Moving

Hello!

I will stop posting here and this blog is moving to wordpress.

Now please go here for my blog.


You can still comment there even if you don't use wordpress...I just liked some of the features better (such as no delays for changes or post updates!).

In Company With Sparkles, my craft/art/doll blog, will still be on blogspot for now.


love,
Cait

My Blogging and Sarah Palin

Hello dearies!

A bit of business first - I'm considering merging my two blogs (which are now in the basic categories of life and art&crafting) but am not sure how or even whether I should. Another possiblity is keeping them separate but moving Dance the Road to a different host, since I have a thing about not liking two blogs on one account. Any thoughts? A lot of my art blog readers are not personal friends...and that's how I intended it to be. So if I merged them, it might scare a few off...on the other hand it would make me update more regularly and perhaps would widen the sphere of influence a bit, since they'd be forced to read my every-so-often more substantial or deeper posts! On the other hand you all would be bombarded with a great more whimsy (and acrylic paints) than you are here.
Thoughts?

Also, with the elections coming up and lots of (friendly =) discussions around here, I thought I'd mention my view on Sarah Palin, Mr. McCain's running mate. I cannot vouch much for either her or Mr. McCain, though I support their values. I need to research more about their actual policies (but would like you to have your own opinion on them anyway!!).
One thing I will say - I do not think she should be running. I also don't believe she is qualified to. Yes, she has great morals, and may even have great policies! But in the Bible, a woman leading the country is a sign of its judgement. In Judges 4:1-3, it speaks of Deborah, the judge who guided Israel...and did so most effectively by trying to get a man to actually step up and lead. Her position, though wisely used, was an indication of God's judgement on the Israel that had strayed.
Mrs. Palin is married and has 5 kids, the youngest being a baby with downs syndrome. I do not want to vote her away from that responsibility - to her family - which I believe should come first. I believe that a woman's role is to support to her husband, not the president.

To assert that God’s Word permits a woman to hold civil office and that Christians have the liberty to support a woman for the position of civil magistrate means that one has to deny the biblical teaching on the headship of man, reject the qualifications for civil rulers set down in the law of God, ignore the biblical picture of the virtuous woman, and close his or her ears to the biblical lament of women ruling over men.
- Pastor Bill Einwechter, Th.M

As a young lady I desire to see men step up to leadership, whatever the context is. It is heartbreaking to see the opposite happening all over the world, but especially in America.
Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin write on VisionaryDaughters; "It has rightly been observed that women have already been elected to the highest position they can hold," that of a daughter, wife, mother, sister. Mrs. Palin is already occupying the most important, impacting, and beautiful position there is. The all too cliched phrase "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world" is utterly true, which is why it is my own personal purpose, along with the Botkin sisters and many others who are left.

Part of their article says -

So why are we inspired by Sarah Palin? Because her example puts a stronger fire in us to answer the cry, the way we believe God intended. We are more inspired than ever to help our father, brothers, husbands and sons to fill the role we are not called to fill.

It has rightly been observed that women have already been elected to the highest position they can hold, and that any “promotion” in the civil sphere would be a step backward. Their womanly sphere is where this hurting nation needs them most.

So let us resolve to give the world what it really needs, in the way that only women can give it. We have our work cut out for us, building strength into our men; It will call out every gift and talent within us. In doing so, we’re not just answering the cry — we’re obeying God, Who holds our first allegiance.

Mrs. Palin, you have inspired us to take stronger action for our God and for our country.

As for us, we don’t aspire to become the presidents we wish we could vote for. We aspire to raise them.

And with that, I think I have given myself an answer - at some time in the future this blog will move and In Company With Sparkles will remain as it is, since I can better be a light by not offending, however true the subjects =)

Love, Cait

Vignettes

There were three things I can think of that were unpleasant, from our time in Holland - not at all bad for a three week holiday. The first was a broken friendship the first week, that my friend and I did not even know needed mending - but it is taken care of and our friendship is whole again. The second was an upsetting and frightening incident that took place in Amsterdam, but I won't talk about it here. The third is more silly than unpleasant - in Delft I took something out of my hair, thinking it was a fallen leaf, only to realise I was holding a wasp between my fingers! I then proceeded to jump up and exclaim "oh my gosh" like an obnoxious twelve year old. Hehe.


One of the things I was hoping for our time in Holland was to find out if working there someday was just something I thought was a good idea or if it was something God wants me to do. I still couldn't say finally, but seeing how much I absolutely loved the country (it's been five years since we were last there) and am slowly learning to love the people as well, I think I'm a bit more certain. We stumbled upon a Christian book store in Amsterdam, where we talked to the owner for awhile. It turns out that they do red light and drug ministries, and that there are a lot of little places like them that do as well. How amazing! Though when I first go it will probably just be staying at l'Abri for a few months, next spring or something. l'Abri is still an experience that intrigues me, and I think would be a challenging and growing time - though perhaps not where I would want to end up. And perhaps I won't end up in the Netherlands at all! Maybe my motives are wrong. Maybe I just like Holland itself, or because I love Europe, or because I like European fashion, or because there is blue sky and stunning clouds and rain. Maybe I want to fit in rather than serve - but that isn't true.
Right now only God knows what will happen but I would like clearer leading before...say, Christmas, so I know what's happening in the coming year. Do I stay here first or the second year? Do I go to Yemen for the first half or the second half of the school year? Is the culinary school a whim or a call?
I suppose I'll be thinking a lot of this sort this year.


On another note - I desperately need more art supplies (I'm out of canvases and need acrylic paints) and have been painting and drawing up a storm, hoping to have enough to have a table at the ARTE souk in the next two months. How exciting that would be!