New Post on theLordswordsword

Check it out!
New post up on my Bible verse blog:
Spiritual Warfare

Have a lovely week!
Until we write again,
Karis Elizabeth

Double-Posting!

College Exams really do pile up!

Just back from one this morning-- I hope I did well! I'll find out Tuesday.

I wanted to let you all know that I have started a new venture on a different Blog from this one. I will keep blogging here. That aside, the reason I have started a new blog is because this one has a different theme to it-- while this blog is more of a personal blog with some tidbits that I learn along the way, in my new blog I will focus on my own memorization of different sections of Scripture and classic poems and evaluation of the same! I hope you will be inspired by this journey, and join me in it! I will be memorizing, and while I do, (as happens with God's Word) I hope to find deeper meanings than if I had just skimmed the verses. If you have any observations about the text I am memorizing, by all means comment!

I hope to write twice a week until June. The first post will be on my journey through Psalm 119. The second post will be on the poem I am working on. Both will feature the theme of the Christian young woman striving to keep her head on her shoulders and keep her mind focused on Christ! I hope that tea, toast, and/or chocolate will find a role in your reading! Enjoy!

TheLordswordsword

My cousin is getting married!!! I'm so excited. After I get back, I hope to write on the next item on the "It" list-- "Do it!" What is it about? You'll just have to wait and see...

Until we write again,
<3Karis Elizabeth

Kind of Excited... and kind of back!

Hey! I'm back. :)

Just in case you were wondering why I haven't been posting... or if you haven't been wondering, that's okay too *sigh... :D*... I have a reason that I wasn't writing! The reason is as follows. (It's a happy reason, by the way :D)

Just after my post on "Folding It", my friend Sara sent me an email... or was it Skype... I don't remember, we have had soooo much texting and emailing and skyping since then! Because she asked me in that correspondence (whatever the means was), if I would like to be a writer in a new fashion guide for female tournament attendees. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity! I was kind of amazed that she asked ME of all people to write a few articles in her lovely lovely book... I was like, SUCH a fan of her and Lauren's pamphlet from the year before on fashion... it helped me oh so very much in my search for the perfect outfit. Because believe it or not, I couldn't match polka dots with stripes before I read that pamphlet. ;)

So, after all that time and work... IT'S DONE!!!! The book is published, and you can buy it, or spread the word!

Book of Class

By Sara Nimori, Lauren Blankenship

eBook (PDF), 175 Pages 

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Price: $9.99

Download immediately.

This comprehensive fashion guide teaches homeschool Speech & Debate students how to dress professionally, fashionably, and modestly within the official Stoa dress code. For girls ages 12-18. "This is a fantastic guide for those of us who feel completely lost when the wardrobe decision is anything other than, "blue jeans or sweatpants?" These ladies creatively present a handbook for cultivating a professional and fashionable appearance in a way that is simple and fun to digest. Each page is like reading advice from a trusted girl friend - I wish I'd had this book when I started competing." ~Mary York, Alumnus

Victoria Chapman and Karis are also writers in this book, but Lulu can only list so many. And besides, Sara and Lauren did the most of the work!

By the way, if you can, I really would appreciate it if you COULD spread the word about this. Because it's really really useful... I've read it through like, five times (not counting how many times I've read through my own articles) and girls can really benefit. I'd say, on a scale of 1-5 one being "It's Useful" and 5 being "It's Essential" This would be rated "10" but don't quote me :P Not to mention this won't be mentioned on the STOAbyte until next month, and tournaments are already popping up!!

My fav parts are for sure Lauren's makeup tutorials, Victoria's DIY's, and Sara's pics and input... oh, hey, that's the whole book. LOL!

Oh, so, I'm a published author now! Yay! Hey, Sara gave me permission to say that, so I can. Don't judge me, sister. ;)

Much love! I hope to write the next item on the "It" list soon, now that I'm free to write!

Until we write again,

Karis

Poem: I Praise Thee for Life

As a break from the "It" List, and to relieve my guilty conscience from not posting for so long, I would like to present a poem I wrote two years ago. I hope it edifies! :)

I actually wrote this as a birthday gift for a friend. :D

I Praise Thee for Life

Oh God, I thank Thee for each lovely day and new

For the rising sun and the iridescent dew

For all the daffodils that gently nod their heads

And little ants who scatter in the flower beds

I thank thee for sounds of lilting music so fine

It calms my doubtful fears and warms this heart of mine

I thank thee, Father, for the blessing of Thy Love

That You so mercifully shower from above

I thank thee for the treasure of Thy Holy Word

I know that when I pray, my every prayer is heard

I thank thee for a family who loves me so

For Thy church You gave to help your seeds as they grow

For faithful friends so different from each other

For the Gospel we can preach to unbelievers

For Thee, the Truest and most Faithful Friend of all

Who saves me from sin and catches me when I fall

Oh God, I thank Thee for that day when at last You

Shall come, the Risen Son, to claim Thy chosen few

When all men, like the daffodils, shall bow their heads

Earth shall loose her captives, and sea give up her dead

Then we shall sing to Thee in choruses sublime

No more shall be Sin and Death, destroyed shall be Time

We'll dwell forever in the brightness of Thy Love

Praising with the Hosts in Thy Temple up above

For now, we will pray to Thee and work to obey

Be a candle to ones unsure of the way

Maybe ninety years or before the setting sun-

But God, Bless us Thy children, and Come, quickly come!

Karis

May 11, 2010

© Karis Tanksley 2010

Grace and Peace!

Until we write again,

<3Karis

The "It" List: Fold it

Once upon a time—not so long ago, but still long enough ago to relate to it as “once”—in a land not so far away from here, there was a small island where it was very hot. It was so hot, when Christmastime came around no-one would want to drink hot cocoa or sit and watch a candle burn. Instead, the little children would sit in front of their wattle-and-daub huts in their dirty but colorful clothes, suck on cocoa-beans and sugar cane, and watch the dirt sweat. A particularly useful plant grew in abundance in this land, that worked similarly to an ice pack. When you want an ice pack to get cold, you “break” it. When you wanted the plant to get cold, you simply put it out in the sunlight. It would drink the energy and emit cold. Therefore it was the practice of the families of Waedue to grow this plant atop their huts, to keep their living area comfortable. The animals of this country were unusually large—comparative to ours, of course. One of the most feared was the poisonous red-eyed biting turtle, who, because of his shell, was difficult to relocate or kill. Because the animals preferred to hunt and rest near the coolness of the coast, the people of Waedue rarely suffered trouble from them.

                In one of the wattle-and-daub huts lived a happy little family of three boys and a little girl. The boys had just come of age, and were away on the trail with their father. One particularly warm night, the little girl woke from a disturbing dream of not being able to walk. She sighed, and peered out into the darkness of the hut. The moon was out, with shifting shadows from clouds passing over it shafting in through the doorway and casting strange dull light on the few pots inside. At her feet, she heard her mother breathing. Across, she could see the dull color of brown clay on the pots. 

Suddenly, she saw an unfamiliar shape on the floor. It wasn’t the cooking pot—it was bigger. She stared at it, wondering. A pair of red dots pierced the darkness. She gasped. It hissed. She screamed!

            Her brother shook her: “Karis, wake up!”

“What???”

He laughed. “You were dreaming, Karis.”

“Oh. But wait! The turtle’s still there!”

He looked around, confused. “Turtle? What turtle?”

Karis pointed over the blankets towards the middle of the room. “The one there…!!!” She dove back under the blankets.

Her brother suddenly understood and smirked to himself. He shook Karis’ shoulder again and turned on the light. “You mean the pile of clothes?”

“What?? …oh.” Karis felt sheepish. Very sheepish.

Yah, so that was me as a little girl. It was a time not so long ago, and it was a land not so far away… just a few rooms down, in fact, from where I now sit typing this up. I was about five years old, and my own childish fantasies had exposed not a terribly deadly monster, but a pile of my own procrastination on my bedroom floor.

                Still today, even without darkness or big poisonous turtles, a pile of laundry can seem formidable, if not completely impossible to conquer. That’s why number 2 on the “It” list is:

Fold it

Like it’s your sick friend’s laundry

                Everyone has different difficulties. My sister Esther loves to do the laundry but hates dishes. My cousin likes to do the dishes (and the laundry, and basically any other chore. I just love having him over!). My difficulty is… everything. The long and short of it is, I don’t like chores.

                So, my mind trick. I looked at that pile of laundry. I did not want to fold it.

Steps to my Mind Trick:

1     1.       That’s not my laundry.

2     2.       I’m not in my house right now.

3     3.       I’m in my friend’s house.

4     4.       She’s in the other room, sighing with sickness. An annoying cold. Too weak to fold.

5     5.       I want to surprise her. I found her laundry! Heehee! What a find! She’ll be so happy!

That one always works with me :)

Family Tricks!!

These are stuff we’ve always done since I can remember.

FOLDING PARTIES!

This makes things so fun! I’m going to group the steps to include personal and towel laundry in order to make things concise.

1     1.       Each person sorts their personals out of their laundry as fast as they can. Just throw them in a pile next to your bed to get them out of your way. Get your clean laundry into a basket.

2     2.       Carry your laundry out to the living-room and put it where you’re going to sit.

3     3.       Carry out the towels and sheets laundry and put it in the middle of the room.

4     4.       The oldest kid divides the common laundry into equal piles for each person folding. Each of us carries that pile back to his basket of clothes and puts it on top.

5     5.       Now, race each other! The first person to neatly fold all the way down to his clothes wins! Then there’s another race to finish folding your own clothes. All the while, play your favorite music or watch a movie! I still think that I’m smelling clean sheets when I watch Casablanca!

6     6.       Don’t forget to put everything away!

Other Tricks

My main problem is I think of laundry as a chore. My sister Esther surprised me one day when shy said that she just adores sitting down on the coach in the middle of a busy day and folding a relaxing pile of laundry. Relaxing?

Now that I come to think of it, it is kind of relaxing…

Especially when the window’s open and I can feel the breeze…

And some sweet lulling music is playing…

And my doggy’s trying to roll in the laundry I just cleaned…

And my room seems filled with light from outside as it dances on the walls…

And there is scope for imagination in a pile of towels towered high like the wrinkled hills…

                And is it just me, or is that a beady red eye peering out from under those jeans? Ack!!!

The "It" List: Clean it

What a refreshing hiatus from the internet! :)

Once upon a time, my married sister Esther was pregnant. And boy, was she pregnant! She lived in a cute little brown house in Fallbrook. And boy, was it messy! In the house, all she could do was sit on her recliner and beg her daughter to stop climbing the walls. Because, boy, was she morning-sick!

I volunteered to come over to keep her company. Of course, I noticed right away how messy everything was. The poor dear was trying to smile, but just looked so nauseated I started to feel sick. I could tell the messy house was making her stressed because her husband was coming home in the evening after a long hard day of construction work—but also, because every girl feels better about the world if things are in order and clean!

So what did I do? Of course, I started cleaning! I made that house spotless—and it was soooo fun! My sister kept saying over and over how happy and indebted she was, and you should have SEEN her husband’s face when he came home to a clean house. And when I got home, I cleaned MY room too!

…

Well, actually I didn’t. My room was in fact, a mess. I made the “It” list so I would have personal reminders about what’s important for me to do as I get ready to be a homemaker. I realized I don’t have to wait to be a homemaker and home-decorator! I can be one now. I was trying to think of how I could get myself to think of cleaning my room as something other than cleaning doggy-doop off of army-men or scrubbing the stone floor of a troll’s castle with little rats nibbling my toes, when I realized—cleaning my SISTER’S house was amazingly fun! It always seems like when you’re helping other people, that you take your work more seriously. That’s why number one on the “It” list is:

CLEAN IT

Like it’s your pregnant sister’s room

For me, it’s a mind trick. I look at my room and think “Why”? The answer is, it’s going to look beautiful! God wants you to take stewardship of your own things! How fast would you work if this was your pregnant sister’s room?

Then I started to hit roadblocks with my everyday cleaning. Saturday’s our cleaning day. I would clean the house, then move to my room, make my bed, do the laundry and fold it. Last step, I’d pick up the odd things lying around. By then, dinnertime and a required stop to cleaning so we can have family time. Problem? My desk was still a mess. I’d always have something I’d miss! Solution? My friend’s blog. Check this out!!!

http://causeforjoy.com/2012/07/11/cleaning-the-bedroom/

Such a joy to read… and her challenges really worked for me!

Another good friend of mine once told me that the reason why I can’t seem to keep my room clean is because “I don’t have a place for things”. That phrase really stuck with me. If there’s a place for a necklace, you’ll put it away in 30 seconds. If there’s no place, you’ll put it away in 2 minutes… or more if you waste time sitting on your bed holding it and wondering where to put it. Organization is the key! And this time before school starts (or even after school starts and the chaos is over) is crucial to getting this done! You’ll have a few Saturdays of a SUPER messy room before you finish, but the end result is SOOO satisfying! When I was cleaning my closet, my sister Esther gave me a crucial word of advice:

“If you won’t use it in the next six months, box it.”

Get yourself cute colorful duct tape from the store and tape all your boxes. Label them with big letters “[My Name]’s Stuff” and then in smaller letters under that, “Soccer gear, winter pillows, etc.” If you find yourself needing what was in the box, out to the garage or shed you go, to your corner. Out comes the box with the correct label! And your room thanks you.

Check out my friend’s blog for an easy way to organize the closet!

http://causeforjoy.com/2012/06/11/organization-the-closet/

Perhaps your room is already clean… but a lot of these principles apply for the daily cleanup as well!

Ok… Why should we clean our rooms? What is our daily motivation?

Check out various verses from Proverbs 31! A lot of the things that we COULD do if our rooms were clean we CAN do if they are. Our family would respect us more if our rooms were clean. If we were organized (which cleaning our rooms would make us), other people would see this and respect us. They might even ask us our motivation! Perhaps another girl might make you her role model… and you would be encouraging a young lady to be a Godly homemaker with your actions!

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find? 
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value. 
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands. 

^…
15 She gets up while it is still night;
 …
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
^…
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
^…
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.

^…
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Grace and Peace to you all in Jesus Christ.
Until we write again,
Karis

The "It" list-- Part One

The Sleeping Rose

“No matter how hard he tried, the roses would not bloom—but it was one of those summers.”

Have you ever felt like this? You feel like you’re giving it all you’ve got, but nothing’s working. At a certain point you feel absolutely hopeless… but maybe the next day, you feel better and yesterday’s hopelessness seems ridiculous. A young man I know once told me that every breath he took belongs to God—that every breath I took belongs to God. He told me that even if I put my all into what I was doing (at that time, that was speech and debate), if I did not give it all to God completely, I would not succeed. And success, when you have given everything to God, doesn’t matter.

Of course, I felt like I understood Him right off. But I didn’t. I didn’t understand it until it happened to me. I had three weeks before a tournament, and I intended to practice this speech out of its misery until it was perfect. Then I got the most embarrassing disease in the world—a walking cold. I kept on thinking to myself: “Really, Karis? Really?” It wasn’t even a flat-on-your-back cold. It wasn’t even a two-sniffs-in-the-morning-then-fine-for-the-rest-of-the-day cold. It was a walk-five-steps-then-sit-down-from-exhaustion-and-stare-at-your-homework-and-only-understand-a-quarter cold. And since I’m a dunce, I didn’t get it until later. When I was at the tournament (all the sudden better from my cold), I realized what had happened. Everything belongs to Him. Not just praying at the beginning of the speech year to give it all to Him. Not just praying for the whole tournament and giving it to Him. God doesn’t settle for what’s most important to you—He wants everything. Because He owns everything!

That means, thanking Him every time I realized I’m breathing free, every time I realize I’m going through a trial, every time I come up to a competition room, every time I talk to someone—because I don’t know what that someone is going through. Thank Him for every friend I have. And even—every enemy.

I learn slowly, as I said before. I want to trust God, but it comes hard to me. On the back of my door I have six bright red construction papers with words written in black sharpie stuck up. They remind me of what’ really important—I’ll post what they say (and what they mean) here, so perhaps, Lord willing, they’ll help you as well. I like to call this my "It" list. This will be the first of a series of posts in which I will go in depth about each "It".

Clean it

Like it’s your pregnant sister’s room

Fold it

Like it’s your sick friend’s laundry

Do it

Like it’s your exhausted brother’s dishes

Reach it

Like you can’t miss the mark

Love it

Like it’s an Angel sent from Heaven

Live it

Like it’s Jesus’ life.

There is a children's story that I thought was just lovely. It's called "The Sleeping Rose". Last year, I thought of it as a cute story about a silly farmer with a Christian punch at the end of the story-- now it means sooo much more.

In the story, there is a farmer named Baldrick Macklin. He tends this beautiful rose in his garden that only blooms once a year, but when it does, it is most beautiful. The King hears tell of this rose and sends Baldrick a notice that he is to bring this rose to the King's May day celebration. Baldrick, getting excited about this amazing opportunity, and enthused with new dreams of grandeur (imagine me, a King's gardener!), rushes out into the garden to care for his rose (Anybody relate to this?). The first thing he sees is an old beggar reaching out to stroke the rose. He sees the dirty hands-- and shrieks
"Get out!!! Have you no consideration? This is a right royal rosebud! OUT!!!"
The beggar sighs, and turns away, but before he leaves, a single tear falls upon the rose's closed bud. "OUT!!!" Baldrick wipes the dirty tear off, weeds the flower, and tends it with all his gardener might.

     To me, I see this part of the story having two reminders. First, how often am I doing something, or on my way to doing something, so important that I don't enjoy the people around me, or give a little of my 'precious' time to make someone smile? Second, how often do I let God into my life on Sundays and Bible study nights, but when it comes to something too precious to lose or to have help with, I say 'Get out! This is a right royal rosebud!'-- when ironically, He is the royalty... not the rosebud. Back to the story.

Three days before the May day celebration, the Rose has not yet bloomed. Baldrick comes in nervously and asks his family what he should do. His wife tells him to give it a little drink because it's 'a wee bit thirsty'. The next day, he comes in anxious, and his wife tells him to warm it with his cloak. The last day, Baldrick comes in wild with anxiety-- "Heaven help us!" he cries, "TODAY is the celebration, and the rose has not bloomed!!!" As his son offers the idea of him bringing the rose inside, 'for it must be a wee bit lonely', Baldrick cuts him off. "How could a rose be lonely? A rose has no more feelings than a rock, a tree, a beggar passing by..." Baldrick stops. "A beggar. The beggar cried. The beggar... CRIED!" He rushed out.


He searched high and low for that beggar. He abandoned all thoughts of his rose. He searched in low meadows, and climbed over verdant hills thickly laced with vines. At last he found the beggar shivering in his sleep under a tree. He brought the beggar home, gave him clothes, and fed him at his table. At the last, he collects the sleeping rosebud, his wife and children, and the beggar, and departs to the celebration.


At the celebration, the King is disappointed in Baldrick-- but the beggar steps out of the crowd. The rose blooms-- and all at the celebration wonder at it's marvelous beauty and radiant scent. Baldrick turns to the beggar to thank him-- and the beggar, placing his hand on Baldrick's shoulder, says "Baldrick, anytime you are kind to a stranger you are kind to me." As the stranger turns to leave, Baldrick wonders at the stranger's parting words-- and the tender touch of the man's nail-scarred hands.


      Sometimes, when I grow desperate to succeed, I will do silly things to help myself, losing sight of what's really important. What is the most amazing part of this story to me, is the beauty and wonder put into illustrating the rose... but at the same time, it's not the most important part of the story. 


Grace and Peace to you all in Jesus Christ.
Until we write again,
Karis

Purer than gold

Taken by Steve Bucknell. All rights reserved.

Oh, for a muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention! 


In other words, how I wish I could write so well... that the words could flow from my fingers to communicate the truths I have learned since I was a child to you. Oh that I were not such an unworthy tool in the hand of God! This pen focuses so much on the things that do not matter that the still small voice of God becomes drowned out by the sounds of today's media... but no, I will not blame distraction on something else. My own self control is my own. Today's media, today's this or that, will always be available-- I have but to choose what to look at and listen to. One is only a media slave by choice.

Oh that the eyes that burn into this page would light up with a recognition of the things written! Oh that my words would be a sea of comfort to your soul, that the cooling waters of peace would flow down and down into the depths of your soul!

In other words, I hope that for me, in writing this blog I will communicate comforting truths, and for you, that you would be reminded even when you think of just the title of this blog, that there is a Greater Bond. I will probably be the one who will need the reminder the most... to often I get caught up in the intricacies of relationships and events in the material world and completely ignore the One who sticks closer than a brother.

I am excited to start this blog! This is my first full-on blog just to myself-- and to tell the truth, I was surprised and happy when I was asked to start one. A blog had been at the back of my mind, but I had expected to ask my parents if I could. I was surprised when my mom asked me if I could start one! I prayed about it, then mom and I asked Dad, and here it is! And it's happy to see you.

I hope to see you all soon.
Greetings in the name of Christ!
Until we write again,
Karis