Mostly from shock and surprise at discovering that someone actually still reads xanga every once in awhile, I am adding some photos of current life with the Barkmans (imagine that; my spell check is underlining 'Barkmans' as if it were not a word. Really.). Dedicated to Monica, of course, for inspiring me with "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

  So we recently sojourned to one of our favorite hiking spots, which looks very smashing in its fall wardrobe. I am enjoying autumn to the fullest...fall in Ohio is beautiful!
  

  Somehow we always end up with tons of pictures of Michael and Chloe. I guess they are just that photogenic. Here they are resting on a park bench.


 Yes, Christy will do seemingly silly things to catch interesting photos, but I wouldn't laugh at her because the results of her photography are splendid!


  We couldn't resist making shadows in the fascinating afternoon sunlight.


It is a truth universally acknowledged that young hikers in an enchanted forest must be in want of a stick.


 And here Christy is taking an amazing picture of...


This, I think.


Me, best sister, best sister (l-r)


Now this...hmm. This was when we were watching Trevor climb this small tree and attempt to swing it down to the ground, something which I have never attempted. He did pretty good.


And I really need to add this scenery picture because it causes a great deal of happiness.


This picture was taken by my Dad. He had to lie underneath the tree to get it. In case you didn't know, Dad is a pretty amazing photographer.


Left to right: (I love this picture) wonderful sibling, wonderful sibling, wonderful sibling, wonderful sibling, wonderful sibling, me.


We even found an old hollow log to crawl through and, of course, take pictures of. That's Trevor on the other end.


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
My lovely aunts and grandmother just came for a whole entire weekend to be with us and see our orchestra and laugh and have fun and, of course, take pictures. We had an amazing time! Here are some of the results of one of the various photo shoots. (Taken by my aunt)
 


And this is le orchestraaa...It has been pretty amazing to be in an orchestra; it's something I always wanted to do, and especially with Christy. I get a little hyper when I talk about it so I'm going to move on to the pictures.


And unfortunately, Christy was blocked in that picture, so here is when we were standing as our names were called.


We also went shopping this weekend (for some reason, the boys were not interested in going) in a quaint old town, which was so quaint and old, that we had to, of course, take pictures.



By the way, these pictures were taken by my aunt, less you suddenly wonder about the strange improvement in the photography.
Such awesome times we had.

So now I will leave you, with one last wonderful picture of Christy:


Please have a stupendously remarkable day!
Postly Inspiration: I John 4:19...
We love Him because He first loved us.

Postly Question:
What books are you reading right now?

   Number one, you have probably read a lot of inspiring articles about this and taped them to your wall where you can see them.
   Number two, this is the kind of weblog that, when you see it, you automatically skim through to the bottom and click "back" because you don't feel like reading the whole thing; you don't have time and you don't feel like thinking about it.
   So this is basically what I am working on right now, and I just wanted to share it with you because virtually all of America is slightly in need of it. And please don't read the whole thing if you don't feel like it.
   So, in summary, what I am trying to learn right now is the whole thing of being quiet, still, before God. You know when you have those abominably busy days (for me, every day of the summer...so not cool) where you know how badly you want to fit in time for God? Sometimes all you manage is five minutes, sometimes two. And during those five minutes, it is usually reading the Bible and/or praying until we get interrupted by tasks or demands or people wanting to get into your room (Christy knows).
   Then how, how on earth are we supposed to find time for listening to God? How can we learn how to listen to God if we never have time to try? I guess I've just realized that a huge reason that churches and Christians lack guidance is because they grow frustrated from not hearing from God.
   But how can God speak if we don't listen? If our thoughts are not turned to Him throughout the whole day? And if we do make time to sit in silence, to worship, and to truly listen, how much hope and guidance and direction we would receive! It is so, so sweet to hear from God.
   I am reading through the Bible right now, and have just finished Habakkuk. Who often thinks of that little book? I was amazed again at the words of the prophet...how dedicated he was to waiting, not only hoping, but knowing, that if he quieted himself before God, God would answer.
   Check out this verse.
   Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.  
  
   And God answers, taking the opportunity to use us to find truth and portray it. He replies,
  “ Write the vision
      And make it plain on tablets,
      That he may run who reads it.
       ³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
      But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
      Though it tarries, wait for it;
      Because it will surely come,
      It will not tarry.

  I end up laughing at myself in some instances...if you think about it, we have a totally distorted vision of peace.
  Today we have all the music we want at our disposal, which in a way is a good thing, as long as it is not what we default to all the time...there will be no time for silence that way. I don't know if you do it, but when I am in the mood for silence and solitude, something to make me peaceful, all I do is grab my music player and think, "Hmmm....What music will make me feel peaceful...What music will make me feel sleepy...or quiet...or happy?" I wonder if it's a good thing to have music for every mood. Really, Cherie.
   That's a really...big...reason...that we don't really know how to be patient and wait for the Lord...we are so used to having everything we want immediately, and God doesn't work that way. But if we DO wait, the rewards will be much, MUCH larger than what we are accustomed to.
   I'm really sorry; my thoughts are kind of in a jumble. I kind of last-minute decided to write them down (or type them up) without organizing them. So I just hope that you've seen what I need to work on, that you can better pray for me.
   Muchos gracias, and God bless every single one of you.
  ~CHERiE

Postly Inspiration: "You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you."
~Martin Luther

Postly Question: What is your greatest worry?

   I suppose I shouldn't start this entry by telling you in general how my life is, because most of you already know that we're pretty busy.
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   The past four weekends have been so wonderful. It's a good kind of busy, by the way. Claudia's graduation one weekend, Barkman Campout the next, Reunion the next, and Colorado with Dad the next. We just got back from Colorado this past Monday. We had an awesome, refreshing, amazing, fun, relaxing time. I love adjectives.
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   I haven't been to my own church in four Sundays, which is pretty long. Too long, I realized, when lastnight at VBS, one of my little students came up to me and said, "I remember you! You used to be my Sunday School teacher!"
   Yes, I've had to get substitute teachers this whole month. My poor students think I'm gone forever. I shall try to make up for it this Sunday by...I'll think of something.
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   It's also kind of weird that God is teaching me things through all this busyness. He's teaching me that He wants me to make time for Him first, and then work on getting things done, not the other way around. He's teaching me how precious it is that I can come to Him anytime; He doesn't have a schedule and I don't have to make appointments to talk to Him.
   God understands heartthoughts. So in those times when I'm so restless and flustered, I find comfort in the fact that He knows my heart when I don't even know how to tell Him all that I need to. That's what I am thankful for so much right now, that God understands heartthoughts that are too deep to say.
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   I haven't posted pictures on here in awhile, and I wish that I wouldn't have to explain why. "Someone" left my camera outside in the rain (how someone could abandon presence of mind to leave one's camera outside in the rain, I don't know) so it is permanently ruined. Dad says that I should wait awhile to get a new one, to teach me to be more careful, and I think he's pretty much correct.
   Oooooops...I just admitted that it was me who left my camera out in the rain.
   I could erase that but I'll leave it there, as a reminder to all of you not to leave your cameras out in the rain.
  And by the way, Mom's camera got dropped in the kiddie pool. And she didn't drop her own camera in the kiddie pool; someone else did. Accidentally. And it wasn't me.
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   I think I'm going to go on another computer fast soon. We're far too busy in the first place without making time for the internet, which really matters less than alot of things.
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   In closing, I am enjoying my last days before being sixteen. To the fullest.
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I am nothing without You,
You're the very breath I breathe
Breathe through me now,
Shine through me now,
I am nothing without You.
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Postly Inspiration: “Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.” ~Amy Carmichael