You wait, little girl...

I've grown up watching the Sound of Music ever since I was old enough to understand the story. I always had fun identifying with a different Von Trapp child each time I watched it...first I was Gretel's age (5)...then Marta (7), Brigitta, Louisa, Kurt, Fredric (13 was pretty exciting.) and Liesel (16/17)

Liesel was always way too far up there. 16 is like. OLD.

Heh.

I remember when I was little, I used to look up to my 16-year old cousins with raptured awe...they were so old, they knew everything, and they were so smart, and oh! how I wanted to be like them.

Growing is such a strange thing. You're never ready for it, but that's all a part of what growing is. And you slowly adapt...life continues, and you...well, "grow" used to it.

At the end of this summer I was dreading being a junior. Now that it's actually started, I'm rather enjoying it - perhaps due to the fact that it's so many billions of millions of times better than my sophomore year.

15, like my friend Gray said, has lots of growing room. 16 is sort of a giant leap, but then you find you get used to it and rather like it. But 17...heh. I don't really want to leave 16 behind.

But, like anything else, even when I'm not ready to embrace change, I'll look back and realize that I wouldn't have done it any different. After all, one doesn't have a birthday every day, and I only have 4 days left to sing the famous 16 going on 17 song. (:



And like my friend Gray said in her 16-going-on-17-post, (which you should all go read because it describes my sentiments exactly, except that I'm not near as gracefully poetic/thoughtful/etc as she is - I got to the end of this post and realized how similar it is to hers. It's even posted at the same time, 4 days before turning 17.) it's not really a role model song, but every girl should sing it and make it last while they're 16 because...well, you can't ever legitimately sing it after that. (:

Three cheers for being old! (which, as L.M. Montgomery says, is a sign that you really are still very young.)

-Hannah

It was a sunny smile,
And little it cost in the giving.
But like morning light,
it scattered the night,
And made the day worth living.
-anonymous

Surprise for the Day

They've come out with a NEW Dawn Treader trailer!!

Okay, okay. I know you're probably dead sick of the endless posts about Aslan's Country, Narnia, Dawn Treader...bear with me. Only 63 days longer...then I'll calm down. (after I post a nice little review)

[WARNING: major spoilers!]



I love that we get to see more of Eustace - both as himself and as a dragon. There's a lot more of Dark Island, which worries me some because Edmund seems as if he's just about to give into whatever it is the White Witch is tempting him to do. In Prince Caspian, Edmund was the strongest against the White Witch's power - I'd hate to see him be so weak in this one.

The whole "searching-for-the-swords-to-save-Narnia" is pretty cheesy. Not ever Narnia book is about "the fate of Narnia rests on YOU!" sort of theme, but it seems like they've incorporated that into this movie. But if that's the only major change and they don't do any character changes, I think I'll be okay with it.

I'm loving Lilliandil. And Ramandu's Island - so far it's looking amazing.And the Magician's Island. We haven't seen very much of Narrowhaven except for fighting scenes.

Excitement grows!!

Life, by Me.

So, I thought I'd give you an actual update as to what I've been doing lately. Not that it's that fascinating or anything.

A couple weeks ago, I declared September 18th International John-Luke Day and took my brother out for the afternoon.

First, we went to Krispy Kremes (love!) for doughnuts.


Next we went to Gilman Village. Gilman Village is probably my favorite little shopping center ever, and if anyone wants to go shopping with me there, I would love you.

Took him into White Horse Toys, one of the many places I loved as a kid.


After several hours of discovery (John-Luke), reminiscing (me), and entertainment (both of us), we left to find things to eat. (PCC natural Markets)

Then we went to the Lego store (John-Luke's favorite) and spent an hour in there picking and choosing and admiring.

All in all, it was a rather tiring, but extremely fabulous day. (:

We also finally finished all filming for our movie, Deliver-E (which you can read more about Here)

This is the cast/crew of the last scene we shot: (minus John-Luke who is taking the picture)

Aside from insane amounts of schoolwork, life is good.

There are also two extremely exciting things that are quite possibly happening in the near future. If they happen, you will hear about it. If they don't....well. Then you won't. ;)

Oh! There's also a new poll on the sidebar. Mark Johnson, the producer of Dawn Treader, says he's willing to let fans decide what movie should be made next in the series.

Dawn Treader comes out in 65 days!!!

Aslan's Meditations: Before the Morning

Recently on Aslan's Country, we've started a weekly devotional posted every Monday morning to kickstart the week. This week I had the privilege of writing the devotional, so I thought I'd post it here. You can read the actual devotional here, and previous devotionals here. Enjoy!

Last week, AslansLily wrote about witnessing to those lost in the dark, like Lord Rhoop, lost in the darkness of his own desires. But so often, we ourselves run into the darkness - a different kind of darkness. We lose our way, we stumble, we forget about Christ. Whether it be the issues with friends, family, problems at work or school, our faith, at church - we all know the pain and desperation of darkness.

It's often hard to see the "end of the tunnel" in the midst of the things we run into in life. As my friend Problematic said, "sometimes the only light [you] can see at the end of the tunnel is the oncoming train."

But it is during these times, I have found, when all you see is darkness around you, that God is nearest to you.

Fear is a powerful thing. We've all experienced it - it seizes us with its all-encompassing grip and paralyzes even the best of our senses. This is the fear of the Dawn Treader crew as they circle round and round in Dark Island.

"We shall never get out, never get out," moaned the rowers. "he's steering us wrong. We're going round and round in circles. We shall never get out."

Depression, sadness, anxiety all work the same way. They take hold of us, each individually, from our own viewpoint and experiences.

And soon everyone was hearing things. Each one heard something different.

It's dangerous to allow these feelings to take hold of us -they begin to control our lives and it changes how we interact and see other people, and unless we give our fears to Christ, they can cause us to fall away from Him.

Philippians 4:6 encourages us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Think about how amazing it would be if we could always be anxious for nothing! But Philippians says we can. And how? By prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.

"Lucy leant her head on the edge of the fighting-top and whispered, "Aslan, Aslan, if ever you loved us at all, send us help now." The darkness did not grow any less, but she began to feel a little - a very, very little - better. "After all, nothing has really happened to us yet," she thought.

Philippians 4:6 continues into verse 7 to say that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Prayer is an amazing thing that not only can accomplish many things but also, as Lucy experiences, changes our outlook on the situation as we give our situation to Him in faith.

Lewis notes that the darkness did not grow any less, but Lucy not only felt peace, but was also able to realize the positive side to their situation. Sometimes He calms the storm - other times, He calms His child.

Often times, however, we are afraid to allow God to work in our lives in this way. We're afraid of pain, of losing people we love. But in James 1, we are exhorted to count it all joy when we encounter these trials. To embrace a trial, something painful and dark, is the last thing we would imagine to do - but yet it is the attitude Lucy has as they enter Dark Island.

[Caspian:] "I suppose we shall have to go on. Unless Lucy would rather not?"
Lucy felt that she would very much rather not, but what she said out loud was, "I'm game."

One of the most beautiful things God has taught me is what He will do when we are willing to "sail into the dark." So often I have given in to the emotions of the present moment, forgetting about God, forgetting that He has orchestrated this for the reason of drawing me nearer to Himself!

When we truly find joy in the midst of pain - the joy that can only come from Christ, we realize that nothing else matters but that Christ is magnified in us - whether in the light or in the dark.

Habukkuk 3 says though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

I find it interesting that in the NKJV, "joy" is used as a verb. "I will joy in the God of my salvation."

It's what I like to call "joyful serenity made perfect with pain and sweetened with God's grace, blessings, and love."

It's the joy you find in the midst of the pain.
The peace you find to accept what you have lost.
The grace God gives you to give up what you know you cannot keep.
The blessings He lavishes upon you to show you His everlasting, eternal, all-encompassing love.

It's not bittersweet, because it's not both at once. It's not just plain happiness, because there is pain in there.

And then, what a glorious morning it is, when light begins to pierce the darkness! When suddenly - you can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

There was a tiny speck of light ahead, and while they watched a broad beam of light fell from it upon the ship. It did not alter the surrounding darkness, but the whole ship was lit up as if by a searchlight.

Note that the storm had not yet ended. It did not alter the surrounding darkness - but now they had a light to show them the way.

But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, "Courage, dear heart," and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan's.

And then, following the sweet voice of the albatross, before they knew it - they had broken out of the darkness and into the light.

And just as there are moments when simply to lie in bed and see the daylight pouring through your window...and to realise that it was only a dream: it wasn't real, is so heavenly that it was very nearly worth having the nightmare in order to have the joy of waking.

Read that again.

In order to have the joy of waking.

It's the darkness that makes the light beautiful. It's the pain that makes the healing wonderful.

The deep, meaningful joy is one that you cannot experience fully unless endured the pain beforehand.

Weeping may endure for a night - but joy comes in the morning. (Ps. 30:5)

And when the morning comes, we come through a different person. Renewed, strengthened, and in awe of God's grace and power.

...they had half expected to find that the darkness would cling to the white and the green and the gold in the form of some grime or scum...[but] the brightness of the ship herself astonished them...

We come through more like Christ, bearing more fruit for His glory. And this, dear friends, is our goal, is it not? To continually be more like Christ - no matter what it takes. He is our strength, our life, our everything - and the continual source of all joy.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, NASB)

Meditation 1, First Series
By Edward Taylor

What love is this of thine, that Cannot bee
In thine Infinity, O Lord, Confinde,
Unless it in thy very person see,
Infinity, and Finity Conjoyn'd?
What hath thy Godhead, as not satisfide
Marri'de our Manhood, making it its Bride?

Oh, Matchless Love! Filling Heaven to the brim!
O're running it: all running o're beside
This World! Nay Overflowing Hell; wherein
For thine Elect, there rose a mighty Tide!
That there our Veans might through they Person bleed,
To quench those flames, that else would on us feed.

Oh! that they Love might overflow my Heart!
To fire the same with Love: for Love I would
But oh! my streight'ned Breast! my Lifeless Sparke!
My Fireless Flame! What Chilly Love, and Cold?
In measure small! In Manner Chilly! See.
Lord, blow the Coal: Thy Love Enflame in mee.

Coming soon...

...to a DVD near you!!!

Brand new DELIVER-E trailer! Check it out over on our facebook page and our blog

True Obsession.

I love this song.



I was just going to leave it at that, but then my awesome cousin-in-law Mandy wrote this on her blog yesterday. (isn't it cool how God coordinates things like that?)

Children are often described as sponges - they pick up and put out everything around them. If God has asked us to be like children, then we should be very aware that we will put out whatever we surround ourselves with. If we surround ourselves with the spirit of God, then we will display the character of God. If we soak, then we'll have a little something to squeeze out. If we soak MORE, how much more filled will you be when someone else in your world feels dry?

(you can read the whole - very amazing - post here)

Lord, this is my prayer. I want obsessed with knowing You, to be surrounded with Your Spirit, so that my sponge is full of nothing but You.