Grace Writing

My older sister has returned from the United States! I can’t even tell you how thrilling it is to have her back. I didn't fully realize how much I love her until I didn't have her around to hug anymore.  We’ve done quite a lot since her arrival, and I wouldn’t trade any of the time I have with her for anything. Just yesterday, we went ice skating . . . Well, I say we , but I really mean they . I don’t enjoy ice skating, so I skated with my older sister for the first half-hour, and decided that my ankles were beginning to hurt and that I was done. So, I sat back and spammed my older sister’s phone with photos. She’ll thank me later . . . probably . While I was filling her phone, I looked up to see my younger sister on the ground out on the ice skating rink. I hop up and watch her come over, crying. Now, normally she would not cry. She’s a very strong girl. But, she’d been run over by an out-of-control skater and had fallen, trying to stop herself by using her han ds. Ouc...

It almost doesn’t seem right That another Christmas season is taking flight More people go around Shopping and singing of snow on the groun d Yet another season will pass With people forgetting the reason we celebrate We come together Not for gifts Or for singing Or for watching Christmas movies We come together to smile And thank the Lord for sacrificing A life in heaven for a life on earth And saving us from our sins So terrible and dark And for loving us with all His might A love we don’t deserve So, as you open all your presents On Christmas day Don’t forget the reason why We celebrate that way

Dear Emma, I was going to write you a regular blog post, like I did for Mom on her birthday, but I decided to do something different. So, here we go. We have so many memories together, my dear little sister, and I can hardly believe that you’re turning eleven today. We’ll soon be able to make new memories, and we’ll go on new adventures but, for now, I’m going to remind you of some of my favorites. I can remember so many things about our fantastic adventures (and, when I say fantastic, I mean fantastic). We travelled all over the world in our imaginations, and then we actually did end up travelling across the world . . . that’s a different story, of course. When we were little – you were probably around seven and I was around ten – we played one of the best games ever invented. I’ve no idea what we decided to call it, but I do remember that it was all because of the Monsterology book we have. Our fort, which stood out in our yard with a pole and a slide, was our underwat...

A couple posts ago, we talked about the Ten Greatest Things About Homeschooling . But, let's face it: not everything can be perfect. Today, let's talk about t he Ten Worst Things About Homeschooling. 1. A LOT of family time… 2. Mom always knows who did it… always 3. There’s no “the dog ate my homework” excuse… especially if you don’t have a dog 4. People ask questions like, “Do you have any friends?” 5. When you try to tell people that you do have friends, they ask thing like, “Where do you get your friends?” 6. People ask other questions like, “Do you ever leave the house?” 7. People look at you like, “What is this strange creature in front of me?!” 8. When someone asks you where you go to school you have no idea how to answer it, because you know if you say “I’m homeschooled” the conversation will automatically turn against you 9. Your mom (or at least mine) wakes you up at 8 in the morning anyway, even though you can get all your work done in less t...

The season has come once again To give thanks for everything To thank the Lord for trees and flowers To thank the Lord for food and clothes To thank the Lord for being there When we feel unloved And soon the day will be over For the day passes by so quickly But we can never forget to give thanks To the Lord our God Almighty

1. You get to be with family 2. You get to do whatever subject you want to when you feel like it (as long as you do finish them all) 3. Everything counts as a field trip 4. 12:00 is “Lunch and Phineas and Ferb” time 5. Mom’s more patient with you than a regular teacher would be 6. No detention 7. Parents make everything more fun 8. Pajamas. Just pajamas. 9. You can spend as much time as you want at the breakfast table 10. Nothing is rushed Are you home-schooled, and have I missed anything? If so, tell me in the comments below!

A list of the many different things you learn from being from the U.S. and living overseas, completely surrounded by people from all over the world. 1.You learn to say “I like your trousers” instead of “I like your pants” 2.You learn to decode many different accents, including different forms of British, Irish, Thai, Korean, etc. 3.You learn that, in fact, America isn’t the only country on the planet. 4.You learn that, “America” isn’t actually the name of your country, and people from the Americas get offended when you refer to the United States as “America,” as if there are no other existing countries in the Americas 5.You learn that it is very difficult not to start sounding like the different accents around you 6.You learn of new television shows you’d never heard of 7.You learn that other countries are looking at America in horror, going, “What are they thinking?” 8.You learn, in response to their horror and previous question, to say the only truth there is, “I ...

                Some of my very favorite Bible verses. “She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” -Proverbs 31:25 “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” -Psalm 23:1-3 “ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;   but a woman who fears the   Lord   will be greatly praised. ” Proverbs 31:30 “Don’t be concerned about the outward   beauty   of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the   beauty   that comes from within, the unfading   beauty   of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” -1 Peter 3:3-4 “Seek the   Kingdom   of   God   above all else, and live righteously, and he...

Life can be so strange. You do the same things every day. You wake up, eat some food, do your personal “daily routine,” eat some more food and go to bed. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just get tired of it. I get lost in this world of never-changing life, and don’t allow myself to do anything exciting. I’ve always wanted to be an exciting person, but I’ve never had the courage. That is why I write. I write to escape into another world, so that I can create a new routine for a new person in a new life. I can be that person I’m writing about, and that means that I can be… whoever I want. The only limits are my imagination, and I’ve been told that I have a very big imagination. I can be a hero, or a villain. I could be a human or an animal. I could be an alien. I could be anything that I want. I can go anywhere I want. I’ve been in sword fights, flown on dragons, and ridden on giant elephants (yes, even bigger than the regular ones!). I’ve fought off giant squids, giant...

Wrong, or just different? Adjusting to the oddities of a new culture. In my old country, we never sold bubble guns and brooms at the traffic lights.  In my old country, we never trimmed our flower bushes with a machete.  In my old country, we never sat on the power lines.  In my old country, we never let our toddlers drive our motorbikes.  In my old country, we never drove into oncoming traffic.  In my old country, we never gave taxi rides to our motorbikes. In my old country, we never made offerings to the spirits outside the mall.  In my old country, I never cried over powdered donuts.  In my old country, we never bought office furniture on the side of the road.