A Briefing Of the Life and Works

It’s time for a simple blog update, one of those informal ones lacking amazing life parallels or composition worthy of college generals. I think that description fits most of my posts, but that’s because random expositions of writing are what I do best.

My life: Wake up and partake of 3-4 chapters out of the Bible, followed by a glass of water and various other morning activities- if it’s a day I go to school I come my hair and get dressed, but if not, I throw my hair into a pony tail and hit the computer for online classes in comfy rooster PJs. Twice a week I get to the college in Colville at about 9:00 to help in A&P lab, but other mornings I don’t roll in until 10:30 for precalculus class. I normally get math homework done as soon as possible after class, to maximize the value of the money I’m spending for Math 141. If I wait too long I maximize the money I’ve invested into taking a class from a real teacher, but I prefer to figure problems out on my own. I’m taking Cultural Anthropology and Music Appreciation online, so I have a little work to do for anthropology to stay up to speed- mostly a lot of reading, critical writing, and other things. I could sleep through music class- but I guess I kind of do since I don’t actually go to the classes- I assist in biology labs on the same day as music class, so I listen to the lectures on the computer. School is going great. So far I’ve not had to study much any weekend, and this is week 5. I come home and do random things then before I go to bed I read a chapter out of Patriarchs and Prophets- tonight I'll read chapter 31!

Having more time at home and for my own personal activates is a nice change of pace after 2 years of working fairly hard! I’m playing piano for the little Presbyterian church in a town south of me each Sunday, to save money for going to Europe this summer. I can’t wait to get a job- hopefully at the local feed store in Colville! In the meantime, I’m relishing time at home to BAKE and COOK (I’m looking forward to a future blog I’m going to post on this subject!) many good things, be with my family, have fun with the animals, and practice music.

My schedule this term at school is just what I needed. I’m incredibly happy with my life. I’m anxious to see how future plans unfold, but I’m confident that with prayer my path will be directed, as it has been to date! So, I’m hanging in here- alive and kicking! Plans are being made for an amazing summer- way different than it has been for years and years. And fall plans are unraveling. Until then, however, you can think of me as sitting happily in North East Washington- exactly where God wants me at this point in my life!

Time to Committ

Sometimes I wonder if I actually like distractions! Often it seems as if I go looking for them and bring them upon myself intentionally. However, as a part of my 2012 resolutions, I’m committing to using my time carefully because God is some day going to ask me to account for it (Romans 14:12). Thus, 2012 has a schedule for the school days, because these are the days I’m most inclined to go looking for excuses to staying on track.

Another way I’m going to discipline myself this year is through reading the Bible in its entirety and the Conflict of the Ages series! I’ve been incredibly blessed in the nine days of this year doing this and am excited to keep on track! (thanks to the nice cards passed out at GYC). My morning devotions include Bible reading and at night I lay in bed reading SOP on my iPod. This way I’m filling my mind with Christ morning and night. By God’s grace I’ll keep this up.

Having New Year resolution or two or three really doesn’t work too well if you don’t have the personality to stick with it. I vary in that attribute. Right now the year is young and I’m feeling strong. However, we all know how it goes; in a couple months things get put aside bit-by-bit. I have some accountability partners, which is a great help. I’m planning on blogging on the subject every once and awhile to keep it in my thoughts. I’d really encourage you to find some one to help you, prayer of course being the connection to God that can make anything happen, however, a friend that is hard on you is also great. I have a sister for that task!

My goals for this year: Read the Bible through and all 5 Conflict Series books, exercise every school day, spend some time outside every day, eat at least 1 raw vegetable a day(I must be a fruit/grain-atarian…), and spend time in prayer for the world SDA church and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” Romans 8:37. And with this same conquering love of God, I will lay aside the distractions Satan tosses at me!

My Christmas Story

            Despite the fact that I have lived for twenty years and experienced twenty different Christmases, the feeling of Christmas is not something that I’ll discover with coming years. Yes, I fully believe that the true meaning and the true spirit of Christmas are connected to the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as prophets foretold in the Holy Scriptures. This fact is very sacred and beautiful and will always be the same amazing story for the rest of time. However, all American children grow up picturing Christmas with great anticipation for presents, family, snow, laughter, traditions, Bing Crosby, It’s a Wonderful Life, and oh so many more components.  Yet, Christmas in feeling doesn’t get better with age, rather it reforms and morphs as an ever-changing event that is not the stable holiday known to boys and girls across the country.

            My memories of Christmas go back to very early in my life. I have very vague recollections of my toddler years in Seattle; Christmas lights. Definite memories of the holiday formed in my mind while living in Chehalis. Always our cute little imitation Christmas tree on a table and presents piled around it. Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Bob, my family- we all gathered for a classic American meal of turkey soup left over from Thanksgiving, apple pie, and other delectable goodies. Oh the love and laughter that floated around at that time of year. And then the memories that define Christmas as my standard; Port Orchard. Here Tanner and I discovered that Santa Clause was actually two people, two people that we knew quite well. We were quite happy to make this discovery since our intellects just told us we had been having our legs pulled. Christmas time took on the best elements during these years in Port Orchard. Since we lived just up the road from Oma, she instructed me in the art of Krumkake making; Norwegian Christmas dessert that her mother Olga Sakariason had passed down to her. We faithfully ate our Julegrøt- Norwegian Christmas Eve dessert made from cooked rice, with cream, butter, and cinnamon-sugar on top. Oma always came up for package unwrapping- our German/Norwegian family tradition on Christmas Eve. Traditions from our mother countries became ingrained in my life during these years. Traditions will always be a part of my Christmas and they do contribute to the feeling of Christmas, however they aren’t everything to my definition.

            Christmas day in Port Orchard meant that Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Bob would be coming over. We’ve been close to my dad’s family all my life. They knew how to make me feel important to them. In the earliest years of Port Orchard my Opa would be a part of our lives during Christmas, and sometimes even my mom’s brother and his family. I never can remember a Christmas that we all were together for a meal, but perhaps that occurred before my memory was functioning too well, back in Seattle. People came to our house for Christmas. Everything was perfect. Christmas was eagerly anticipated each year.

            And then. And then the Christmas feeling changed. First Opa died, but I was only eight years old, and didn’t know him very well. However, losing my first person I knew to death changed me a lot. Christmases went on much the same. They were still complete with the childish Christmas dreams I held. But after I was twelve, Christmas has changed forever. Uncle Bob passed away after a long, hard battle with colon cancer, he being the prime source of joy to my siblings and I from our extended family. He was the most amazing person who had a heart that loved his little nieces and nephew. His death has changed my life more than any other event.

            Family is the biggest component of Christmas. Of that fact I am so sure. No one loves you like family. When someone is missing forever from Christmas, it will never be the same. I long for the day when in Heaven the faithful will be reunited, but until then I know I will need to ever understand that no Christmas will never fit my imagination of a perfect Christmas.

            As I’ve learned things over the few years of my life, I’ve come to appreciate that celebrating the gift that God gave us on Christmas day (although I don’t believe that Christ was born on Dec. 25) is the most important part of a holiday. Family will come and go, but Christ is my Alpha and Omega- always there for me.

            Now I live somewhere totally different. Five Christmases near Kettle Falls and Colville has refined my theory on Christmas even more. The last two Christmases my Oma has been living with us. She is our one comfort of family. Dear Grandma and Grandpa celebrate with other family members on the west side of the state, while we do Christmas across the snowy state with church family. At least we are almost always guaranteed of snow over here. We enjoy the very best vegan meals here each Christmas, and truly enjoy the fellowship with good friends. Christmas changes in feeling but in spirit and meaning it will be the same all my life. One thing I can say, and that is thank-you God for sending us Jesus to give us the hope of salvation in Heaven one day soon.

Finite

We live in a world have haves and have nots. Some have what other don't have and other don't have what others have. Each one of us has the choice to make a difference in the quality of the planet we call home. It is our choice to choose how we will use the finite resources that God has provided planet Earth with. There are billions of hurting people who would give what they have to have what the don't have.
The individual choice of each man, women, and child influences the health of the planet. We live in a complex world where humans have a God-ordained supremacy- let us not abuse that power, but rather use it in stewardship to the planet to protect  biodiversity and habitats that God has created and man is destroying.
This world is alive. This video is a tribute to those that have died trying to protect her.

Sayonara

Nineteen years. It's my final day to be this age, and most significantly, the last day I'll be a teenager. When I look back at the ideas I had as a little kid about one day being twenty, I'm so glad that dreams don't always come true! At 6 I knew I was going to be married by twenty (hardy har har!), and I thought I'd be done with school. Yeah, and I was going to be running for president pretty soon after twenty (apparently the president of the USA didn't have to have a lot of education...). Or was I going to be a famous opera singer? I don't remember exactly.
Obviously I had some far out ideas. I had some good ones too. Thankfully, with age comes an ever expanding mind. I've learned so much in my 19.9999999 years that I thought I wouldn't learn until I was old. The decade of twenties is going to require a lot more maturity, but hopefully I'm up for the character challenge.
Nineteen has been a good year for me. I got my drivers license (oh yeah!) and thereby acquired a level of independence which I think has been really good. In the long run, I've made my own choices about my education and scholastic plans (we're not going there right now!). I've had to say goodbye to some people that I've been really attached too, which has taught me the valuable lesson that there's the time and season for wonderful teen years growing up with wonderful friends and family and then there's the reality that one day we do have to make up our own minds and move on. I've learned not to get depressed about that very fact. Nineteen has taught me that life is an adventure and that when directed and guided by wise counsel, it's exciting and can be used for the benefit of mankind.
But hey! I still have a lot of life to go. I don't know much! I'm not very old! Sometimes I feel like I'm about 15 still. :-) This is a blog post to just toss some of my brain's considerations out. I like looking back over my life and doing some analysis on my choices. Just the same, I like to look ahead and evaluate my future goals. Remember, THINK BIG! God has great plans for each one of us, let's not be afraid to let Him direct us to being the BEST that we can be!
Sayonara. Au revoir. Cheers. 

Final Field Trip

In Environmental Science this last week we went on our final field trip lab. It's not gross, it's really neat: We went to the Colville Waste-Water Treatment Plant. When something costs twenty million dollars you know that the product is going to be good. That means that the city of Colville has a very effective mean of getting rid of all that waste-water. The process is pretty fascinating, especially when it's a biological treatment plant. Let the microbes rule! If it hadn't been that I love the human body so much, microbiology would have been my favorite of all the biology classes I've taken yet. So, the lab at this place was really awesome. The whole thing is state-of-the-art and just mind-blowing in efficiency and technology. Talk about using our affluence in America for the good of our environment. Makes me so wish other places could enjoy what we are blessed to have here in the US.
These pictures are from my cell phone.

Isabel and Amanda- two of my good friends at school this year :)

Cayce and Isabel walking to next site on tour

No one needed it

Aeration basin holds 1.2 million gallons. Pretty amazing process. Enjoy hills of Colville in background.

Clarifier

I think I'll abide by the rules on this one! :-)

Sisters, Leaves, and Autumn

Fall photos of the two girls that live at the Martin's house.

Autumn in northeast Washington State is very pretty. Western Larch, Water Birch, Aspen, Columbian Maple, Red-Osier Dogwood, and the list goes on. Beautiful in it's own way. We're blessed to call this area home.