bluebirduncaged My Life

I’m Done!

Well, I finally finished school. My graduation application has been sent in and now all I have to do is wait for my diploma to come in the mail. I am receiving a BA in Communications from Thomas Edison State College. My family is going to have a graduation ceremony in August after my intensive so pics from that will come then. It is really a God story how I managed to do high school and college at the same time. So, here it is…

Ever since I started school, I thought it was important to get a degree. As I progressed through high school, I realized that I wanted to pursue dancing through college. I thought I would get a degree in dance (and possibly double major in something else writitng related) then find a teaching job somewhere. So, I started looking into colleges that offered a dance major. None of them really clicked–I either didn't like the academics and the dance program was good or the academics were great and the dance program was just not where I wanted to be. The summer before my junior year of high school, I realized that God was leading me to pursue a career as a professional dancer. But I still wanted a degree and I knew that it would be hard to do both. One night, while Mommy was looking into debate classes for Joshua, she came across and ad for CollegePlus! It was an answered prayer. I enrolled in November of 2008 and took my first CLEP in February of 2009. I enrolled in TESC in December and took my classes February-June 2010. And now I'm done!

I am so glad that I have a degree under my belt. Now, I am wondering what I am going to do with myself. I have kind of hidden behind school for the last seven years of my life. It kept me busy (along with ballet of course) and gave me an excuse for not being social. Mommy called it my crutch. Well now, my crutch is gone and I have a new plan. I am going to expend most of my energy focusing on ballet. I also hope to get to work on some of my goals for 2010 (one of which is to blog more often) and meet new people but there isn't really a fully conrete plan yet (just a half dried one). I am excited about this new phase of life but also a little nervous. However, I know that God will put me exactly where I can be used best for His glory and though the future is uncertain, I have peace in that.

bluebirduncaged My Life

Whitelake Shoots 2 and 3

In addition to my studio shoot with Whitelake Studio, we also did two on location shoots. First, we went to a purple flower field (actually it is a cultivated weed). I did some pictures in the tutu and pointe shoes. It was so hard to "dance" on the uneven ground. For a few pictures, I tried to stand on a stump. We also did some casual pictures in my white sun dress. Mostly these were done in a field with hay bales. Bryan got one really cool picture (actually he got a lot of cool pics) of me blowing a dandelion. As usual, it was a very relaxed shoot where I got to choose most of the poses.

image from www.diaddigo.com

The third shoot was in an urban setting. We did some in the tutu at train tracks. These turned out very nice. We also did an alley way which produced some great shots. In both locations Joshua got to hold the reflector to get the best lighting.

Alley 1 Alley 2 
 
 
Finished products and more detail about what we did after the shoots coming soon.

bluebirduncaged Family

Garden 2010

Yes, we did a garden again this year, I just haven't had time to document it as much. Now that I'm only completing my last two classes, I have a little more time.

1st try Sally 112
This year we planted a lot of the same plus a few experiments. We didn't plant as many peppers but we did try several different tomatoes to see which ones we like best (Mr. Stripeys, Bit Berthas, Big Beef Steaks, and others).

1st try Sally 090

And we've got some cucumbers, strawberries, potatoes, and onions.

1st try Sally 088 
And of course peaches… two different kinds

1st try Sally 022
1st try Sally 110 And some potatoes, apples (that aren't doing too well), squash, turnip greens, bush beans, lettuce, and a mystery (Daddy forgot what it was but he thinks it could be watermelon) 
 1st try Sally 008
And we've added this adorable kitten to the family. Opie's an outdoor cat because of Caleb and Mommy's allergies but she's gotten along with Midnight, our other (unofficially) adopted cat. 1st try Sally 045

 

bluebirduncaged Things I'm learning

Guest Post: For Those Who Want to be First by Daniel C. Diaddigo

Daddy sent this out as his webletter a few weeks ago and I thought it was worth sharing. I have so many things I want to blog but not enough time. This season will pass and I'm just trying to enjoy it for what it is now. Enjoy the post. Oh, BTW, Daddy would be thrilled if you "liked" him on Facebook.

Finishing first…

   … may be the last thing you want.

How would you like to have your name forever enshrined inside the Word of God?  

How would you like to have been fastened there by John the Apostle – the disciple Jesus loved?

Before you read any further, answer these questions.

Now, imagine what that might be like. 

People would know your name for all eternity.  Your children, your grandchildren and generations not yet born would peer into God's Word and find – YOU!

Sound exciting?

Not if your name is Diotrephes.

We know this man's name because the Apostle John called him out. (3 John 9)  And because God's Word lasts forever, creation will  forever witness the rebuke.

We know nothing of Diotrephes save for what John tells us and John tells us enough to distinguish this man from others.

"Diotrephes… loves to be first…"

The good news of salvation was hindered because a man wanted to be first. 

Does this strike a chord?

Why do we men insist on being first? 

What is it that compels us?

Recognition?

Are we trying to prove to ourselves that we are lovable?  Didn't Jesus prove that for us?

The desire to be first leads us to dangerous turf.

Satan wanted to be first and he thrust for God's  throne.  He then slandered his Creator when he whispered in Eden to Eve.

He's been whispering against God and his people ever since.

Diotrephes, James tells us, gossiped maliciously and slandered the saints. 

When the desire to be first consumes us, we align ourselves with Satan – we destroy reputations and block the gospel's advance.

Think you are immune?

How did you first answer the question at the top of this column?

-Daniel C. Diaddigo

bluebirduncaged My Life

my (belated) blogoversary

2 blog

2 years (that was fast)

120 posts (nice round number)

and a grand total of 78 comments

Two years already? yep. It was acutally yesterday but today's post will have to suffice. I wanted to do a giveaway but I don't have the time now. So, I'll probably do one this summer.

photo from here

bluebirduncaged Family, Things I'm learning

Guest Post: The Climb by Caleb Diaddigo

Caleb posted this on his blog yesterday and I thought it was so beautiful that you should read it. He graciously agreed. Here it is…

You are climbing a ladder. The top comes into view and you surge forward at an even greater pace. You have been here before. You strive for the reward at the top, whatever it may be. Higher and higher you climb, rung after rung you haul yourself nearer and nearer to the end: A place where you will rest and revive yourself, where you will find peace. As you grasp the final rung, you hear a rumble. The ladder begins to wobble. “No! I’m so close! Not now!” These are the words flowing through your mind. However, despite your outcry, the rungs beneath you begin to bow, and then snap. You fall down and down. Never, it seems, will you be able to grasp the highest rung that was once held with your palm. Never will you be able to ascend so high again. You land with a thud at the bottom; the beginning. A sudden fear sweeps over you. You are alone, and you are defeated.

Too often do there come times when we tend to take matters into our own hands. This is nothing surprising, really; it is simply the nature of man. We try to compensate for our losses and failures by using it as a motive to climb even higher on the ladder, only to fall short and tumble to the bottom crushed and defeated. Some days we may feel up to strength, and we may attempt the climb again, while other days we lay hopelessly at the bottom. It is at this point when we must open our eyes to the bigger picture. There is more to the story than what we see. What may look like a monstrous ladder towering above, may really only be a small bump in the road of life.

After failing time after time, eventually, it would seem, would we see that it is not by our strength that we will be able to surmount the ladder. Instead, we need One Who will grasp our hand for the full stretch, assisting us the entire climb. The Lord Almighty has made this possible for us in this fallen world. When we fall, not only does He help us up, but He embraces us in His arms like a father to a son. His love for us is unending; it stretches beyond the ends of the earth to the galaxies next door. Never, has a picture been painted in all of history, that is more beautiful than the picture of His love that He so wondrously illustrated by His Son’s death on the cross.

-Caleb Diaddigo

bluebirduncaged My Life

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, today I turn 18. I am legally an adult in the world. I thought or would be fun to make a list of things I can do now that I couldn't do yesterday (but I would never dream of doing some of them).

1. I can vote
2. I can join the military
3. I can get in the hot tub at the Y
4. I can get tattoos and peircings without parental consent
5. I can legally sign documents
6. I can drive between midnight and 6am
7. I can buy tobacco
8. I can legally get married

Let me know if you think of any more!

bluebirduncaged Things I'm learning

Salt, Cities and Light

As Christians we’re called to be different. We’re called to be lights, we’re called to be salt, and we’re called to be cities on hills (Matt. 5:13-16). All of these things don’t blend in to the world around them, salt has a flavor distinct from the food it is added to, light is the opposite of dark where it is most commonly found, and a city on a hill sticks out of the landscape. Obviously, God wants us to be different from our surroundings. He wants to use us to glorify Him and make His name great. We are called to be in the world not of it. But how do we radically live out our faith when it’s not popular? How do we be in a worldly environment without letting it effect us? How do we grow in the Lord without isolating ourselves in a “holy huddle” yet still be active lights in the darkness? I really don't know the answers to these questions but I've made this list to help in my own life.

Love–genuinely, unconditionally, without judgment, even when it’s hard. We don’t have to be romantically in love with everyone we meet nor do we have to feel inclined to like someone. Love toward those around us is an attitude; it’s a mindset, a conscious decision to serve. 1 John 3:18 says, “let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “let all that you do be done in love.” Our actions toward those around us should reflect the love God has toward us; love when we don’t deserve it with no strings attached. This is something I’m still trying to grasp and I think it’s going to take a while.

Build relationships

–we don’t have to be best friends with everyone we meet but getting to know someone builds trust. When trust is established influence results.

Uphold our standards

–when we’re surrounded by people who make unwise choices everyday, it’s easy to let down our guard. We easily become desensitized to the sin surrounding us and little by little our standards suffer. We need to stand firm in our convictions and though our decisions may make us unpopular, our actions are what set us apart.

Stay in the Word

–Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, and perfect” Studying the scriptures helps us to renew our mind, it helps to keep the junk out that competes for our thoughts.

Know that it will be hard and never go away

–Ephesians 6:12 says, “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Realizing that we are in a spiritual war takes our struggles to an entirely different level and will make us aware of things we never knew. Also know that we will be unpopular. John 15:19 “If you were not of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you”