Sacraments of the Catholic Church act as rivers between God and man. On these rivers God sends his inestimable gifts to aid man in his search for God on earth. During Confirmation--one of the seven sacraments--a spiritual encounter takes place between the recipient and the Holy Spirit. Though this encounter appears very quiet and simple, it affects one for the rest of one’s life. This sacrament anoints the individual as a soldier for Christ, giving the recipient seven tools to fight the enemy.

This is the second comp I've written for my Grammar and Comp class. The assignment was to write about an animal that appears in the Bible, and how it teaches the reader a lesson.

if everything was just the same,
id go crazy and pray for change.

if night was the same thing as day,
itd be so very dull and plain.

if water was the same as fire,
id lose my interest and desire.

if grass was the same as sky,
id sit in bed at night and cry.

if dirty was the same as clean,
i would never take a bath again.

if food was the same as slime,
id starve for hours and lose my mind.

if everything was just the same,
id shut up and go insane.

This is my first composition for my Grammer and Composition class.

This summer, to balance the heat, drowning Cicadas, and three exhausting vacations I read American history. As it turned out, the reading provided me with just the right kind of distraction. Most of my time I spent on the Revolutionary War and Colonial period of our history. My reading of American history gave me some much needed quiet moments that I enjoyed immensely. I found plenty of “food” for thought among the pages and a patriotism I hope to remember for a long time.

Flying to this new land was long and tedious. An entire night spent in a strange environment made sleeping impossible. By not having anything to do I had room to think. I did not try to develop an image of what would happen over the week; I knew that any attempt I made would prove wrong. Not having a clue physically, I prepared spiritually. I put everything in God's hands, and allowed Him to put His diamonds in my silly old clay pots. After finally landing, I walked through the airport. It immediately struck me how dirty and old everything looked.

Dear Homeschooling Friends,

I'm sitting here, listening to jazz through some speakers I set up around our computer. The violin - my violin - is resting on my arm, while the bow relaxes on my lap. I've been practicing.

The wood of my violin is chipped and worn in places, but it glows in the dim light from some inner life, old but merry, laughing and bittersweet. The black finger board shows a thousand fingerprints - the history and seal proving the hours I and others have played it.

A whisper......where am I?
A flicker of change somewhere among the depths of unknown.
Why am I here?
The whisper tells of days when I was nothing but happy,
when I was simple enough to know not what was within.
For I had no within.
Deep in the darker fathoms of my soul,
beyond the childhood laughter of yesterday
and the sweetness that each day brought,
like the brushing of baby's breath against your cheek,
I long for the simplicity that embraced me before I arrived within.

Dear Homeschooling Friends,

There's something I need to announce. It's perhaps the biggest announcement I have ever made on apricotpie. So, you better pay attention. Turn off the music, stop eating that sandwich, and don't pick up the phone if it rings.

Are you ready yet?

The dangers of smoking have been known since the early 1900's and far before, but people have continued to smoke, irregardless of the literature, other people's health, the right's of animals, and the well-being of the environment and will most likely continue to do so for how ever long the Earth will rotate - which at this rate, I doubt will be a prolonged time.

Stephanie: My Best Friend

S-Shop-a-holic!
T-Truly Great
E-Excellent at everything
P-Perfect
H-Hilarious
A-Aspiring Model
N-Not a bad bone in her body
I-Intellectual
E-Even there when no one else is