I do not measure my love!

And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Speaking of babies....

Here is my brand new second-cousin Bella Rose. Ain't she cute?

Time came a creeping, oh time's a loaded gun....

Time goes so fast! It seems like only yesterday that Evie Grace, my youth leader's daughter, was born. Here she is at two days old:

 

And here she is now! She's 1 and a half. 

Isn't she just perfectly angelic?

I love her.

Another thing, my brother is turning 14, and he is having a murder mystery party. I turned 14 three years ago and I did a murder mystery party then. My friends are still talking about it, so it feels like it was only last year or something! Except that I'm, well ... older.

Last time we went to the USA I was 12. That was 5 years ago. We're planning on going back again soon, which will be awesome, because when I was 12 I was still quite the tomboy and could not appreciate clothes/swimmer shopping in Hawaii and California and the neat jewelry in Nevada and Arizona. Plus I can go on the biggest rides at Disneyland now.

But I still remember the last trip so clearly! Here's a couple of pics. I have new camera now, so can't wait to take thousands of awesome photos when we make the trek to the Homeland again.

 

  

  

LOOK HOW TANNED MY BROTHER IS!! Hahaha. I love it.

God is listening!

In recent months I read a book by John Dickson called "Promoting the Gospel". It's a great book. I picked it up again just now because I remember a story the author told about his childhood. He knew a lovely elderly lady who used to babysit him and his brothers since they were young. John's father had died when he was nine; every day since then, Elsie had prayed for John, his mother and his two brothers, asking the Lord to bring them into his kingdom.

John Dickson is a christian now. And so is his brother Jamie. Isn't that amazing? The prayer and encouragement of one woman brought two people into God's kingdom! Maybe more.

I know another story like this one. Told to me in a sermon by Josh Apieczonek, who spoke at LiT camp. He said that at his church they have these cards on the pews where church members and new people can write their details and prayer points. Josh knew a girl who wrote a prayer point on one of these cards every week. And every week she asked for the same thing - prayer for her father, who was not a christian. So Josh prayed for the girl's father every single week.

Some time later, in an open prayer at church, this girl prayed aloud and thanked God that her father had become a Christian.

I am just stunned by these amazing acts. Devotion to prayer and faith in God. And I am even more stunned by God's overwhelming care and power. He listens. And, His will be done, our prayers will be answered.

We all have non-christian friends. I know you'd love them to come to Christ. But I'm sure you can think of at least one person who you are convinced could never become a Christian. Don't doubt! Have faith in God. Commit to prayer for this person, and if it be God's will, that person could join the kingdom.

For, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). That means everyone. So it also means that anyone can come to Christ. If you are with Christ, then there is every chance your non-christian friend can be too.

So pray! Pray every day if you can. And have faith like in God. 'Jesus replied, "...you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there', and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."' - Matthew 17:20-21

★★★★★

Private Reiben: What's the saying? "If God's on our side, who the hell could be on theirs?" 
Upham: "If God is for us, who could be against us?" 
Reiben: Yeah, what'd I say? 

So I watched Saving Private Ryan for the first time yesterday.

Wow. Steven Spielberg ... I knew he was good, I've seen stacks of his movies, but this one... If you haven't seen this movie, you have to. The cinematography is stunning. In this one scene, Tom Hanks's character Miller has been given the task of finding Private Ryan. He's talking to Sergeant Horvath, and he says, 'Finding Ryan - it's like looking for a needle in a stack of needles' and as he says this, the camera is panning to the left, across this sea of men dressed in green, and you can hear Tom Hanks talking, but you're thinking 'where the heck is he?' Seriously cool cinematography.

Yeah, I don't know if I did a very good job of explaining that, but if didn't, all the more reason to see this film. It's hard to watch, because it's so real, but that's why it's so amazing. Tom Hanks is excellent, of course, as Captain Miller. He's such a good captain, and yet, you know he's a just a regular guy.

But then there's Giovanni Ribisi.

I might be biased, because I already LOVE Giovanni (pictured below); he's just an amazing actor. But in this movie, there's this one scene, and you'll know the scene I'm talking about when you watch it. For those of you who have already seen it - you know what I mean. He is just so memorable. It gives you nightmares. Giovanni plays Wade, the medic. You just get this chill down your spine when he says 'I could use some ... I could use a little morphine.'

Personally, I could use a little chocolate and a box of tissues. 5 stars. 

I FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD!!!!!

A certain someone told me that they miss me. And I miss them. So ... that just made my day. :) 

Grrrr....

Good Morning.

It's 10:30 where I am right now. I had a terrible sleep last night. Maybe it's because I was devastated that Murray lost the final last night without a winning a set. Ho hum.

Anyway, this morning is going well. I have a week left of holidays. I woke up at 8:30, and in two hours I've found three character archetypes for my protagonists of my novel, taken a shower, got some breakfast for me and the cats, watched a video on Kristen's blog, prayed for Katherine and Emily's first day of school, and read some of my new book 'Do Hard Things'.

I must say I'm incredibly glad my parents never sent me to school. If things like buying the right kind of pencil case for school are as drastic as some of my friends make out, I'm glad I didn't go. :)