And roared

“Aslan, who seemed larger than before, lifted his head, shook his mane, and roared. 

     The sound, deep and throbbing at first like an organ beginning on a low note, rose and became louder, and then far louder again, till the earth and air were shaking with it. It rose up from the hill and floated across all Narnia. Down in Miraz’s camp men woke, stared palely in one another’s faces, and grasped their weapons. Down below that in the Great River, now at its coldest hour, the heads and shoulders of the nymphs, and the great weedy-bearded head of the river-god, rose from the water. Beyond it, in every field and wood, the alert ears of rabbits rose from their holes, the sleepy heads of birds came out from under wings, owls hooted, vixens barked, hedgehogs grunted, the trees stirred. In towns and villages mothers pressed babies close to their breasts, staring with wild eyes, dogs whimpered, and men leaped up groping for lights. Far away on the northern frontier the mountain giants peered from the dark gateways of their castles.”

—Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis

At the Back of the North Wind

""Why did you leave me, dear North Wind?"

"Because I wanted you to walk alone," she answered.

"But it is so much nicer here!" said Diamond.

"I daresay; but I couldn't hold a little coward to my heart. It would make me so cold!"

"But I wasn't brave of myself," said Diamond, whom my older readers will have already discovered to be a true child in this, that he was given to metaphysics. "It was the wind that blew in my face that made me brave. Wasn't it now, North Wind?

"Yes: I know that. You had to be taught what courage was. And you couldn't know what it was without feeling it: therefore it was given you. But don't you feel as if you would try to be brave yourself next time?"

"Yes, I do. But trying is not much."

"Yes, it is--a very great deal, for it is a beginning. And a beginning is the greatest thing of all. To try to be brave is to be brave. The coward who tries to be brave is before the man who is brave because he is made so, and never had to try."

"How kind you are, North Wind!"

"I am only just. All kindness is but justice. We owe it."

"I don't quite understand that."

"Never mind; you will some day. There is no hurry about understanding it now.""

--At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald 

I believe

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I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. 

--The Nicene Creed

And this our life, exempt from public haunt,

Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything. 
I would not change it.

-"As You Like It", act II, scene I

Yesterday (Sunday) my family took a little trip into Delaware. We visited Winterthur, a public garden and mansion-turned-museum. If I remember correctly, the Du Pont family (yes, related to the Du Ponts of Longwood) lived in the large mansion during the early 1900's. I like the history of that time period, and whenever I go to Winterthur I have this longing to be transported back to the days when the Du Ponts still lived there (in a swishy gown and long pearl necklace, of course).

The three photos below were taken last year, but it gives you an idea of how grand the house is.

The gardens are lovely, especially the Quarry Garden, which was an actual quarry at one point. When we visited, primroses carpeted the marshy floor in bright colors. 

There's a little stream that runs through the Quarry Garden. I loved watching the crisscrossed ripples it makes and the tiny waterfalls that trickle down from overhanging rocks. There's just something wonderful about streams, rivers, and even the ocean.

We also toured a lovely little peony garden. I love this kind of flower.

Hey! That's not a peony!

And we must always stop to pay a visit at the fish pond! 

Also, does anyone else feel themselves become strangely poetic when they're surrounded by beauty? I had some of the silliest and most random thoughts yesterday! Such as, This stagnant pool isn't the same as the stream. It is water, but it doesn't go anywhere like the stream. It was in much more poetic wording, though. :)

All in all it was a lovely day. Picnic in the car, beautiful scenery, and my family. Oh, and an elderly lady with an English accent at the end. ;)

Blessed be Your name.

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Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord          
Blessed be the name of the Lord 
Blessed be Your glorious name

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Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name                         
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord                                                       
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name 

-"Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman

I was just singing this to myself yesterday. I sang the fourth verse and thought, Wow, I really need to work on this! God has just brought me through a tough and stressful time, and now I feel ready, like I've got everything together. I really did think something similar to this: Okay, I'm set. I can praise God's name now! I can really believe Psalm 56:9b!  

God is always, always for me, even "on the road marked with suffering".

"What's taters, precious, eh, what's taters?"

Samwise Gamgee can serve 'em up fried with fish, but we like potatoes baked...twice! (with lots of butter and cheese.)

These may seem like extra work, but they really aren't that much, and the end result is creamy, fluffy, and delicious. 

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Four potatoes
4 T. salted butter, softened
4 T. sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425. Wash potatoes, wrap in foil, and place in 9x13 pan. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes. Remove foil and let cool. When cooled, cut in half lengthwise and scoop insides into a bowl (we use a cookie dough scooper). Line up potato skins in the pan. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix everything with a pastry blender (you could also use a food processor). Scoop the mixture back into potato skins. Sprinkle with chives, sweet paprika, and a grind of salt. Bake at 350 for half an hour or until golden on top. Enjoy!

We had this for Mother's Day lunch, along with grilled lamb, a salad bar, and berry crumb bars. Ah, food. 

Update #1

Los pollitos dicen,
"pillo, pillo, pillo!"
Cuando tienen hambre,
cuando tienen hambre!
Pollitos! Unidos! Jamás serán vencidos!

This is a protest song from South America. Plug it into Google Translate and you'll get what the chicks have been doing. We got them a fifty pound bag of feed and they're really blazing through it!

Besides eating a ton, they've been growing tails and longer wings, hanging out on their little perch, and "flying", which mainly consists of flapping their wings while running around. They can flap up onto the feeder and fountain, and I saw one fly from the perch to the opposite side of the brooder.

  
As you can see, they've graduated from cardboard boxes to the actual brooder. (click photos to enlarge)

Here are some pictures of the coop's progress. Lookin' cute!
 

Filling up my space.

"I am content to fill a little space if God be glorified." -Susannah Wesley

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31

"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." -Romans 12:6-8

I want to fill up my life's little space with things that will glorify God, bless others, and make beauty and happiness. Right now, my space consists (mainly) of family, school, and friends. How can I fill this space with something that will glorify God? I could be discouraged, because, since I'm just fourteen, I can't do anything "big" (become a missionary, open an orphanage). But is doing "big" things the only way to glorify God? Of course not! This seems like an obvious answer, and it is, but that doesn't keep me from forgetting it. Even the small, every day things can be a way to bring glory to God.

I have my own gifts, gifts that God Himself gave me, and I can use them. My gift may be in baking or being a help around the house. These little things can be a blessing, no matter how mundane they may seem. By baking muffins, I'm making my brothers happy. By cleaning up the kitchen, I'm making Mom happy and perhaps letting her have a little rest. This in turn can give me joy in knowing that I am serving others and making them happy. Being fourteen doesn't mean I cannot do things that will please my Creator. In offering to play a game with my younger brother, I am pleasing Him. In volunteering to do the hand dishes, I am glorifying Him. Every little deed or word can be something that will please Him.

It isn't just the big things like going overseas or working with charity (though these are good things) that are pleasing to the Lord. Completing the work set before us--whether it is school, preparing a meal, or doing yard work--with responsibility or cheerfulness is a simple way that we can bring glory to God through our day to day lives. Looking for ways to serve others with acts of love and service is something that's important and pleasing, too. So let's strive to fill our space with God-glorifying things, using the different gifts he has given us to the best of our ability.