High School Commencement Ceremony!!

Well, this past Saturday, I had the privilege of graduating with NYS Loving Education At Home. It was more than I could have ever imagined! There were 114 graduates, many of which had been homeschooled for 12 or more years. I know that I didn't need the "recognition" to show that I graduated, but it was still really nice! I had Psalm 37:4 read as I walked up the stage toward mom and dad. "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." That has been my "life verse" for a long time. It's been a lifeline for me through the years. That page in my Bible is so worn and probably tear-stained as I have read it and cried as the Lord worked in my life. God has been so good in my life!

So, I am officially graduated from The Bissell Academy!!!

Senior Pictures!

Well, after 12 years, hard work, and many prayers for guidance and wisdom, I am finally graduating!! The LORD has truly blessed me beyond measure, as I have had the privilege to be educated at home. I am very thankful for the willingness and sensitivity of my dad and mom in following the Lord and taking on the great task of educating my sister, brother, and me. That is probably the greatest gift they could have ever given me! I have been spared from so much! I have definitely not missed out! I could go on and on! Many people have said that we are breaking tradition by staying home, but I ask them to remember all the famous leaders we have had in our country who were homeschooled! Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, Patrick Henry, John Jay, John Marshall, Mozart, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Dwight L. Moody, Jonathan Edwards, Andrew Carnegie,...I could go on for a long time! It seems to me that homeschooling was very traditonal in America! I realize that homeschooling is not for everyone, but maybe this will allow you to think twice when you may question the right of a family to homeschool.

Anyway, I am getting on a rabbit trail and need to stop before I go to far! While we were in Hilton Head, South Carolina, we decided that it would be a great place to take some pictures of me before I graduate. I was all for it! That is, until Emily started suggesting some poses! She made me sit in the sand in my nice dress! As you will see! I have to say though, we did get some good pictures! So, it was worth it in the end! Hope you enjoy them!

Reading is food for the mind...literally!

This is our sweet, lovable puppy, Juliet! She looks so innocent doesnt she? Well, im here to inform you that she took the saying "reading is food for the mind" a little bit too seriously this week! my dad walked into the house, and there laying on the floor, was a book. Not just any book. It was a hard cover book. It was a library book! It was chewed in one corner and continued into almost the middle of the book! This sweet, innocent-looking puppy was reminding us that she hadnt been fed supper that day!
I took it to the library, and the lady behind the counter was laughing! I didnt think it was very comical, as I was thinking about what it was going to cost for the damage! It wasnt even my book! It was my brother's book! Thankfully, it was only $6.39. I was relieved that it wasnt more than that!
Juliet definitely got our attention! She is way too cute to stay mad at though! She just comes over to you, and sets her head on your lap and starts licking, and all is instantly forgiven! Love you Juliet!

Revival Meetins!

We are having revival meetings at our church this week with Evangelist Dwight Smith and his family! You may ask, "What are revival meetings?" Well, I would say revival meetings are a special time that a church sets aside specifically to be refreshed, revitalized, and renewed! We are praying that souls would be saved, and lives changed for God's glory!
The one thing that troubles me most about special meetings is the fact that decisions are made for the Lord all week long, but change never takes place, or it never lasts. How sad it is, when God shows us something, and we are convicted, and we make a decision for the Lord, but a week after the evangelist leaves, we are no more different than we were before he came. So, was it a decision based on fear? It should be a decision made because its the right thing to do. A vow to the Lord is a serious thing, as we see in Ecclesiastes 5: 4. There is a song that I love and its called "Stirred, But Not Changed." That is so true! We may agree with everything that is said by the preacher, and in all reality, said by God, but if we arent willing to give up whatever God would have us to do, and change to become more like His Son, we were just stirred, and not changed. "Im so tired of being stirred about the lost that need to hear. Im so tired of being stirred that His coming is so near. Im so tired of being stirred, but not being changed. So this time, Lord change me, let the work begin just now. This time Lord change me. please change me somehow!"
Be changed for HIM!