SO upset!!!

alright, so, monday we had no classes due to all that snow. and then we went back to school on tuesday and wednesday. i never have classes on thursdays as it is... so i was thinking, i bet thursday they'll call it a snow day. AND THEY DID!!! i am SO UPSET!!! the day when i dont have to show to school anyway, they call it a snow day. all this misery. PLEASE have MERCY!!! so, that's my news of the day. hope your day is going better than mine.

Life is Random & So am I

yep, i'm feeling random. so here are some pics from last years trip to Australia.

Opera House, Sydney

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Aussie Santa

view of Sydney from Center Point Tower

he was sitting in my cousin's room, the boys were kind enough to point him out

view of Sydney from Taronga Zoo

Three Sister, Blue Mountains

i guess that means 'dead end'

Avoca Beach, NSW

i believe i can fly, i believe i can touch the sky

these birdies here stole fish from the fishermen

i thought that was kinda cute, it says "Jesus is coming, so everyone look busy".

Canberra - capital of Australia

Parliament House, Canberra

isnt that precious?

what can i say? they lack imagination (jokes)

i thought that was kinda cute (Daisy Hill Koala Center, QLD)

look closely at this kanga, there's a little joey in the pouch

O'Reilly's (QLD)

these little guys always waited for us on the house

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

rubbish is rubbish

i guess this is a Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat (i just thought he was precious 'cause he's sleeping on his back and you can see his teeth... teeheehee)

he was SO sweet!!! (Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - The World's First & Largest Koala Sanctuary)

look at 'em!!!

i feed them!!! :D:D:D

got slobbery hands, but it was definitely worth it!!! very picture worthy!!!

in baby changing room

kangaroo size cockroach!!! they fly too!!!

pineapple feild

Mooloolaba Beach - very pretty!!!

Aboriginal - Aussie National

last day in Australia... sniff-sniff... sob-sob...

well, i hope you enjoyed this... i sure did enjoy the trip!!!

Joyful Christian

The religion of Christ is the religion of JOY. Christ came to take away your sins, to roll off our curse, to unbind our chains, to open our prisonhouse, to cancel our debt; in a word, to give us the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Is not this joy? Where can we find a joy so real, so deep, so pure, so lasting?

There is every element of joy - deep, ecstatic, satisfying, sanctifyingjoy - in the gospel of Christ. The believer in Jesus is essentially a happy man. The child of God is, from necessity, a joyful man. His sins are forgiven, his soul is justified, his person is adopted, his trials are blessings, his conflicts are victories, his death is immortality, his future is a heaven of inconceivable, unthought-of, untold, and endless blessedness. With such a God, such a Saviour, and such a hope, is he not, ought he not, to be a joyful man?

-Octavius Winslow

*i just thought it was a neat little quote. i think by now ya'll figured that i enjoy quotes.*

У природы нет плохой погоды

i found it. i found that Russian song that talks about nature never having bad weather. it says - nature doesnt have bad weather, all weather is a blessing, rain or snow... YEP, they mentioned snow.


У природы нет плохой погоды,
Каждая погода — благодать!
Дождь ли, снег — любое время года
Надо благодарно принимать.

Отзвуки душевной непогоды,
В сердце одиночества печать
И бессонниц горестные всходы
Надо благодарно принимать.

Смерть желаний, годы и невзгоды,
С каждым днем все непосильней кладь,
Что тебе назначено природой,
Надо благодарно принимать.

Смену лет, закаты и восходы
И любви последней благодать,
Как и дату своего ухода,
Надо благодарно принимать.

У природы нет плохой погоды,
Ход времен нельзя остановить.
Осень жизни, как и осень года,
Надо не скорбя благословить.

-слова Э. Рязанова

here's a clip of this song. it was take from an OLD russian romantic/humorous movie. so yeah. enjoy!!!

Good Things About Snow

alright, snow might be a nasty thing sometimes, BUT there could be SOME good in it, right? ALRIGHT, so i'm desperate to find a bright side of this unfortunate situation. and (this might come as a shock, so brace yourself) i actually DID find some GOOD things about the snow. here we go...

DUE TO THE SNOW:

• we had NO classes today (which is a GREAT thing 'cause i didnt have all my homework done)
• we're not having a test tomorrow (which is also awesome, 'cause i wasnt exactly ready for it)
• it was very beautiful to look at the bright blue sky and snow this morning (from your warm, comfy house, of course)
• we get to wear comfy (and not always great looking) shoes, instead of those uncomfortable (but OH SO PRETTY) high-heels
• we can have snowball fights!!!
• um... well... hmmm... ALRIGHT, so i'm out of ideas. but you cant blame a girl for trying. i might think of something else later (doubt it). but the point is, there are SOME good things about the snow...

... and while i think of other positive things about this white stuff, i'll warm myself with warm thoughts of Summer... SUN... iced teas... well, i mean, they're not exactly warm, but they're Summery. alright, thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings.

Traditions of Men vs Commandments of God

ok, so this year i decided to read my Bible in a chronological order. it's SO interesting this way (i mean, it's always interesting to read the Bible). to get all the stories in the order that they actually happened. that's cool. i totally recommend it. anyway, so i was doing my devotions today and i came across this one situation that occurred between Jesus and pharisees. pharisees werent particularly in favor of (Jesus') disciples' behavior:

Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Matthew 15:2

The Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? Mark 7:5

this is what Jesus had to say about it:

But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress (disobey) the commandment of God by your tradition? Matthew 15:3

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men... Mark7:8

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject (disobey) the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Mark 7:9

Making the word of God of none effect (useless) through your tradition, which ye have delivered (followed)... Marl 7:13

ok, so it's clear where Jesus stood concerning this. but i just got thinking, how many traditions or beliefs do we have/practice and are fast to accuse or judge others who dont also keep them, without regarding God's commandments? i mean, there are tons and tons of traditions out there, cultural, family, whatever. there is nothing wrong with traditions, but sometimes it's easy to look and someone and say "why are you doing that this way? dont you know?" and judge someone or accuse them. but do we ever stop and compare our traditions to the commandments of God? do they align? Jesus said that they laid aside God's commandments for their own traditions. i just thought, boy, i need to be careful not to do that. God's word and commandments come first, before my traditions, feelings or beliefs. i know that this stuff is kinda elementary, everyone knows it, but sometime we need to be reminded even of those. well, at least i do, anyway. i just wanted to share this with ya'll. maybe someone else needed to be reminded or something. GOD bless!!!

thought for the day

well, i hate to say this, but it's still snowing. we'll drown in snow. honest. it just keeps coming. oh well, trying to be grateful in all situations here, but man, i tell you, it's kinda hard in this snow and cold. it's extremely difficult to get around in high-heels. try it sometimes. i couldnt get from point A (my porch) to point B (the car) without holding on to someone and even then i'm going at the pace of a snail. note to self, wear comfy shoes. comfort comes before beauty (right). anyway, i got this quote in my email today and i thought it was rather nice. so i wanted to share it with you:

Let us take things as we find them: let us not attempt to distort them into what they are not. We cannot make facts. All our wishing cannot change them. We must use them.
-John Henry Newman

well, all of you in the warm places of the world, i envy you. and the rest of you that are in the cold and snow, i sympathize with you.

Spring

alright, all this snow is making me sad. i really dont mind snow. honest. around Christmas time. maybe some for New Year's. but this is just... i mean, enough is enough, i'm telling you!!! so, since we're having all these snow storms, i've been thinking warm thoughts... Spring... flip-flops... you know, last year in Australia. i really had enough of Winter this year. it's just SO extremely long!!! but as an old Russian song says "у природы нет плохой погоды" (loosely translated "nature doesnt have bad weather"). i think they tried to say that you gotta be grateful for all of it. i'm trying. i really am. but all this snow. have mercy!!! SO, thinking warm, Springy thoughts, i thought of an OLD Russian poem that they made us memorize in... oh, i dont know, 2nd or 3rd grade. i dont remember all of it, but i looked it up on line and there it was. i really wont be able to interpret all of it into English. that's like... interpreting Shakespeare. that's wrong, right? ANYHOO, basically, it's about Winter getting upset because its time is over and Spring is coming. and they have this little 'fight' and Winter got really upset threw a whole lot of snow at Spring. but Spring just washed itself in that snow and became more beautiful. something like that. but for all of those who do speak Russian... enjoy and remember the good old days of school.

Зима недаром злится,

Прошла ее пора -

Весна в окно стучится
И гонит со двора.

И все засуетилось,

Все нудит Зиму вон -

И жаворонки в небе

Уж подняли трезвон.

Зима еще хлопочет

И на Весну ворчит.

Та ей в глаза хохочет

И пуще лишь шумит...

Взбесилась ведьма злая

И, снегу захватя,

Пустила, убегая,

В прекрасное дитя...

Весне и горя мало:

Умылася в снегу,

И лишь румяней стала,

Наперекор врагу.

-Федор Тютчев

жизнь

жизнь нарисована простым карандашом и иногда разукрашена в голубой и розовый цвет.


-тётя Таня




life is drawn with a gray pencil and sometimes is colored with blue and pink shades.


-auntie Tanya

Life*&*Friends

alright, so today we had lady's fellowship at our church. it was awesome!!! i'm not sure who decorated it, but it was adorable!!! i simply loved it!!! one time i dont bring my camera and... it always happens to me too. so, the place was nicely decorated, the food was great (as we all know that's mighty important for us Baptists, right?) and the message was GREAT too (or is it devotion? either way, you know what I’m talking about, Bible study)!!! Mrs. Boyle preached at us about being the unique snowflakes that God created us to be and make/create the big picture that we're suppose to. i thought it was a great point and that we really should concentrate on being who God made us to be and be busy doing what He wants us to do, not looking at the other snowflakes and wishing we were more like them or whatever. Mrs. Boyle also talked about her good friend who recently went to be with the Lord and how she touched so many people. well, she mentioned that Mrs. Paisley invested in her and now she needs to put into practice all that she learned from that sweet lady. and i got thinking about all the people that invested their precious time into me, teaching me more about the Lord and His ways. and if we dont apply the things that we learned from our spiritual 'teachers', their investment is going to waste. that really touched my heart today.

also, i just thought of my friends, who love me and are always there for me. and i just cant imagine my life without them. so, lesson learned, appreciate your friends while you still have them. snowflakes are uniquely created, but they dont last long, they melt, they turn into vapor. and according to the Bible, our life is just like vapor also. so, we need to appreciate and love all the snowflakes in our life before they melt. RIGHT?

anyway, just wanted to share this with ya'll. hope you're having a good one!!! blessings!!!

День - это маленькая жизнь

День - это маленькая жизнь, и надо прожить ее так, будто ты должен умереть сейчас, а тебе неожиданно подарили еще сутки.

- M. Горький

Day - is a small life & should be lived in such a way, as if you should die right now, but was just given another 24 hours.

-M. Gorkiy