How soon they fly...

Time goes by so fast, doesn't it? It's been nearly six months since my last post, though considering some of my other gaps in the history of WotR, that's not all that terrible. :) I have been keeping extremely busy the past several months, doing lots of new, fun, and exciting things, and I'm very grateful for them all! Time permitting, I'll have to try and do a catch-up post on here, and then decide the future of the blog... Au revoir, ~Caleb

Just say it!

Isn't it interesting that Google feels the need to to post special doodles on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but can't come up with anything more creative to say than "Happy Holidays"? Really? Which ones do you mean? I know people will berate me for using Google, but I won't go into my reasons, etc. That's silly. I'm not really even all that concerned about Google. I'm just using it as an example. My point is, if you're going to wish someone the blessings of the season, whatever it is, be specific! Say what you mean, for goodness' sake! Don't settle for a watered down 'holiday,' live a full, rich, Christ-filled 'Christmas!' It is His birthday we're celebrating, isn't it? Merry Christmas, Friends! And a very Happy New Year! May the blessings of God be yours!

"It's not the destination...

...so much as the journey." - Cpt. Jack Sparrow

It's time to embark! Tomorrow marks the beginning of yet another month of literary abandon. That's right, NaNoWriMo is upon us again!!! I most likely will not be posting on my blog for a while, do to what will be a very full schedule during November. I will be working full time and writing in my spare hours. Discipline will be paramount. :)

The big highlights of October, which have not gotten any of the mention they deserve, include:
1)Dance night we hosted on the 14th, we did a few new dances, including some Brandon had recorded, and one or two we learned at the OSR.

2)Visiting with the Sherrills again down in Virginia for the twins' birthday. We had a wonderful time getting to spend some more time with them. We went and saw The Three Musketeers with them, as well as visited George Washington's grist mill and distillery.

3)The Pre-NaNo Pep Party, which was on the 28th. My scheduling didn't work out very well, not everything we were planning fit in, but I think everyone had fun, and that was the important thing. :)

Good morning, Starshine!

The earth says hello! :)
Oh, the joys of getting up early...:)

Off to work in a couple of minutes, glad to be done with twelve hour days for now! It will be nice to be back to leaving at 4 today. Very thankful for answered prayer yesterday, however, as the machines worked quite well, all things considered all day and we finished up a really big order.

Ta ta! Have a blessed day!

Wait, "WHAT" to Him I owe?

A reflection from today:
For as long as I can remember, my family has tithed.
When we were young, we had 'spend cans,' piggy banks, (savings,) and a "God money" can, and we divided our money between those three categories, (little as there was of it back then.)
As I prepared to tithe today, I tallied up my last couple of checks from work, and as I came up with the sum, the thought flitted almost, I may say, unbidden, across my brain, "I owe God [x amount of] dollars." No sooner did the idea hit me, though, than another hit me even harder.
How stupid to say that! How presumptuous - how blasphemous - to think to 'give God His cut.'
I 'owe' God everything, not a meager ten percent of what I earn. My money, my possessions, every single breath I take.
Have I been giving a tenth of my mint, dill and cummin while neglecting the more important matters of the law? (Matt. 23:23)
Perhaps I have been viewing the tithe as the end, rather than the means, as I should. Perhaps as often happens with symbols, it has become the destination, rather than the guidepost.
That ten percent, then, represents the vast debt which I could never hope to begin to repay, and every time I set aside my "God money," it should remind me, and I should fall on my knees and cry out "Thank you, Lord Jesus!"

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim
I'll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calvary's Lamb

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

No, Caleb...

You may not just log into Facebook to check messages even though the aforementioned social network chose now as the time to change things so I don't receive notification emails...
I am sorely tempted, "but by the mass, [my heart is] in the trim!"
Yes, I am taking a month off of Facebook, what due to my job, I am finding it much easier than I thought. :)

So, where has the Summer gone to??? Can anyone tell me? :)

Some recent highlights in my life:

The Ohio Summer Rendezvous, Sept. 16-18. Where Brandon and I were once again blessed to share: A time joy, a time long anticipated and past too quickly! A time of friends, of fellowship, of fun, of dancing, acting, playing, visiting, and sharing in the glories of God's creation on display in Southern Ohio with fellow homeschool graduates and brothers and sisters in Christ.Thanks so much to the Ferrars, the Orths, and Hannah Michelle L for all the hard work put toward the event! I can't wait for the next one! :)

Shakespeare's 'Henry V'. From which I (with the help of two wonderful friends) performed part of act 4, scene 3, namely the St. Crispin's Day speech as the OSR. Despite the fact that I forgot my place several times, and had to pause, and the fact that I choked up about half way through the speech, I was really, really happy with the end result!
Yesterday, I finished watching Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film adaptation, which I had started watching a week or so earlier, and I was totally blown away! Now I need to read the entire play myself. :) If you saw my performance, or even if you didn't, you should check out Branagh's St. Crispin's Day Speech...*is speechless*. It is A-MAZE-ING.

Pulling my arm free of about a quarter ton of solid concrete which had fallen on it, and finding that it was only scraped and not broken! Thank you, God!!!

Seeing 'Courageous' with my family at the theater this past Saturday. It was GREAT! I highly recommend it, especially if you like Flywheel, Facing the Giants and Fireproof! Sherwood Pictures has done it again, and better than ever!

Participating in the Stark County Life Chain in Canton. Thankful for the opportunity to "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." The cry of unborn life is indeed great, and being able to present to the truth to those driving by, and to pray for them as well, even for only an hour, is a privilege.

Firing a 9mm (or any gun for that matter) for the first time in my life. Thanks so much to my co-worker Dan for letting me! He was right, it does feel good! I fired 15 rounds in all, and made three hits. Okay, so I need a little work on that... :)

Well...I need to sleep, so I will talk to you later!
Blessings,
~Caleb

Hello September!

Well, it's been a fair amount of time since my last update, which was not a real 'update,' on life, but a sneak peek at the novel I'm planning to write this November! If you haven't seen that yet, please check it out! :)

Last week, my dad and I had the opportunity to be extras during the shooting of Marvel's upcoming film "The Avengers" which will be coming out next Summer. He and I and some friends went to the open casting call in July, and long after we had given up hope of getting a call, Daddy got one! I was excited for him, of course, but disappointed that I had not. Then about a week later, I got a call too!
So, yeah. That was...pretty cool. :)
We spent two nights (last Monday and Tuesday) in Stuttgart, Germany, (aka Cleveland OH.) I'm telling you, the set was AMAZING! I loved it.

A few days before that, on the 20th, our family went up to Conneaut for the D-Day Ohio re-enactment, which was REALLY neat. The Allied and German camps were really neat to look through, and the battle was really well executed. Not to mention getting to visit with some of our area friends, The Kuntzes (who clued us in about the re-enactment!) the Browns, Debbie Bates, and the Andersons. Lots of fun at the re-enactment, as well as getting to visit a little more with the Andersons (and Alex and Amanda, and Kyle, and the other Alex...:)) at the Andersons' house.

Oh! Also, I entered my Horatio Hornblower costume, my formal kilt attire, and my Caledonia tartan waistcoat in the fair, and got second place, first place, and second place on them, respectively.

I've had a busy couple of days this week with work for WPG and the neighbor, but I've begun work on mine and Brandon's costumes for the OSR. I will need to really knuckle down in the next few days, hopefully good progress will be made sooner rather than later, so that I'm not in the usual mad rush the day or two before the event. :P

So, that's what's been happening...