The Emperor's New Groove

     Last week, I watched THE EMPORER'S NEW GROOVE with Mary, Stephen, Zac, Kylie, Tatiana, and Tasia.  Let me tell you, it was totally amazing.  Not in the way that I-Robot is amazing, but in the way that a talking llamas are amazing.

     We also casted the characters.  Christian Zerr was Emperor Kuzco.  Tatiana was Yzma.  Stephen was Kronk. Chris Perdue was Pancha.  Kylie was Pancha's wife.  Tasia was the waitress at the diner.  Allie Herbert was the exotic bird (for exotic bird bingo).  Sohpie Drier was the squirrel.  

AH...HA HA HA HA HA...

 I WIN.

 

RANDOM

     Lately, I've been doing a lot of serious posts.  So here is some randomness to...not be serious and to...be random instead.  If that made any sense.  

Blue Silver.  Awesome.

Key Lime Pie.  Yes.

I'm writing this post from inside the computer that is inside this picture.  

Therefore, by some geometric property that I don't remember...I am inside the picture.

Congratulations self, you've hijacked the world.

These are jump poles.  Red.  Blue.  Blue.  Red.  

Symmetry makes me happy.

Nana gave Mom this clock for her birthday.  

It fits the color of our kitchen perfectly, so its mechanical abilities don't matter.

You gotta keep a good reputation in a kitchen that is painted yellow. 

This is Hubert.  Hubert is a mouse.  Hubert is real.  Hubert is invincible.

However long the dogs play with him, he seems to remain living.

To Start Off the Summer...

     I finally finished my last two final exams!!!!!!  Somehow, I think the summer mindset took hold of me back in April...but never mind that!  Summer is here now and I will do awesome stuff.  I LOVE SUMMER.  I love summmmmmmerrrrrrrrrr!!!!  Did I mention that I love summer???  

     My driver's ed in starting on June 6th and I'm really excited.  I can't believe I'm actually going to learn to drive a car.  Two years earlier, it seemed so far away.  I'm doing Summer Celebration in June and Local Missions in July.  I think these events will be a good place for me to learn how to serve others in need and talk with younger kids about Jesus Christ.  Many of my friends have done it in the past and I've heard that working with the kids is a very rewarding experience.  I'm also doing dog training over the summer and am doing the County Fair Dog Show and the State Dog Show in August.  Apparently, the older you get, the busier your summer is.  Summer IS supposed to be a relaxing break from school but I don't really feel like myself if I'm not busy.  So there!!!  Now you know how busy I am.  I'm hoping to get together with lots of my friends this summer.  I may not be able to attend ALL of PARTY WEEK 2011 because we're leaving on vacation in the first week of July.  

     I think perhaps the event that I'm most looking forward to this summer is the Youth Retreat.  Because summer is break from school, it is the perfect time to think about nothing but yourself and what you want to do.  I fall into that trap A LOT.  Ha!  Listen to me in that last paragraph for proof.  Worthy11 is going to be AMAZING and I can't wait to receive a fresh dose of truth.    

     Before I finish up this post, I want your guys comments on Randy Newman's message on Sunday that he titled "Evangelism for Non-evangelists."  I think the analogy about the country plugs and how the world views the Gospel was brilliant.  I have no doubt that at least 1/3 of the entire church congregation is now praying for Randy's son, haha.  If there was one major point that I took away from his message, it was "Sometimes, it is best to answer a question with a question."  I think that's an excellent tactic for making your opponents really think about their convictions and what the Bible says about it.  So, like I said, I would absolutely love to hear what you guys thought of it!  Please comment!       

Spiritual Dryness

          Today was Sunday.  I woke up, ate breakfast and got ready to go to church.  One family member took FOREVER to get ready so we got there a little late.  We got there for the last two songs of worship.  As I stood in the bleachers, suddenly I didn't feel like worshiping.  Something inside my heart was pushing me back, preventing me from raising my hands and singing with all my soul.  Something...whatever that something was...confused me a great deal that morning.  "What is wrong with you???" I asked myself.  "Why aren't you worshiping???  Jesus has saved you!  He died on the cross and was raised to life again!!!  What is wrong???  I'm not sure if I should call that weird, but I sure thought it was.

     The next day, I talked with my mom about it and she said that my spiritual dryness was like a best friend... 

     So, you always invite this best friend over and have amazing times together.  One day, your best friend moves to china and all you can do is write letters to keep in touch.  You keep up the relationship, but after a while, writing letters gets dry.  There is no more enthusiasm, no more excitement.  Your friend is so far away that you feel like you don't even know her any more.  One day, your friend calls and says she is coming back to America, but you aren't that excited about it.  Your relationship is so dry and things aren't the same anymore.

     My mom said that when you don't have your bible time during the week, don't dwell on God's sacrifice for you, or don't pray at all...your relationship with Jesus gets dry.  When you come to church, all of a sudden you can't find a reason to worship.  That's EXACTLY what happened to me.  In the Bible it says:  

     "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you."   ~James 4:8


     I need to seek God with all my heart and soul and the best part is...he will NEVER turn me away!  Even if I don't acknowledge or praise God, he's still there right beside me, loving me anyway!  Even when I think evil thoughts or sin or totally fail him altogether, he's still there slowly...patiently...compassionately...drawing me back to him.  He'll never me or forsake me even when I treat him like dirt.  Even when I spit in his face and tell him he's controlling my life too much, he gently pushes truth in my face and says "Child, remember your past life?  You were miserable, lost in a pit of muddy, thorny sin until I lifted you out.  My guidance is necessary for you, my grace is sufficient for you, and my love will never fail you.  You need nothing else in this world."  What an amazing Savior we have!


     But life...you've been promised life.  I thought you believed...your God is on your side.  If stories of your God are true, then wouldn't he come through?  You said he cares for failures too.  ~ESTHER

Marriage, Mormans, and Heaven

     Heavens!!!  Did I still have that post of Easter up???  WOW.  Time flies...when you're doing homework I suppose.  I've been soooo busy this past month with more stuff to come!  Right now, I'm in the middle of all my final exams...bleh.  To not make it too complicated, I'll just outline my upcoming events for you guys:

Thursday (12th) - Senor Saints Luncheon Concert, we're playing Rondeau (a famous wedding song:)
Sunday (15th) - State Qualifier Dog Show...I still have to give Sandy a bath, that should be fun, hehe
Monday (16th) - Spring Concert Dress Rehearsal, couldn't go to dog training  because of this :(
Tuesday (17th) - Spring Concert, we're playing a Rondeau and a fiddle tune called Square Dance Medley
Thursday (19th) - Ensemble End of Year Party...no violin over the summer, its kind of sad :(
Saturday (21st) - Babysitting, time to earn some MONEY because I need sunglasses B-)

Sometimes, with all these activites on top of final exams, I'm not getting much sleep these days.  That probably was the reason I was sleeping in study hall yesterday afternoon :)

     In the study hall after the one I slept through (which was also yesterday), we were outside at a table.  It was me, Mary, Tatiana Harman, Tasia Harman, Rachel Wilcox, and Aimee Lynch.  Something I learned: when you have a group of girls with nothing better to do than talk, the conversation ALWAYS steers in the direction of marriage.  Don't ask me why!  As Mrs. Garay would say = it is what it is, so accept what it is :)
Anna: arranged marriages are kind of scary
Rachel: yeah, there should be a list of things you have to know before you marry a stranger, like...
Tatiana: ...his age.  (laughing erupts)
Anyway, we talked along the lines of marriage for an hour and about Cali Wilcox's engagement to Phil Royer.  Soooo cute, congratulations to your sister Rachel!!!!!

     Then Zac Lockwood joined our table and we decided to talk about Mormans and the Gospel.  Mormans believe that Jesus was the groom at the wedding in Canan, when in fact he and his disciples were INVITED.  That was where he transformed water into wine.  Many religions, not just Mormans believe there will be earthly pleasure in heaven and we all described what we want in heaven.  Tatiana wanted no more sin.  I love you Tatiana!!!  What an amazing thing it would be to not have to fight sin every minute of the day!!!  To be free to worship the Savior and give him glory without hindrance from Satan.  It's hard in this life and we all need God's help. We read a verse from Romans 7:15 that said:

For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  SO TRUE!!!

     Many religions may devise heaven in their own minds, but we have a real description of it in the Bible.  In Revelation 21 it says in heaven, the dwelling place of God will be with man.  There will the New Jerusalem, the river of life, the twelve trees bearing fruit, pearl gates, gold streets, and no darkness or night at all.   There will be no death, mourning, crying or pain...for the former things have passed away.  

Tatiana: "just imagine guys, this right now are the former things, the former life!  She was right!  Our real place is with God.  Nothing about endless women and alcohol are mentioned to be heaven.  

Mary: yes siree, we'll be drinking alcohol with God in heaven!!! (laughing erupts) 

Tatiana: I love that!  We can be all serious in talking about the Gospel, then we can break out laughing and then go back to talking about heaven again.  God has such a sense of humor!  

     I'm so privledged to have such godly friends.  Love all you guys!  Study hall has officially been my highlight of the school year :D    ~Anna