"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