It's Alive!!

I wanted to make an animated short. So, I drew 38 frames on peices of tracing paper. I brought it over to my friend, Colin's, house and he did all the technical stuff. Over all this took about 7 or 8 hours for 4 seconds. Enjoy!

Miss Ophelia and Topsy (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

Raise your hand if you have read Uncle Tom's Cabin? Man, that was helpful... Ok, well for those of you that have you may recall a couple of chapters in the book about Augustine St. Clare's cousin, Miss Ophelia, is given a rowdy child, Topsy, to teach and raise up in a "proper way". There are many struggles and so far what I have read in the book, all of Miss Ophelia's efforts are futile. The only one that can get to Topsy is Augustine's child, Eva, who speaks kindly and shows her love for her.

So far this has been a great book to read! Harriet Beecher Stowe writes fantastically on how slaves were treated, and even still (as in Tom's case) kept their faith in Christ. Uncle Tom's Cabin is a great book, I would highly recommend it.

16!!

I've decided that I will try to spend this post talking mainly of what had been happening to me recently, more specifically this past weekend.

For a while my mom asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. "Nothing," or "Not much," I would reply. Over the course of time I could see my mom's eager need to do something but eventually she gave up the idea. So last weekend:

Friday started off as a pretty typical day, did some school after I woke up, then went to choir. Afterword the people in my youth group went over to the Card's to listen to Mike talk on bikes. Mike works at a bikeshops and knows and has done more with bikes than anyone else I think I know. I think. After getting home my mom surprised me when we arrived because she said that we didn't have to do any more school that day. Glad, I agreed to go with my mom shopping to spend my Christmas Michael's card and get some ice cream. On the way home my mom and I got into some discussion which held my attention; walking out of the car I was still pondering it.



Then I opened the front door.



Wow, I have never more surprised in my!! -Except maybe one time when I opened the door to exit the bathroom and Zac jumped out and got me. Good thing I had just went, or else I would have "went" in my pants.

So yes, the surprise was incredible! I open the door and Zac flashes a picture which nearly blinds me. And then there are all my friends. Wow, no wonder I was scared. Haha

We played games all night; too bad we didn't get to go Ice Blocking. Thanks to all my friends for coming, for the gifts, and for making my birthday so wonderfull! Some of my Pasadena friends came down and spent the night.

Saturday we those who stayed did some amazing ball tag all over the place! Later at church I played guitar and my dad preached. Saturday night after church we visited Colin at work. Man, I wasn't hungry till I stepped into those In N' Out doors. After I went to Pasadena with Daniel and he snored all night. Haha, ahh no Dan it's all good.

Sunday, my actual birthday, Dan and I went to church. Good job, Stephen, on the electric guitar! My dad preached there as well. I have to say I liked it better the second time.

Psalm 23

"Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Psa 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Psa 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

This is a pretty familiar passage of scripture. I'm sure you know it, and maybe didn't even read it above, you just recited from memory. I too probably would have been able to recite this a couple months ago, and probably would have done it the same way you just did. But something is different now. I believe God put this passage of scripture on my heart some probably month or two ago, and it has effected my life while I have been praying it in my devotions. Ever since the Worship God conference last year I have been praying through the Psalms (yes, now I can even spell it), and it has radically effected my prayer times.
This psalm, as God (I believe) has been leading me to pray and meditate on, has shown me new and profound things in it. One night it was how much passion is in this psalm, and David's yearn for God.
Another was how much every word is directed about God, to God. "The Lord is my shepherd," "He makes me lie down in green pastures," "He leads me beside still waters," "He restores..." "He leads," "You are with me," "You prepare a table," "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."
And I believe recently God has been showing me, God is my shepherd. You'd think that would be an obvious one, especially since it is the way this Psalm starts. But it has been more profound than that, as I trust God spoke to me and had me think of all the things a shepherd does. A shepherd loves, provides, feeds, protects, nurtures, helps, blesses, and keeps! How much more does Christ do for us?! The Lord is my Shepherd! I shall not want. Another powerful bit of scripture the Lord has brought me to is Matthew 18. Such powerful stuff! Matthew 18:12-14 says,

"Mat 18:12 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? Mat 18:13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.

Mat 18:14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."'

I would encourage you in your prayer times to keep in mind Psalm 23, and Matthew 18. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.