Behind the Lens

New blog address

2010-12-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

I have a new blog address:

http://www.photosbyeje.blogspot.com/

Please follow the new blog now if you already follow this one, as I will be deleting this one. Thank you so much!

~Elizabeth

Book Review "Children of Jihad"

2010-12-26T18:03:00.000-08:00

Children of Jihad: A Young American's Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East by Jared Cohen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Children of Jihad by Jared Cohen

Jared Cohen, (a Jewish American) travels to Syria, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran recording his experiences in this hard-to-put-down book.
This is a very interesting book about the youth living in the Middle East. Lots of history about each area's political and social situation- in the past and today.
It was interesting to me that Hezbollah hates the American Government and Israel, but at the same time they don't hate individual Jews and Americans, even becoming friends with Mr. Cohen while he was there visiting. An amazing- and at some times- chilling book about the Middle East today.

View all my reviews

Book review "Invisible China"

2010-12-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Invisible China: A Journey Through Ethnic Borderlands by Colin Legerton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Invisible China by Colin Legerton
Very informative book telling about people in different parts of China. I enjoyed learning about minority ethnic groups. Culture, history, foods and customs, a great book for anyone interested in China in general but especially good for those researching ethnic groups of China, the "Middle Kingdom."

View all my reviews

The Josties - "What Happy Is" Official Music Video

2010-11-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

Treasures from Proverbs and Psalms

2010-11-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

"How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!"

-Proverbs 16:16

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

¹ Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
² Before the mountains were brought forth,
         Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
         Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

³ You turn man to destruction,
         And say, “Return, O children of men.”
⁴ For a thousand years in Your sight
         Are like yesterday when it is past,
         And like a watch in the night.
⁵ You carry them away like a flood;
         They are like a sleep.
         In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
⁶ In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
         In the evening it is cut down and withers.

⁷ For we have been consumed by Your anger,
         And by Your wrath we are terrified.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before You,
         Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
⁹ For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
         We finish our years like a sigh.
¹⁰ The days of our lives are seventy years;
         And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
         Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
         For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who knows the power of Your anger?
         For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
¹² So teach us to number our days,
         That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

¹³ Return, O LORD!
         How long?
         And have compassion on Your servants.
¹⁴ Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
         That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
¹⁵ Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
         The years in which we have seen evil.
¹⁶ Let Your work appear to Your servants,
         And Your glory to their children.
¹⁷ And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
         And establish the work of our hands for us;
         Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Little girls and dolls. :-)

"Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom"

-Psalm 90:12

"I am looking for the Overtaker, not the Undertaker!"

~William MacDonald

(Author of "One Day at a Time"a great daily devotional and also Bible commentaries for the Old and New Testament)

You keep him in perfect peacewhose mind is stayed on You,because he trusts in You.

—Isaiah 26:3

GO! - Paul Washer

2010-11-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Beijing, CHINA photos

2010-11-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

Autumn leaves and Chinese tiles

In Beijing, near Tian'anmen Square

(simplified Chinese: 天安门广场;

traditional Chinese: 天安門廣場;

pinyin: Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng,

A Beijing Hutong

A restaurant

the last rays of sunlight in Beijing before sunset.

Please Pray for 中国!

Shanghai and Hong Kong CHINA

2010-11-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Northern China as we flew over from the US

(Taken with a 55-200mm Nikon/Nikkor lens)

"Better City, Better Life" The World Expo's motto

At the World Expo in Shanghai.

This was inside the UK Pavilion at the World Expo.

These are what the UK building is made of. Plastic rods, each containing a rare or almost extinct seed.

Old Shanghai

Self portrait in Hong Kong

Sunrise in Scotland

2010-11-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

We have such an awe-inspiring, creative God! Who else would think of sunrises and sunsets? Beautiful warm colors, sparkling water, darkness turned to light...."sorrow shall be for a night but joy comes in the morning"

Luke 15:8-10
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Matthew West - Something to Say

2010-11-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Waste..... by Donald Norbie

2010-11-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

WASTE.......

There is tragedy about death. It seems such waste.

In 1912 Jim Thorpe was called "the greatest athlete in the world" by King Gustav V of Sweden. That year he became the first person ever to win both the decathlon and pentathlon in the Olympics. In 1953 Jim Thorpe died. That body which was once such an amazing combination of strength and coordination is now a pile of dust. What a waste!

The questing scientist probes the outer reaches of space. His highly trained mind works with concepts and formulas that were unknown a few years ago. Yet that brain will one day die and begin to decay.

The surgeon's skilled and sensitive fingers guided by years of training and experience perform miracles in modern medicine. Live are saved that were once thought lost. But even the surgeon must die and those hands that once saved others will become cold and lifeless.

Every man in unique, a combination of genes and training that is never to be repeated. Every man is beautiful, with strengths and weaknesses possessed by no other. Yet every man must die. What a waste! Is this the end?

   At the age of 97, philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote, "We stand on the shore of the ocean, crying to the night and the emptiness; sometimes a voice answers out of the darkness. But it is the voice of one drowning; and in a moment the silence returns. The world seems to me quite dreadful; the unhappiness of many people is very great, and I often wonder how they all endure it"
   Is there no hope? Is man simply an accident on the stage of time? Is life without purpose and meaning, a tragic mistake? Is death the end of all, the dropping of time's curtains on a tragedy?
   Years ago a Carpenter stood in the grim presence of death and said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes on me though he die, yet shall he live." (John 11:25) Then to prove His claims Jesus brought a man back to life, a man dead for four days.

   Men die and will be separated from God forever because of sin. There is a Hell (Matt. 25:46). But Jesus Christ suffered on a rough, wooden cross, tasting death for every man (Hebrews 2:9). He died that we might live forever. Three days later He arose from the grave. Now believers wait for Christ to return and to raise the dead (I Thess. 4:16-18). Death does not end all. There is hope.
   Jesus said, "He that believes on me....." Faith here is more than knowledge. It is confidence and commitment. It is placing yourself in Christ's hands. It is trusting Him.
   God loves you and wants you to have hope, not despair. You can have life and hope if you turn to Christ in faith. Will you say, "Lord Jesus, I believe you died for me and I trust you to make me right with God. I want you to be my Lord and Savior. I want to become your follower." When you do this, despair is gone and you can really begin to live. Christ came to "deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to slavery" (Hebrews 2:15). Why not begin to live- now?

   -Donald L. Norbie

Contact:
Christian Missions Press
Box 2222 OKC, OK 73101 USA
www.LifeHouse.org

Shanghai pictures -Sep 2010-

2010-10-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

为中国祷告！

Pray for CHINA!

Shanghai at the World EXPO

The UK Pavilion

Each one of those plastic spikes has a rare (or almost extinct)

seed at the end of it. From the inside of the building you can see each individual seed up close.

Mom and little daughter in Shanghai.
8:30 am after Tai Chi.

Tai Chi in the park

Early morning chores in Shanghai.

Park by night in Shanghai

Everyone wanted their picture taken with us. During the whole trip!

My littlest sister really missed me the whole trip, she was so, glad to see me when I got back! She would follow me around all day, as if I would disappear or something.

Sisters are the best :-) :-)

The Libya Pavilion

The workmens' tools at the World Expo (they were still completing the Libya exterior)

We watched a musical concert performed by Angolan musicians

More pictures coming soon!

Next up is more of Shanghai and then Hong Kong.

~Elizabeth

China :-)

2010-10-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

I am back from an amazing 3 weeks in China. I enjoyed Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chong Qing, the Yangtze River Cruise, (Saw the 3 Gorges Dam and went through my first lock) and then Beijing. Here are a few of my impressions of China, the Middle Kingdom. In Chinese, the two characters for "China" are; 中 which means "middle" by itself, and 国 "Country".
America is: 美国
Canada is: 加拿大
South America is: 南美洲
Africa is: 非洲

It is so different from my "quiet" hometown. The people everywhere, the buses, subways, taxis, bikes, motorcycles, the noise. The airports with hallways stretching into seemingly endless space. Quiet Hutongs (side streets off the main road) and local markets. Traditional Chinese Herbal medicine markets. Street shops selling trinkets, jewelry, and almost anything you can think of.

Meeting friendly people who want their picture taken with you. :-) Learning Chinese characters, and singing hymns in pinyin. (the pronunciation of chinese characters) Saying "Shia, Shia!" several times a day. 谢谢 Xie, Xie (Thank you)

Having fun recognizing and remembering simple characters, practicing using chopsticks, trying and liking the flavorful hot pot. (soup made from duck broth, duck neck and other vegetables and meats, spicy green onion, and flavored with lachow sauce (very spicy,chinese flavoring/sauce) All in all, I had an exciting time learning more about the culture, customs, and meeting new friends with the people of China. I can't wait to go back! From Shanghai to HK, to Chong Qing to Hubei Province (via a cruise on the Yangtze River) and then to Beijing, I was humbled to see how people on the other side of the world live joyfully and without complaining. Sometimes in a simple dwelling, or maybe in an apartment complex with a little grass in the common park area, or on a Hutong in Beijing, within walking distance of Tianamen Square.

I am so thankful for my home and family and I realize more and more how much God has blessed me! :-)

Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth
为中国祷告
Pray for China

"Better City, Better Life" (a link to the WORLD EXPO. I visited this in Shanghai)
http://en.expo2010.cn/

我回来了，从中国一个惊人的3个星期。我很喜欢上海，香港，重庆，长江游轮，（锯3三峡大坝和我第一次经历了锁），然后北京。
它是如此，从我的“安静”的故乡一样。在世界各地的人们，公共汽车，地铁，出租车，自行车，摩托车，噪音。与成看似无尽的空间伸展走廊机场。安静的胡同（离大路小街）及本地市场。传统中草药市场。街店铺出售饰品，珠宝，几乎任何你能想到的。
友善的人民，谁希望自己与你拍照。学习汉字和拼音字。他说：“什叶派，什叶派！”每天数次。谢谢谢，谢（谢谢）
爱玩简单字符识别和记忆，练习用筷子，尝试和喜欢的美味火锅。（汤液制成的鸭，鸭脖等蔬菜和肉类，葱辣，与lachow酱（非常辣中国调味品/酱油，调味）
总之，我有一个激动人心的时刻学习有关的文化，习俗多，会见了中国人民的新朋友。我等不及要回去！
从上海到香港，到重庆到湖北省（通过长江上的游船），然后到北京，我是多么卑微地看到在世界另一端的人的生活。有时，在简单的住房，或在一个公寓

Nee hao from HONG KONG!

2010-09-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! I am in Hong Kong at the moment. :-) The view is beautiful. I can see the South China Sea from the hotel window.

Sorry I have not posted in over a week. I couldn't access blogger in Shanghai. But here in Hong Kong I can.

This has been an amazing trip so far. We have been here in China for 7 days now. Friday we flew in to Shanghai. It was nice and cool there and it rained a few times, like in England. Monday and Tuesday we went to the World EXPO. Peru, UK, Mexico, and Russia were a few of the Pavilions we went to.
In the Italy building we played trumpet and piano. There was a concert with classical Italian music and they let me play "Alla Turca" by Mozart afterwards. Also played "This is my Father's World" and "Be thou my vision."

Below is a map of CHINA.

xie xie! (thank you!)
Elizabeth

PS keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks so much! :-)

OU/Airforce Academy game

2010-09-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Istiklal Marsi - Turkey National Anthem English lyrics

2010-09-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

"The Motions"-Matthew West

2010-09-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

33

2010-09-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Birmingham History Museum in England

The Puritans

a few thoughts this Lord's Day...

2010-09-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Who when He was reviled did NOT revile in return, when He suffered He did not threaten but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously."
~ 1 Peter 2:23

"He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not his mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before it shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth"
~ Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)

"He was taken from prison and from judgement, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of my people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked, But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence nor was any deceit in His mouth."
~ Isaiah 53:8-9 (NKJV)

"Whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see Him yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Ready to be revealed in the last time."
~ 1 Peter 1:8 (NKJV)

Praise to God for a Living Hope
³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (NIV)

¹⁰Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹²It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Be Holy
¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

I have been memorizing 1 Peter recently.(Ever since

March 2010) Beginning with chapter 1 and then 2, I am currently on chapter 3.

It is so encouraging to have HIS Words in my heart so
I can reflect, and meditate on them throughout the
day. Whenever I am about to snap at my younger
or say something mean I shouldn't, I think of
1 Peter 1:23, "When He was reviled he did not revile
in return; when He suffered He did not threaten but
committed Himself to HIM who judges righteously."
I just need to commit myself to "Him who judges
righteously"! Then everything will happen according to
His will, instead of me trying to run my own life.
It never works well that way! I have learned that the
hard way! But that's another story altogether....

Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth

Rhapsody in Blue- Glen Miller band

2010-09-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEpdXgj94xE

Glenn Miller Orchestra - Moonlight Serenade

2010-09-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Seamos Fieles - My Spanish CD I enjoy

2010-09-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

I enjoy listening to these songs in Spanish. There are hymns and also songs with the Psalms put to music. My favorite is "Jesus El Salvador" and "Psalm 27" and "Eterno Amor"

http://www.romanti-ezer.com/rev6.html

A Godly Alternative to College- COLLEGE+PLUS.com

2010-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Wed, September 1, 2010 10:16:08 PM

COLLEGE+PLUS

From:
To:

If you cannot see graphics in this e-mail, view online. Follow us:

	A Cost-Effective Option for Christian Families

Dear Higher Education, Pardon the Disruption

Dear Friends,

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For many years I have shared with families about the pitfalls of traditional higher education, challenging parents not to abdicate their role as authorities and overseers at one of the most critical times in their children’s education. If you have a student considering community college or traditional school, I encourage you to read my recent blog post, “Dear Higher Education, Pardon the Disruption.”

In this blog post I cite a college professor who lays out his radical plan for changing the values of the next generation. I also discuss debt and how it enslaves students and delays marriage, and share the latest statistics on how even some well known “Christian” schools are becoming “Christian” in name only. Click here to read my blog post.

Redefining Higher Education

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A college degree is not a prerequisite for success, and should only be pursued after prayerful consideration. However, as you consider the best long-term education approach for your children, I encourage you at minimum to learn more about CollegePlus! and how their program uniquely serves the family. And I continue to give CollegePlus! my full support and recommendation.

	Persevero,

	Doug Phillips President, Vision Forum Ministries

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This e-mail was sent as a special service of Vision Forum. If you received this e-mail from a friend and would like to subscribe, click here. Please let us know if you have changed your address or if you wish to unsubscribe from our list. This message was sent to: sgengle@aol.com.
© 2010 Vision Forum Ministries, 4719 Blanco Road, San Antonio, Texas 78212. All Rights Reserved.

Write the Words of the LORD on your heart!

2010-08-31T16:38:00.001-07:00

Hank Speaks Out

Write God’s Word on the Tablet of Your Heart!

February 23, 2010

One of the verses that I often inscribe in personalized Bibles is Joshua 1:8. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”. Joshua, the Jesus of the Old Testament, goes on to say, “Then you will be prosperous and successful” (NIV).

Post-Gutenberg, we are primarily people of the written page. Not so the ancients. In a predominantly oral society, people practiced the principles of memory. Indeed, learning was virtually synonymous with memorization. That, of course, does not imply that the ancients did not employ written records; instead, this is just to put emphasis on the right syllable. In other words, manuscript repositories augmented mental recall and not vice-versa. If there’s one thing preserved in the text of Scripture, it is the injunction to record God’s Words upon the tablet of your heart.

Think with me for just a moment to the early stages of Scripture, in what might well be among the most memorable of all biblical texts: Moses exhorts the people of God to impress the words of the Almighty upon the tablet of their consciousness. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road. When you lie down, when you get up, tie them as symbols on your hands, bind them on your foreheads, write them on the doorframes of your houses and upon your gates. Above all, Moses warns, “do not forget” (cf. Deut. 6:5-12, NIV). Moses was not alone, for Solomon, who prayed for a wise and discerning heart, implored his hearers to bind the Word of God around their fingers or round their necks and to write it on the tablet of their heart (cf. Prov. 7:1-3). More poignantly yet, the Word made Flesh entreated his hearers, “let these words sink into your ears” (Luke 9:44, NASB).

It’s not enough to record the sayings of understanding on a common tablet. We should inscribe the words of wisdom upon the tablet of our consciousness. Not only were saints in an oral culture required to discipline and dedicate themselves to recall the sayings of understanding, but the sages, the teachers, were predisposed to presenting their sayings in an inherently memorable fashion. Even Jesus, the heir to the linguistic riches of the Old Testament and a greater teacher of them all, was the master of mnemonics. He employed repetition and rhyme and rhythm. He employed vivid imagery, visual and emotional stimuli, vibrant associations. God in human flesh communicated the bread of life to those who are hungry and thirsty in an inherently memorable fashion. It’s one of the principles that I have attempted to employ as president of the Christian Research Institute. I want you to be able to remember to write the wisdom of the Word upon the tablet of your consciousness and I’m going to keep nagging this entire year because every week new people jump on board. They’re getting into the Word of God and getting the Word of God into them, and they’re beginning an adventure that I describe as authentic New Testament Christianity. They’re no longer playing the game, “going-to-church-like-a-prop” and then “Leaving-church-cause-I’ve-done-my-duty,” and somehow or other avoiding the One who spoke and the universe leapt into existence, the One who has given us, as God in human flesh, His words of wisdom. Authentic New Testament Christianity means that you are hiding God’s Word in your heart. It’s your lifeline.

Right now we’re meditating on Proverbs. We’re meditating on Psalms, particularly the three Psalms that I mentioned yesterday on the broadcast: Psalm 23, 24, and 25. I mean if you want a great place to start your memorization, start with Psalm 23. It’s familiar. You probably heard it over and over again as you were growing up:

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever (NIV).

You could easily memorize that. And if that’s not beautiful enough go to Psalm 51 or Psalm 139 and inscribe one of these passages upon your heart. Choose one and start to memorize it. Digest it; Cogitate it; Ruminate on it! It will be life transformational.

	Counterfeit Revival
	On Guard
	The Prayer of Jesus
	The Apocalypse Code

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1.888.7000.CRI

P.O. Box 8500
Charlotte, NC 28271

2010-08-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

15 boxes of Vias. Gospel magazines I give out. :-)

go to: www.viamagazineonline.com to get a box for yourself!

The suggested donation is 11 cents each magazine (box of 100)

A neat little boy's outfit I saw at the County fair

Julia made my youngest sister's skirt and I made mine.
The fabric is from Hobby Lobby (I think it was $9 a yd.) for all the seamstresses that read my blog! :-)

Photos....

2010-08-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

We enjoy our local library!

My skirt I entered in the County Fair

Old vintage kitchen tools in the County Fair. I really liked these.

Sorry, but you'll have to turn your head to read this!

This great book is called "Dad and I and number 6"
The little boy and his dad fix up an old car and race it. He is 6 years old so they paint a big red 6 on the car. A good old fashioned story with wonderful paintings too. :-) Hard to find these style books nowadays.

Shadow of a tree

My Savior My God By Aaron Shust

2010-08-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

An assortment of photos...

2010-08-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

violin collage ~

At the airport saying goodbye to my little sister before I left for Scotland. June 2010

I thought this would be a fun picture to post.... especially since it is 102 degrees outside right now! Looks so nice and cool!

Spring 2010

guess what age she's turning! :-)

Norman, August 21. My little sister's 5th Birthday.

macro of maple leaf against bright blue Oklahoman sky

flowerpots and pink Crape Myrtle

An old English name they "stole" from across the sea! :-)

Red vinyl bench and red classic car

Hope you liked these photos. Leave a comment if you have a minute! Thank you. :-)

Joyfully His,

Elizabeth

Ennio Morricone - "Love Theme" - from "Cinema Paradiso"

2010-08-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

A beautiful orchestra song.

New life in Christ

2010-08-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

New life! It reminds me of our new lives in Christ....

"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed, you have tasted that the Lord is good."

1 Peter 2:2 <><

motherhood.....

light....

---geranium in Scotland---

-- Okie sunset --

friends

Come to Jesus

2010-08-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

All in a day...of a home-educated family

2010-08-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

Collecting fruit for apple pie filling, apple butter and applesause.

Art ~

homemade peach jam and wholewheat bread made with freshly ground wheat flour. Yum!

picking apples

All photos copyright by Elizabeth

Please do not copy without permission

A long awaited post!

2010-08-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

My new dress! A friend made it for me and I chose the fabric and pattern. Can't wait till it is done! It is my only dress, they are increasingly hard to find even in thrift stores.... Walmart, no.

Dillards and JCPenney, absolutely not!

and Kohls maybe? but mostly not.

Target, no good dresses there either!

My brother made these stools, bench and the table from a tree that fell over in the ice storm a few years back. We had the wood milled into planks and it has aged for about a year now. He just got a neat library book to make some of this, a Civil War era carpentry reproductions book. He learned just by reading the book and following the pictures!

He has now turned our garage into a nice workshop where he is almost all the time hammering and cutting away.

:-)

Some friends' milk goats and the cow is also theirs. :-)

evening shadows

my good friends!

many pounds of peaches and 55 lbs (9 laundry baskets/5gal buckets) of yummy green apples! We canned and made jam and apple pie filling too. :-)

the fruit of our labors!

early morning light.....

and warm, glowing, evening light.

I noticed in this post that green is a recurring color theme I seem to take pictures of! I like it, it is so alive, and bright and spring/summer like. We should be alive and green, bearing spiritual fruit for our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ!

><> 1 Peter 1:4-9 <><

This is a great chapter and also the whole book of Peter. I encourage you to choose a portion of Scripture and memorize and write it on your heart. That is what God instructs us to do. It keeps us from sin in our daily thought lives and helps curb my tongue when I am tempted to lash out at my family.

"Who when He was reviled DID NOT REVILE in return, when He suffered he did not retaliate but committed HIMSELF to Him who judges RIGHT-EOUSLY" (Rightly, honestly and with fairness)

1 Peter is so wonderful and I really enjoy it!

milking time and talking time. :-)

My favorite countries right now. I cannot wait to go back to Turkey and also go to Israel, Iran, Afghanistan or Egypt. I have been reading a book from the lib. called "How to learn Turkish."
I found this online about the Turkish language. It is so interesting to think that all the various languages originated from ONE Language! And the Tower of Babel changed all that- as we very well know! :-)

Have a blessed day in Jesus Christ!
And teşekkür ederim for staying and reading till the end! :-)

Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth
><> 1 Peter 1:4-9 <><

P.S. I need to update the blog with more pics of Turkey, Istanbul, Kutahya and Efes....
I got some neat pics of the artists painting the ceramic porcelain bowls and plates in Kutahya. Look that name up online and you can learn some Turkish culture. :-)

make yourself heard in Turkish !

SOME NOTES ON THE TURKISH ALPHABET AND LANGUAGE

Richard Chambers / Chicago University

Since 1928, Turkish has been written in a slightly modified Latin alphabet which is very nearly phonetic.

The Turkish alphabet has 8 vowels (A E I İ O Ö U Ü ) and 21 consonants. The letters Q,W and X do not exist in Turkish. Most letters are pronounced pretty much as you would expect, but some are not. Once the phonetic value of all letters is known, then it is rather easy to pronounce any word one sees or to spell any word one hears.The following letters require explanation:

Aa = "a" as in "card" or "dark", never as "a" in"cat" or "back" ( kan = blood )

Cc = "J" as in "judge" ( can= life, soul, pronounced like "John" )
Çç = "ch" as in "church"( çay= tea, pronounced "chay", rhymes with "buy" )
Ee = "e" as in "bed" ( ekmek =bread )
Gg = "g" as in "get" ( gelin =bride )
g ( yumuşak ge [soft g] Never appears as the first letter in a word; essentially silent; sometimes lengthens preceding vowel; sometimes pronounced like "y" in "yet"
(dag =mountain, pronounced daa , rhymes with the "baa" of "baa baa black sheep";
diger =other, pronounced diyer )
lı( undotted "i" ) "u" as in "radium" or "i" as in "cousin" (ışık =ligth, ırmak = river )
İi( dotted "i" ) ="i" as in "sit" ( bir = one, pronounced like "beer" )
Jj = "j" as in "azure" (garaj = garage, pronounced as in French & English )
Oo = "o" as in "fold"(okul =school )
Öö German "ö" as in "König" or French "eu" as in "peur"( göl = lake, rhymes with furl)
Ss="s" as in "sing", never pronounced like a "z" as the "s" in "his"(ses = voice)
Şş="sh"as in "ship" (şey = thing, pronounced "shey" , rhymes with "hay")
Uu "oo" as in "boot" (buz = ice, pronounced like "booze")
Üü German "ü" as in "für" or French "u" as in "tu" (gül = rose)
Zz="z" as in "zoo" (beyaz = white)

Turkish belongs to the Turkic branch of the Altaic language family.

Some useful Turkish words and expressions are :

*Merhaba*	Hello[response is the same word]	*Günaydın*	Good day
*Hoşgeldiniz*	Welcome	*Hoş bulduk*	reply of the person arriving
Nasılsınız?	How are you?	*İyiyim*	I am well
*Teşekkür ederim*	Thank you	*Bir şey degil*	Not at all / You're welcome
Adınız / İsminiz nedir ?	What is your name ?	Adım / İsmim ___.	My name is _____.
Memnun oldum	I'm pleased to meet you.	Ben de memnun oldum.	I, too , am pleased to meet you
İyi Günler	Good day. / Have a nice day	İyi Akşamlar	Good evening
İyi Geceler	Good night	Allahaısmarladık	-bye.[said by person leaving]
Güle güle	Good-bye.[said to person leaving]	Buyurun	After you. / Come in. / Be seated / Help yourself; etc.
Elinize saglık	Health to your hands.[said to person who prepared food]	Afiyet olsun	Bon appétit
Affedersiniz	Excuse me	Lütfen	Please
*İnşallah*	If God wills	Efendim?	What did you say? / I beg your pardon?
Dikkat	Pay attention!/ Watch out!	Kaça?/ Ne kadar?	How much is it? / What does it cost?
Bu pahalı	This is expensive	O pahalı degil	That is not expensive
Bu çok ucuz	This is very inexpensive / cheap	İstiyorum	I want [it, this, that]
İstemiyorum	I don't want [it, this, that]

Numbers :

Bir(1) , iki(2), üç(3), dört(4), beş(5), altı(6), yedi(7), sekiz(8), dokuz(9), on(10), onbir(11), oniki(12) , yirmi(20), yirmibeş(25), otuz(30), otuzüç(33), kırk(40), kırkaltı(46), elli(50) , ellibeş(55), altmış(60), altmışiki(62), yetmiş(70), yetmişsekiz(78), seksen(80), seksenbir(81), doksan(90), doksanyedi(97), yüz(100), yüzdokuz(109), yüzellibir(151), ikiyüzonbeş(215), üçyüzotuz(330), bin(1000), bin dokuz yüz doksan altı(1996), milyon(milion), milyar(billion).

Other Useful Vocabulary :

Su	water	Fincan	cup
Portakal suyu	Orange-juice	Bardak	glass
Et suyu	meat-broth	Tabak	plate
Süt	milk	Bıçak	knife
Şeker	sugar, candy, sweet	Büyük	big, large
*Kahve*	coffee	Küçük	small, little
*Sade*	no sugar	Erkek	man, male
*Az şekerli*	a little sugar	Kadın	woman
*Çok şekerli*	a lot of sugar	Kız	girl
*Çay*	tea	Çocuk	child
*Ayran*	yogurt drink	Oglan	boy
*Bira*	beer	Kız	daughter
*Şarap*	wine	Ogul	son
*Beyaz*	white	Anne	mother
*Kırmızı*	red	Baba	father
*Buz*	ice	Kardeş	sibling
*Biber*	pepper	Kız kardeş	sister
*Tuz*	salt	Erkek kardeş	brother
*Ekmek*	bread	O	he , she, it, that
*Tereyagı*	butter	Bu	this
*Peynir*	cheese	Arkadaş	friend, colleague
*Meze*	appetizers	*Amerika Birleşik Devletleri*	United States Of America
Et	meat	*Soguk*	cold
*Türkiye Cumhuriyeti*	Republic of Turkey	*Tavuk*	chicken
Balık	fish	*Pilav*	pilaf
Salata	salad, lettuce	*Meyva*	fruit
Sebze	vegetable	*Çorba*	soup
Sandviç	Sandwich	*Tatlı*	dessert
Dondurma	ice cream, sorbet	*Çatal*	fork
Kaşık	spoon	*Pahalı*	expensive

Dorset photographer :-)

2010-08-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

A new photography website I found who is based in Dorset, England. My great grandma grew up in Dorset in the 1920s!
It was neat to find it. Robert Whetton is the Photographer.

http://www.rjwhetton.co.uk/contact/contact_sent.php

"Emmanuel, God is with us" and photos

2010-07-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBEG3U0N5aA&feature=related

Tree in motion..... actually the car was in motion! :-)

Lossy Mouth, in Scotland (What a name!)

Serene shores in Gourock June 2010

---Green Field--- Bristol (again taken in the car)

June 2010

That's the spirit! A patriotic residence in Bristol.

---Lunch break---

Bristol, England

Daddy talked to the taxi driver about how nicely the English design their truck banner/logos. Compare this truck to the next big truck you see on the highway! (to my American blog readers) :-)

I think Walmart just lost the game against Sainsbury's!

Our Nation's HISTORY

2010-07-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

If you have not read this before, please do so now. History teaches us a lot, but only if we listen, learn and act on the knowledge it provides.

HOW LONG DO WE HAVE?

This is the most interesting thing I've read in a long time. The sad thing about it, you can see it coming.

I have always heard about this democracy countdown. It is interesting to see it in print. God help us, not that we deserve it.

How Long Do We Have?

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government."

"A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury."

"From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years"

"During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;

2. From spiritual faith to great courage;

3. From courage to liberty;

4. From liberty to abundance;

5. From abundance to complacency;

6. From complacency to apathy;

7. From apathy to dependence;

8. From dependence back into bondage"

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29

Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000

Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million

Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's popula tion already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal's and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

Thanks for reading. But, PLEASE, pass this along.

Neat song from movie "UP"

2010-07-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

I like this old fashioned sounding band/orchestra song. Similar to "The Piano" an animated movie short on youtube (piano song)

-Welsh Rarebit- The history and song

2010-07-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Welsh rarebit is what they would call the catch if hunters could not find anything suitable enough to eat except maybe rabbit. So it was called Rare-bit.

We have a CD with the song on it. It is played by bagpipes
and has a nice tune. Here are some videos about how to
make your own Welsh Rarebit on Youtube:

An Et-cetera post... random photos....

2010-07-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

I had a friend (Mrs. F. in CO) ask for photos of my aprons... so finally, here are pictures of them..... and some other pictures too. Enjoy!

Have a blessed day in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth <><

At "Cath Kidstons" Fabric and accessories shop in Bristol this year. http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/
The camera strap was made by a homeschool friend, and it traveled all the way from OKC to Scotland and England and back again! :-)
She sells them too. Her blog is:

I made an apron for a lady at the Farmer's Market out of this fabric.

The apron (It still needs the ties and neck band but other than that it is finished)

A new friend who came to my booth at the market. She got her flowers at the same place I get mine! Aren't they beautiful?

shadows

Strange words ( Traditional Gaelic Scottish) in Dunoon, Scotland June 2010

Our Musical family!

Sweet smile! :-)

Now this is a photo for Jonathan, this has become his favorite store recently. In just one week we went to 5 different locations!

The family chauffeur (my mum) grew weary of driving us to Home Depots after a while! He was comparing brands and prices for a drill or jigsaw, or something like that..... How would I know? I am not the tool person of the family.... :-)
I gave out plenty of VIAs (gospel magazines printed in Canada) to the employees at each store. One checkout cashier clerk asked for more, saying emphatically, "Our employees need religion!"
"No," I replied, "They need a RELATIONSHIP, (with Jesus Christ) not religion!" :-)

In Elgin during the Scottish International Festival of Trumpets.

This Roman soldier guarded us as I listened to dry, long seminars about the different kinds of trumpet mouthpieces and the patents needed for those trumpet mouthpieces....
How dare spell checker highlight "Elgin"? It is a legitimate name! I know because I have been there. :-)

After our Homeschool Band Concert

May 2010

Flying back to the States from Scotland...

And no, I wasn't in the plane pictured! I was on the ground at the time. :-)

Yet another great Farmers Market day!

2010-07-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

I had a great time today at my Photography booth. Met a neat lady who has several International student friends, and she also wants to learn Spanish like me!

I got more pom-pom orange, yellow, pink and magenta zinnias and yellow sunflower. I refilled my old vintage shaving mug pictured in another post. The ladies wil give you free refills after you buy a mug, vase or milk bottle. I got mine for only $4! And I have had 1 free refills of flowers now! :-)The people and vendors at our Market are so great.

This is the inventory now in our kitchen:

3 cukes (cucumbers),
and 1/2 lb okra,
12-14 ears of Oklahoman grown corn,

1 basket bright red cherries,
a jar of hand made grape jelly, and a jar of blackberry preserves,
another basket of pink cherries,
and a heart full of joy and gratitude!

I had some good conversations. Gave out VIA magazines. I enjoyed talking with the owner of Dead Coyote Farm. He gave me a picture he printed for me of Lydia, Mum and I at the mkt. a few weeks ago.
:-) He is also a photographer.

Out of all 6 of us at the FM, not a one got headaches or sunstroke, despite being outside from 8 am till 1pm! Praise the Lord for HIS goodness toward us, the sheep of HIS pasture.

Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth Joy
1 Peter 1:4-9

I have a friend....

2010-07-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

I have a FRIEND who is......

AWESOME!!

mighty...

strong....

powerful and gentle at the same time,

always lends a listening ear to all my problems, frustrations, and petty arguments with other people, He is slow to anger and quick to forgive...

My Friend patiently waits for me to respond to HIS still small voice...

...in the cool of the morning......

...In the blistering heat at noonday...

.....in the cold dampness of winter...

..in the fresh spring air...

HE is ALWAYS Faithful to me!!

His mercies are new every morning, Great is Thy Faithfulness!

I have an AWESOME GOD and a wonderful Savior Jesus Christ! May all praise and honor and glory be given to HIM!

"A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not touch you."
---Psalm 91---

a song with a similar theme: http://www.wissmanns.blogspot.com /
"He is Faithful" is a great song that this sweet family sings.

MUSIC SAMPLES

Wissmann Family Official Page

--TUTORIAL-- How to edit your photographs--

2010-07-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

TUTORIAL

How to edit and make your photos look artistic.

original photo

-edited photo to come in a later post-

original photo

I brightened and sharpened this photo. Then made the contrast higher. I applied vignette and soft edge effects around the border. Finally I changed the color using a vintage/old-fashioned effect.

After I added vignette and also an old-fashioned effect

Dunoon, SCOTLAND

--A new website I just found--

2010-07-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

http://preciousadornment.wordpress.com/

One-derful Opportunities

July 27, 2010 by Melissa Griffin

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

Ever feel you need 10 more of you to accomplish anything of significance in life? Pastor Voddie Baucham reminds us that it only takes one woman to make a tremendous difference for the cause of Christ.

To read more go to the website!
~Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth Joy
1 Peter 1:4-9

You can know where YOU will spend eternity!

2010-07-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

God says you can be sure.....

"These things I have written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye HAVE eternal life." 1 John 5:13

You may be satisfied (falsely so) because you have joined a church organization- this can be dangerous for your soul's eternal state - it is false assurance.

The True Church is not an organization but an organism- like a body. 1 Cor. 12:12 You do not join it, you get BORN into it.

The Lord Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." John 3:3

Your soul's salvation does not depend on "church membership" in any earthly church organization, but upon a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Savior.
"Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:12
You can find reality (and we would be glad to help you).

Be saved today- be safe- and KNOW IT!

Do you agree to the fact that... you are a sinner?

And Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died for your sins on the cross? If so, Romans 10:9 says "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." And John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We read in John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

Please make a decision NOW. Don't miss your chance to go to HEAVEN!

For more information, write to:

   1 NW 12th Street,
   Oklahoma City, OK 73103
      call us at: 405-236-5433
   or visit us at: www.LIFEHOUSE.org

Farmer's Market

2010-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Great farmer's Market today. 8am till 1pm

hot outside. now tired but happy. met some new people and have an apron order. I bought yellow/ pink rose/green leaves fabric and some pale yellow fabric for the lining of apron. And cream lace to trim it.

Might have a few photo portrait sessions this summer also! Two people were interested. One a senior and the other a family.
Praise the Lord for His blessings toward me! :-)

Have a great day in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

I bought this at the FM last week. Isn't it great? It is my theme verse I memorized a few months ago.

Joyfully HIS,
Elizabeth
<>< 1 Peter 1:4-9 <><

---Candid shots--- :-)

2010-07-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Announcing free musical JAM SESSIONS this summer,

when? every 2nd Friday night

what time? 7pm-9pm or later.... :-)

Bring your friends and family along...

and an instrument or two for some good-old-fashioned fun!

The dates for your calendar....

We'd enjoy seeing you, so come on by!

August 13, 2010 7pm

September 10, 2010 7pm

and October 8, 2010 7pm

Guest book for the Lifehouse books and coffee shop.
1 NW 12th Street Oklahoma City, OK
Come by Monday to Friday 11am till 6pm!

in the stairwell of the 2nd floor.

stairs to the 5th floor at the Lifehouse (LH for short)

guess who?

black and white study of light and shadows

Concord grape leaf.

Notice the heart shaped shadow of a tendril vine?

--- self portrait ---

Our dive bomber mother hawk. It has pecked some of us already!