Today was one of the most lovely Saturday afternoons of my entire summer. I was out by the pool nearly all afternoon enjoying the sunshine and the nearly cool breeze and the swirling leaves. I closed my eyes and I had flashbacks of the entire summer, I couldn't help but smile when I thought of everything that has transpired and what a blessed girl I am. Think about it, I grew up in Europe and now at 19 years old I am living in a Castle in the Hungarian countryside. By the time of my 21st Christmas I will have achieved my associates degree in Theology. I am surrounded by sweet friends, young and old who love me and encourage me to fall more in love with Him.
The summer is nearly over and the semester will begin in nine days! This last month of August I dreamed of the fall semester and now that it is just about to begin, I know that I will miss the busyness of the week and the lazy, homework-free weekends. But to everything there is a season and I know that I am ready for the next chapter.
So my friends, I encourage you today to enjoy the last few days of summer. And I also encourage you to reflect and examine yourselves and be reminded of everything that the Lord has done in your life this summer. And prepare your hearts and minds for the new season of autumn---I mean fall :)
-Autie
"I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does,It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past."
~ Ecclesiastes 3:12-15
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
{A Week Without Social Networking}
So, as many of you know that I am the average 21st girl when it comes to socializing online. I use facebook,I tweet,and I blog. I use these resources more than I should, but I present the excuse that I live overseas and far away from my family. But I am not here to tell you why I use social networking, but instead I want to tell you why I went without it for a whole week.
Last Sunday ( the 14th of August),Travis challenged that I could not last one week without Facebook,twitter, or updating my blog. I accepted this challenge and responded that the week would be a snap and I would triumphantly cross the line into the next Sunday. The week without social networking was easy, honestly I only missed it when there was nothing else to do. And then it hit me, Facebook is a time filler. I use it just to fill up time...but when I "fill" up time with Facebook, it's actually wasting time I could be filling with something else.
With no social networking this week, it felt like I did more with my time. I actually cleaned my space, Travis cut my hair ( He had NEVER cut a girl's hair before, but he did an excellent job ),and I cut his hair ( again, I have never cut hair before in my life) I laid out by the pool,watched some kids,made chocolate-chip buttermilk pancakes for friends. Sure, these may be small and insignificant things. But these are the things that enrich life and make it a little sweeter, a little more precious and interesting than if we wouldn't have done them.
So,my dear friend, I encourage you when you are finished reading my blog that you get up and do something. It doesn't have to be an outside activity...but bake a cake, finish that book that's collected dust by laying on your night stand and see the adventures that the non-cyber world holds for you.
-Autumn
"Dost thou love life? Than do not squander time, it's the stuff that life is made of!" -Benjamin Franklin
Last Sunday ( the 14th of August),Travis challenged that I could not last one week without Facebook,twitter, or updating my blog. I accepted this challenge and responded that the week would be a snap and I would triumphantly cross the line into the next Sunday. The week without social networking was easy, honestly I only missed it when there was nothing else to do. And then it hit me, Facebook is a time filler. I use it just to fill up time...but when I "fill" up time with Facebook, it's actually wasting time I could be filling with something else.
With no social networking this week, it felt like I did more with my time. I actually cleaned my space, Travis cut my hair ( He had NEVER cut a girl's hair before, but he did an excellent job ),and I cut his hair ( again, I have never cut hair before in my life) I laid out by the pool,watched some kids,made chocolate-chip buttermilk pancakes for friends. Sure, these may be small and insignificant things. But these are the things that enrich life and make it a little sweeter, a little more precious and interesting than if we wouldn't have done them.
So,my dear friend, I encourage you when you are finished reading my blog that you get up and do something. It doesn't have to be an outside activity...but bake a cake, finish that book that's collected dust by laying on your night stand and see the adventures that the non-cyber world holds for you.
-Autumn
"Dost thou love life? Than do not squander time, it's the stuff that life is made of!" -Benjamin Franklin
Thursday, August 11, 2011
{ Why I Blog --- From a slightly discouraged blogger}
Recently, I have been sitting at this little stump that most of you know as "writer's block" for several weeks now...writing feels like a chore and I have almost zero feedback. So, I am a little frustrated with myself at the fact that I am inconsistent with my writing. So, I have decided to go back to the basics and share with you some of my heart about writing and why I blog,hoping to inspire myself once again.
From a very young age, I have always loved writing stories and journaling. But it was my freshman year of high school that my love for writing was discovered. Mrs. T taught a creative writing class for a group of 20 Kurdish high school students. I didn't only learn about writing, but writing an excellent and unique story. My foundation of writing was laid here, and for that I am eternally grateful-- Thank you Mrs. T!
After that year of school, I was almost "on my own" if you will. Most of my papers were graded by a teacher I had never met and I never received much feedback, so I began to pour my heart out in my journals. Of course, I would have never,ever let anyone read those. So obviously I was not getting any feedback from that form of writing.
So, I then began to write letters to my best friend Pauli...serious,serious letters...we're talking ten pages type of letters. Pauli would write back with 10 to 12 pages of letters. Finally some of the feedback that I had been craving!
So,it was the summer before my Junior year of high school I got up the nerve to start blogging. Actually, my very first blog was with my best friend, Pauli. We wrote about our summer together in 2008. You can read it here- http://autumnandpauli.blogspot.com/
There are a lot of pretty hysterical posts, a good and intriguing read.
After that summer, I didn't blog until 2010, and ever since then I have been semi-consistently blogging. I find it very important to blog about my time in Hungary at bible college. It is my heart to share about my experiences,my life, and the things that God is teaching me.
When I write, I write for myself but I keep my readers in mind. My readers are primarily my family and friends, so I write exactly how I would talk to you. However, I get a little discouraged when there are no comments or feedback, of which I have not had since June. But I have realized in the past several days, that I write to the world, not only my world. Who knows who stumbles across my blog on a daily basis. This in itself gives me hope that my blogs are not flying out onto the oblivion of the internet.
So, dear reader, whoever you are, please continue to read, and although you may never comment. It is enough for me to know that I have readers who anonymously enjoy my thoughts.
With a newly inspired heart,
Autie
From a very young age, I have always loved writing stories and journaling. But it was my freshman year of high school that my love for writing was discovered. Mrs. T taught a creative writing class for a group of 20 Kurdish high school students. I didn't only learn about writing, but writing an excellent and unique story. My foundation of writing was laid here, and for that I am eternally grateful-- Thank you Mrs. T!
After that year of school, I was almost "on my own" if you will. Most of my papers were graded by a teacher I had never met and I never received much feedback, so I began to pour my heart out in my journals. Of course, I would have never,ever let anyone read those. So obviously I was not getting any feedback from that form of writing.
So, I then began to write letters to my best friend Pauli...serious,serious letters...we're talking ten pages type of letters. Pauli would write back with 10 to 12 pages of letters. Finally some of the feedback that I had been craving!
So,it was the summer before my Junior year of high school I got up the nerve to start blogging. Actually, my very first blog was with my best friend, Pauli. We wrote about our summer together in 2008. You can read it here- http://autumnandpauli.blogspot.com/
There are a lot of pretty hysterical posts, a good and intriguing read.
After that summer, I didn't blog until 2010, and ever since then I have been semi-consistently blogging. I find it very important to blog about my time in Hungary at bible college. It is my heart to share about my experiences,my life, and the things that God is teaching me.
When I write, I write for myself but I keep my readers in mind. My readers are primarily my family and friends, so I write exactly how I would talk to you. However, I get a little discouraged when there are no comments or feedback, of which I have not had since June. But I have realized in the past several days, that I write to the world, not only my world. Who knows who stumbles across my blog on a daily basis. This in itself gives me hope that my blogs are not flying out onto the oblivion of the internet.
So, dear reader, whoever you are, please continue to read, and although you may never comment. It is enough for me to know that I have readers who anonymously enjoy my thoughts.
With a newly inspired heart,
Autie
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