Last weeks at BHS: Jan 9-13

Sometimes I wonder why God brings us to certain situations in life. The idea is abstruse to me. From being accoladed at one moment to being emotionally and spiritually destitute at another makes it hard to believe he knows what is best for me. All I can do during my downtrodden times is to ameliorate my situation and learn of his greater plans for me. Sometimes I catch myself becoming ambivalent towards my faith and slap myself on the hand for thinking in such a way. I am not nearly acquiescent enough when I should be completely and utterly obedient to the Father. I must trust in his greater plan and let go. For he says, "Be still and know that I am God."

My First Day in Guatemala

Okay so after a hellacious delay in the airport, we are all finally here at the mission house and have finished our first day at work. We left for the Little Rock airport, anticipating our flight at 4:45 pm. Well it turns out that our plane had "mechanical failure", and by the grace of God, they caught it before we were in the air. This cancelled our flight. Luckily, the lovely people at American Airlines found us another flight into Dallas that night, then gave us food vouchers, and a hotel to stay in. Yes, all fifteen of us. The next day our flight was scheduled to leave at 4 pm. Due to more "mechanical failure'', we didn't leave untill 6 pm. By the time we arrived into Guatemala City, we were exhausted, but every single person slapped a smile on their face. :) When we finally got to the mission house in Chimaltanengo (City of Sheilds), we were exhausted and starving! Well, our lovely cook, Mrs. Louise, was prepared with burgers and all the fixin's for about 30 people! When we woke up this morning, we split up into three groups: dental, orphanage, and construction. I went on the dental team (no suprise there). Dr. Dozier, his son Jackson, and Mrs. Carol were also on the team with me. I helped sterilize equipment, assist the Doctor, and keep the children occupied in the so called waiting room. I bonded with children from the ages of 4 to 12, on a level I never experienced before. Even with the language barrier, I knew their names, how old they all were, and all of their individual personalities. I painted the girl's fingernails, played jump-rope with them, and blew bubbles for them to chase. The trust the parents exibited towards me absolutley astounded me. It was the love of God that brought us all together. Also, these children were some of the toughest patients I have ever wittnessed. This 7 year old girl got 4 shots in her mouth then had 2 extractions and didn't even bat an eye. I have so much to learn from these people. Later in the day, we all went as a group to one of the local churches for a food distrobution. We served 76 people with food and shoes for their family. Some of the women kissed me on the cheek and I saw tears running down their faces in appreciation. It really made me step outside of myself, and realize God's immediate path for me. Please pray for this beautiful group of people. :) God bless you.

Don't Drink the Water.

5. When the well's dry, they know the worth of water.

- When everything is gone, and you have nothing, you realize what is really important.

- When I lose sight of what is important in my life and I get my priorities messed up, I stop myself and reassess my life. When my grades started to drop because of my excessive work hours, I quit my job. I realized that by keeping my grades up I have a better chance of getting into a good college and being able to make a good living for myself later in life. I didn't need my minimum wage job to be able to buy excess clothing for instant gratification.

-I completely agree with Benjamin Franklin. I can personally relate to this quote, and I believe that saving and being smart with money benefits the economy, benefits your wallet, and benefits your life. Keeping your priorities straight and being frugal with your budget can help everyone, both instantly and in the long run.

2010 Second Quarter Reading List

Picoult, Jodi. Ninteen Minutes. [S.l.]: Center Point, 2007. Print.

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has been through years of verbal and physical abuse from his classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, gives into peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that makes Peter's life hell. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to change the town's history. (2 Books).

Sparks, Nicholas. Safe Haven. New York: Grand Central Pub., 2010. Print.

When Katie moves to a small town of Southport, North Carolina, many people start to wonder where she came from and why she randomly picked Southport. She tries to stay distant from everyone, but can't seem to help but be drawn to her new neighbor, Jo, and the owner of a store, Alex. Even as Katie begins to feel at home, her past looms around her like a storm waiting to empty its contents.

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper: a Novel. New York: Atria, 2004. Print.

How would you feel if your purpose in life was predetermined? That is exactly what happened to Anna. She was born to save her sisters life. Her parents made her in a test tube so that she would be a perfect match for her older sister, Kate. Anna has the same blood type and bone marrow type for transfusions. What happens when Anna doesn't want to do it anymore? She knows it might kill her sister, but can it save her own life, and her family's bond?

Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and, 2005. Print.

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger (2 Books).

11/29/2012 Poem

Because your compassion gives me hope,
Because you know just what to say,
Because your laughter is contagious,
Because your smile can light up my world,
I love you.

Because my heart races when you hold my hand,
Because you know me better than anyone else,
Because you are the one I want to grow old with,
Because I can't have you,
I love you.

8/20/2010 Assignment

INDEPENDENT READING

Right now I am exploring books that I would like to read during these next nine weeks of school. I have searched Amazon.com, Goodreads.com, and Mrs. Huff's book shelfs. All of my books that I selected were on Goodreads best book list of 2008 and 2009.

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- I have heard from Mrs. Huff that this book is extremely well written and a very good story. A lot of my friends have read it and really enjoyed it. Amazon.com awarded it 4 1/2 stars.

2. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
- I have read the Twilight saga and enjoyed all of her books. I love how Stephanie Meyer writes and I am sure that I would enjoy Host. Amazon.com awarded it 4 stars.

3. Kite Runner by Khaled Hossieni
- I have seen very many of my friends with this book. Every single one of them say that they love it. Its about the war in Afganistan and I would like to read about something relevant to my life. Amazon awarded it 4 1/2 stars.

Second Quarter Reading List