordon

Charity | 7:15 pm

// posted by Charity @ 7:15 pm |

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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words

Here I am, sitting in my newly cleaned room. This is kind of a rare occasion, and I intend to enjoy it while it lasts. The beds are even made! Now, bed-making is a difficult enough task in itself, but attempting it on a bed 10 feet off the ground makes for an even more impossible task. It really doesn't take all that much to clean our room -- just a little bit of time and effort. Keeping it clean, however, is a completely different story.

Hey, if any of you are looking for a good excuse to miss school, come see me and Tamara. We officially exercised some of our rights as "sickies" yesterday afternoon. I actually made it to math class this morning, where my teacher was convinced that my only intent was to infect everyone else. I'm told we look worse than we sound, but we're both recovering...and hoping that we didn't pass it on to everyone else at home. I know we've been doing some serious germ-exchanging with the Glovers, though. And we'll have to hear how Elli is doing once she gets home. She flew back to Germany last night, much to our sadness. We will miss her a lot. I guess we just need to get some of our American friends and family over here to make up for her absence (*hint, hint*).

Spring is coming. We had just a couple gloriously warm days last week to get us longing for it. It has turned cold again, but there are still signs of the coming seasons all around. Beautiful new life surrounds us. This is my favorite time of the year, as far as weather goes. Spring used to bring my birthday, as well, but things are backwards and up-side-down here, as you all know...

I'm looking forward to the school holidays coming up at the end of this month. I'm hoping to volunteer for Junior Camp at Dikko. I haven't officially asked yet, but I am told there is a need. Youth Camp seems so long ago, and Family Camp is far too long to wait for another Dixon's Creek fix. I'm also greatly looking forward to Ken Smith's visit next month. I told my dad that I've never been so excited about someone 60 years older than me coming for a visit. I'm sure it will be really encouraging for the church -- myself included.

Charity | 6:16 pm

// posted by Charity @ 6:16 pm |

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