sincerelyamanda's Xanga

Update: My Real Blog Is...

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:49:39 GMT

Please visit www.amandaread.com to see my real website. I only keep this xanga for archive reference.

Very few people so much as glance at this xanga blog anymore, but for those who happen to gaze briefly...

Take care and MAY GOD BLESS,

~Amanda~

The Dream I Didn't Tell

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:58:05 GMT

During Election 2008 I wrote of dreams I had regarding politics. There was one dream I didn't mention, however...because I didn't think it would come true. It was President and First Lady Obama dancing at an inaugural ball. Michelle was wearing a black and white polka dot dress. I dreamed that last summer and kept insisting in my mind that it wasn't an inauguration I was seeing, but perhaps just a celebration Obama's nomination. Well, I remembered that dream when I saw an interview in which she was wearing a black and white polka dot dress. As for her ball gown...it isn't black and white, but the frills are a little polka dottish, are they not?

I don't know what the significance of polka dots is, but I decided to write it down so no one would think I had given myself over entirely to selective memory.I don't know why I'm blogging about this on my 19th birthday. Perhaps because I spent the past two days studying for my second History exam which I just took yesterday. Now I have to get to work on my English assignments: a diagnostic paragraph describing my "Favorite Fictional Character" and an essay on "Three Things In My Purse And How They Define Me". How exciting.

"A nice pickle we've gotten ourselves into, Mr. Frodo."- Samwise Gamgee

~Amanda~

In Which My Ideals Are Forced To Become Reality

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:05:37 GMT

I've come a reasonable distance into interpreting this college nonsense (haha). The topics are all quite intriguing, but I don't like the amount of time it takes to demonstrate mastery of the material. Notice that isn't to master it, but to demonstrate that you've mastered it.For some odd reason, even when I am completely busy, I still feel as though I am wasting time whenever I am sitting still. But whenever I take a stroll outside or read an entertaining book or am otherwise enjoying myself, I still feel as though I'm wasting time. I'm not entirely sure what my ideal way to utilize time is, but apparently whenever that time is fun I think I'm wasting it.In order to keep college study from taking up my entire lifetime as I currently know it, I've considered using Alexandra Swann's old college schedule as a guide. She did the bulk of her degree work through correspondence, and her daily routine consisted of study from 8:30-11:30 in the morning and 1:00-2:00 in the afternoon yet still managed to keep up an accelerated pace.Thus, my schedule ought to be roughly as follows:

8:30-10:00 am
GEOGRAPHY - Lecture, Review, Lab
10:00-11:00 am
HISTORY - Read thoroughly, take notes
11:00-11:30 am
ENGLISH - Writing assignments, reading assignments
Break...
1:00-2:00 pm
DRAMA - Lecture, reading and writing assignments. Finish English work.
Free time and non-academic work until after supper, then perhaps do some review study. My free from college time will be left for house work, farm work, knitting, art work and literary work.

In Physical Geography I'm currently studying earth-sun relations and how to figure out what longitude you're at if you're lost at sea, etc. I had an interesting experience with computer based testing for my geography quizzes. The GY quizzes can be taken up to 11 times, but the questions change at each attempt. My first results were okay, but I wanted to take it again to better demonstrate my mastery. I wondered if I had mistyped my latitude and longitude calculations the first time, so the second time I tried answering with spaces typed where I thought they should be. To my astonishment, I only got 9/33 points! I knew something was wrong with that score because I was certain my measurements were correct. So, I tried taking the quiz again without typing any spaces and I aced it. Now I must strive to please the professors and the computers. Ah, the days of pioneer computer college...

In the American History class I'm studying the nation's history since the 1870's. The exams have multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions and an essay question, all computer based and timed (just took my first test on Friday regarding the Wild West and the Native Americans).

In English I'm reading All Over But The Shoutin' by Rick Bragg, Models For Writers and The McGraw Hill Handbook. The challenge in the English class is surrendering my own style and rules of writing and submitting to the Professor's preferences. I have to remember that just because I have experience in writing doesn't mean I know all there is to know about it!

In Drama class I'm studying various Theatre technique and history in relation to the Audience. My first assignment for that will be writing about my favorite movie and how I think it should be adapted into a play. Hmm...that's a hard one. I'm still trying to figure out which of my favorite movies to write about! I also have to write a Performance Critique based on a play I've seen...or will have to see between now and April. The Drama exams are the only exams I will most likely take on the JSU campus.

We constructed a pretty wooden sign that is stationed at the entrance of Fair Hills Farm and presents the farm title in fine green carved letters. We are getting guineas sometime around the end of May and probably some bees as well. I'm off to read the Bible with my family and to knit (and hopefully sew) costumes for our movie...

~Amanda~

"Where Have All The (Right Leaning) Playwrights Gone?"

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:02:00 GMT

I've decided to make a blog post now while I have the chance. From the intensity college studying will require, I'm not entirely certain when I will be able to write next. I also have to keep up my post at The Girlhood Home Companion (I'm looking forward to the next article too!). College classes (all online) have been very interesting thus far and I look forward to learning how to discipline my time so well that I have more hours in the day to devote to all my projects.As for The Crusading Chemist...the revision is more or less complete, and it probably isn't the last revision (click here to read it, and if you notice any goofs or typos, please let me know - I need all the proof reading I can get!). I've done what I could to make it more dramatic and personal, but I feel as though I have still failed part of it. My main goal was to shorten the script. But somehow as I cut scenes out I began replacing them with improved scenes. I think the improvements definitely help the story, but it turns out I've only cut the script down about 3 pages, which isn't likely to impress my coverage readers at ABM. Oh, and I still have to revise the Treatment to fit it. Goodness, this process never ends...While I was working on the revision I came across an interesting news snippet on ChristianFilmmakers.org:

[From NationalReview.org]
Where Have All the (Right-Leaning) Playwrights Gone? [Maggie Gallagher]
Alison Carey is looking for a few good conservative playwrights. Well, at least one.
Alison is a 48 year old Harvard graduate who is now director of American Revolutions (snazzy title that!) at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland - one of the largest repertory companies in the country, which produces 11 plays a year.
The theater is in the middle of an ambitious and fascinating project - commissioning 37 brand new “history plays” over the next decade. Shakespeare wrote quite a few history plays, after all.
I learned about Alison’s search in this New York Times story, “Liberal Views Dominate Footlights.”
“You cannot tell the story of the United States without including the story of conservative political and social movements,” said Alison Carey told the New York Times.
Unfortunately so far she’s come up blank: “I’ve never had a play come to me that I could say had a conservative perspective,” said Ms. Carey at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, adding that if anyone hears of a playwright with one in hand, “send him my way.”
She sounded awfully sincere so I called her up and volunteered to try to find some young (or not-so-young) conservative writing talent who wants to break into theater.
She returned my call immediately. “I’m so glad to hear from you. I’ve gotten a ton of calls but mostly they begin with ‘I’m not really right-of-center, but I have this play I’d like you to read,‘“ Alison told me.
We chatted about what she is looking for. Great plays mostly, with a very broad view of what constitutes a contemporary version of a history play: “Moments of change” is the theme. And yes, a musical could qualify “1776 is my favorite musical!” Alison said.
So now I’m Alison Carey’s self-appointed right-wing theater talent scout.
Do you have a play that might qualify? Have you ever written a play that’s any good at all, even if this one really isn’t a history play? Send it to me. They are commissioning plays after all. Do you know of any young writers who might qualify? Send their names - and emails if possible - to me.
You have thoughts about where to go to find young playwriting talent - some school or person or website that might make a good connector?

Email me any or all of the above info: Maggieiav@aol.com

Hmm...I wonder if I should adapt The Crusading Chemist into a stage play instead. Is anyone else interested in trying to write one of the 37 commissioned plays?Another interesting possibility I discovered recently is Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures located in Birmingham, AL. The SAICFF twitter mentioned the Erwin Brothers' upcoming film school this summer, which my siblings, a few friends and I would definitely be interested in. But just to have an ambitious film company in our own State is pretty exciting!

~Amanda~

Entering The 9th Year Of The 21st Century

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:46:00 GMT

10th or 9th? Which should it be precisely? I guess in 2000 the counter started over but in 2001 it started clocking, so...I've been involved in quite a few activities that have distracted me from my blog in the past month. The chief one was the revision of The Crusading Chemist. I printed out the 1st draft of the revision recently so my parents can read it and share their ideas and opinions before I finalize it. I was amazed that the 1st draft came out at 120 pages precisely! I doubt the next copy will though.The second is my contribution to The Cross Eyed Blog and Webzine, which launched today. Their mission is to encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ through articles relevant to our daily lives andstruggles. Through the written word they are hoping to impact Christians and help people live lives thatglorify God. I hope to share more articles with them soon! Read the story behind the website's establishing at Eric Novak's blog.Even if you don’t normally read very much, be sure to check Cross Eyed blog. It covers college, datingand courtship, entertainment, faith, marriage and family, politics, time and money, worldview,singleness, devotional life, biblical manhood and womanhood, time & money, gospel and blogging.Visit their website, watch the promo video, and let me know what you think!On January 8th college classes start. I still have to go get all my books! My first semester will be completely online, which is nice because it saves time on driving.In the mean time, I've enjoyed our handicraft lessons at Mrs. Lee's. I'm working on knitting a purse right now. Abigail knitted everyone hats for Christmas! She also knitted a crimson and white wrist band for David (she figured out how to knit with two different colored yarns on her own!).I've also had fun watching old family Christmas videos with my family. Our Christmas Pageants were so cute! By the way, did you know that Christmas isn't necessarily a pagan-turned-Christian holiday? Read the following article by the late Dr. Henry Morris.

"In any case, the name "Michaelmas" meant "Michael sent," just as "Christmas" means "Christ sent." It is very probable that Michael was the "angel of the Lord" (Luke 2:9) who was sent from heaven to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. The feast of Michaelmas thus may well have originated to commemorate this coming of Michael and the angels to welcome Jesus at His human birth.This date would be just several days before the great Feast of Tabernacles, which the pre-exilic Israelites observed each fall in gratitude for the annual harvest, with each family dwelling for a time in a tent, or "tabernacle." When John wrote that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), he did not use the usual Greek word for "dwell." Instead, he said, literally, that the Word (that is, the Creator) "tabernacled" among us for a time. It was as though He had come into the world at just the appropriate time for the joyful Feast of Tabernacles, as Michael and the angels sang of "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10).As glorious as the birth of Christ may have seemed, however, this was not His incarnation. He had already been "made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7) nine months earlier, when He created a body for Himself and took up His residence in Mary's womb. That was the time when "the Word was made flesh"!And so it may be beautifully significant that the real "Christmas" (i.e., "Christ sent"), when the Christ was sent from His throne in heaven to enter a "tabernacle" of flesh, would have been nine months earlier than "Michaelmas," when Michael and the angels were sent to announce His birth. But that brings us back to December 25 again! The actual number of days between the two dates is 278, which is the ideal period of human gestation.Whether or not these inferences are correct (and remember no one really knows when Christ was born), they at least yield a greater appreciation of His miraculous conception. How appropriate it would be for Him to enter the world right at the season of darkest and longest night, for He would come as "the light of the world" (John 8:12) to bring "life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). Then, at "Christmas" time, we can remember with deep thanksgiving (not with Saturnalian revelry and pagan greed) the amazing Christmas gift of God Himself, when "God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9)."Read the rest of the article at http://www.icr.org/article/4283/

So, it should be a celebration of CHRIST's conception rather than birth, but either way, it is a universal culturally transcending celebration of the arrival the most influential Hero in History (and Designer and Savior of it!), and anytime HE is adored and worshiped anywhere in anyway we ought to rejoice!We watched a DVD on Christmas Eve with our Grandparents, Aunt Laurel, Uncle Dan and cousins Samuel and Goodwin about the Star of Bethlehem. According to astronomical research, the Magi visited JESUS on December 25th, when HE was a few months old! That explains gift giving on Christmas Day! Visit the website www.bethlehemstar.net. This man deeply studied Scripture and used some modern astronomical tools to discover the Star of Bethlehem. It is so neat to see it all match up to everything written in the Gospels, Old Testament and Revelation.

"It is the glory of GOD to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter." - Proverbs 25:2"Great are the works of the LORD; they are studied by all who delight in them." - Psalm 111:2

Christians need to be careful about ascribing so many things to the devil. Remember, if you're looking for the devil, he'll show up in the darndest places just to tease you. Focus on CHRIST, not controversy!On December 14th we went with Mom's side of the family to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular (it was a Christmas gift from Boppa and LaLa). It was spectacular! I especially liked the part where CHRIST was acknowledged. They sung nice Christmas songs and had live donkeys, sheep and camels as part of the presentation.The other day Grandmomma took my sisters and me on a girls' day out. We got our hair done and had "high tea". It was splendid!Last night the Maltasses joined us for supper and fireworks. Oh, and Dad bought us an excellent firewire cardbus which we have put to good use...

MAY THIS NEW YEAR BE A BLESSED AND VICTORIOUS ONE,

~Amanda~

Keeping The Family Flock: A Primer On Raising Chickens

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:44:00 GMT

My e-book, Keeping The Family Flock: A Primer On Raising Chickens is now available at the Fair Hills Farm Bookstore! You will also see the "Buy Now" button on my sidebar."This book was written with the goal of providing its readers with an introduction to the wholesome benefits and challenges of keeping chickens as a family project. In the following pages homeschool graduate, Amanda Read, explains the basics of raising chickens from years of personal experience. 33 pages."Chapters include, "Where Shall I Begin?", "Brooding Chicks", "The Coop", "Feeding The Flock", "Harvesting The Farm Eggs", "Chicken Remedies", "Chickens With Other Animals", "Moving With Chickens", "What Should I Work Towards?", "Chicken Breeding", "Chicken Breeds", "Chicken Brains", "Chicken Behavior", and an Appendix with charts, links and resources for the family flock.

$10.00

Hopefully we will have more books and seminars available soon.

~Amanda~

As Far As I Can See And Do...

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:44:00 GMT

...I'll try my best to plan.

I'm a stickler for ideals, but I know that I can only accomplish so much at a given time. A few months ago I mentioned studying for CLEP tests. I never ended up taking any CLEP tests and it turns out they won't really benefit me now. I think I made a mistake in the CLEP decision - I was trying to use CLEP to get out of studying a subject I wasn't particularly good at: math. I put all my energies into attempting to pass the mathematics exam just so I wouldn't have to study that subject in college.It would have made far better sense to focus on the subjects that are my strengths and get worthy credit for them instead. I would have had at least 4 exams down, and then I wouldn't have to worry about the math. They say if you tend to struggle in a subject you should just go ahead and take the college course in it anyway instead of trying to get credit for something you aren't even that good at.

When I look back on that, it is so blatantly obvious! What was I thinking? I just blew away the time hoping that I would get out of having to study my least favorite subject. You can only take two tests per test date and only nine students can get in at one time - and the last date is December 17th - and I've already registered for college courses, so CLEPing out of them would be pointless because I'm scheduled to take them anyway. Besides, JSU told me they have some rule about earning "quality points" after you take credit by examination exams in order to receive full credit...so, whatever. Just a word of warning to all of you (and my siblings) - don't make the mistake I made! Work to earn credit for something you excel at first and work on perfecting your weaknesses later when it comes to credit by examination tests.

As for college, all of my Spring 2009 Semester classes will be online. My current plan is to major in History and minor in Political Science. My courses will be American History, English, Geography and American Government (LORD willing and I can get into that class - I'm still waiting). Introduction to Theatre Arts is another possible class I might enroll in.Meanwhile, I plan to spend the month of December completing my screenplay revision and updating our Fair Hills Farm website to sell our e-books, seminar talks, etc. (check out the Girlhood Home Companion website as well - mp3 downloads and CDs are coming soon!).

~Amanda~

Homestead Style Suspense

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:41:02 GMT

Rex

The Abbotts came in town Wednesday afternoon, right after Mom and I spoke at the Mother Daughter Cherished Lessons Webinar (which went very well, by the way). It was an anticipated visit that was certain to advance our mediocre yet thoroughly entertaining film project, along with usual fun and fellowship.

Thursday morning was spent filming. Thursday afternoon was spent knitting and taking a tour of weaving, etc. at Mrs. Nancy Lee’s home down the street. Thursday evening was spent with the guys at the SCV meeting with a 19th century weapons display, while the girls where at home chatting. A cookout at home soon followed (Dad’s cousin Nathan came over for that too).

Friday morning, Dad came inside and said that Rex looked sick. I stepped outside to see our dog looking perfectly happy and normal, but then have a strange coughing/wheezing/gagging fit that lasted a few seconds and then disappeared. This showed up roughly every 10, 15 minutes or so. He didn’t seem terribly ill, but just had a horrible asthmatic sort of respiratory attack routinely.

At first I worried about the worst possible scenario: heartworms, which has coughing as a symptom. But Rex, three years old, had never been sick in his life and was rarely in the company of other dogs which might have their disease spread by mosquito bites. His collar wasn’t too tight, so that wasn’t the problem. I wondered if perhaps he had swallowed a toad, since he often taunts toads for sport, only to gag himself on their toxic excretions. I then wondered if perhaps someone had sprayed him with pepper spray. He did have a lot of grease on his head, but we assumed that he got that from sticking his head under the grill while the hamburgers were cooking so he could lap up dripping grease.

I knew that one of the ladies who routinely stop by to check the meter is deathly afraid of dogs, and even though Rex is the most obnoxiously sweet and gentle dog anyone could ever know, his well-rehearsed “Who goes there?” salute would throw the woman into a frenzy. But we didn’t even know if she came by that morning, so he could have come in contact with dangerous chemicals in some other odd way, such as crossing someone’s property.

I got out Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s book on natural dog and cat care to find respiratory remedies. Mom, Ms. Lindy and I tried giving him various remedies - everything from our horseradish/ginger/garlic/apple cider vinegar, etc. super tonic to eucalyptus to honey/minced garlic/apple cider vinegar on bread. I started asking questions on the internet regarding Rex’s symptoms. When I asked on Yahoo! Answers I got quick responses telling me, “We can’t diagnose your dog online. You need to take your dog to the vet. Get off your computer.” That wasn’t particularly helpful.

The Abbotts were scheduled to leave early that afternoon. Angela (age 10) asked and prayed to stay longer, but the schedule seemed pretty much set. We all said our goodbyes, and the Abbotts drove off, leaving us Reads with our poor dog’s condition still unresolved.

Awhile later Mom got a phone call from Ms. Lindy. Ms. Lindy said that while they were on the road she happened to touch her finger to her left eye and it began to burn. The allergic reaction spread over her whole face and respiratory system, so much so that she didn’t think should could make the drive back to Tennessee (Mr. Abbott didn’t come for this visit). She traced the cause of the reaction back to when she pet Rex before getting in the car…meaning that the pepper spray theory was very likely after all.

I stroked Rex’s fur again and upon closer examination noticed that the greasiness left a red oil on my fingers. Abigail, Mary and I decided to go ahead and bathe Rex. Mom wiped him of with a white towel, and the process left pink and red stains on it. He apparently had an intense pepper spray dumped on his head and kept reinhaling it whenever he licked his fur.

The Abbotts returned and we had a nice extra evening eating a delicious dinner and munching on cookies. It was a happy ending to a mysterious homestead style suspense.

~Amanda~

The Wicked Stepsister Reigns

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:11:21 GMT

During the 2004 Presidential Election, I wrote the following while considering the possibility of John Kerry winning:

March 11, 2004"Oh, LORD! The only way I can see any good in his election would be to scourge a nation that had lost control of her land - which was stolen by her stepsister, Liberal. But I see that poor America still survives - innocent! Her mother, Liberty, was fooled - but please let them both be honored once again! I am writing symbolically (hope I spelled that correctly), but it is true. It will take novel after novel for me to explain what I mean. It weighs my heart down - the politics, that is - and I am not even old enough to vote!"

What on earth was I referring to? A fairy-tale like parable of sorts that I began writing when I was 13 (note: as such, this figment of my youthful imagination isn't written very well and should have been clarified better, but it is funnier left the way it was originally penned).

INTERNATIONAL MAIDENS
The symbolic story of war between the nations
I - America's Calling or America The Beautiful
Once there was a woman - young, tall and very beautiful. She was the envy of all nations because of her wealth and beauty. She was America, the daughter of Liberty and Sir Justice. Now I am sure that you have heard of such things as America, Justice and Liberty, but I will introduce you to the people.
Liberty had an elder sister named Augusta. Augusta became Queen after marrying Sir Monarchy. Liberty became a princess, though she was often forlorn and not happy with her sister's ruling. After awhile she decided to flee to the unknown continent and establish her own country there.
After she escaped, she married Sir Justice, who had agreed to come with her as a guardian. They had a daughter, and they named her America. Sir Justice and Lady Liberty were concerned about America's safety when Britain, the daughter of Sir Monarchy and Queen Augusta, rose up her army against the newly established one of America. France, a distant relative, brought her army to help protect her. This was the Revolutionary War.
~~~
The war was won for America, but unfortunately, Sir Justice was murdered afterward by Sir Falter. Many believed this would be America's downfall. Sir Falter was a wicked and cunning man, and he murdered Sir Justice so he could marry the attractive Liberty. He then pretended to be sympathetic, agreeing with everything that Liberty said, and acting as though he was just like Sir Justice. Liberty did not know that he had murdered her husband.
She eventually married Sir Falter, not knowing that he was tricking her. Sir Falter had divorced a former wife, and he had one daughter, who was named Liberal. Liberal was fairly attractive, but she was spoiled and disrespectful deep within. But alas, she became America's stepsister.
From the time America saw her, she felt like despising her. Liberal was a little younger, but still an overpowering young woman. She often competed with America as to who had the best views in terms of the world nations. Liberal also complained to her father that America was treating her unjustly, which was not true. At times America had to be silent to keep Liberal from going into a rage.
~~~
One evening, when America fell asleep feeling both content and treated unjustly, she had a dream. The first part of the dream showed Al Qaeda, her most bitter rival, sweeping across the country, killing and destroying with her army and general. She then saw Iraq, a woman in the Middle East, being beat and whipped by a horrible ruler. She saw France, who had been a friend to her and Iraq, care nothing of it.
She awoke with a start. What was happening? Was it just a dream? Or was it a vision? Something bothered America, and she felt as though something had to be done. The next day, she met with the commanders of the army that protected her and her country. She told them about the dream she had witnessed. "That is true," said Sir Patriot.

The story ends there on paper, but it actually went on in my imagination to reveal that Britain then became a good friend and ally of her cousin America as they fought to rid the world of this evil. Meanwhile, Liberal turned everyone against them and used the difficult time for America as an opportunity for her to get a foot hold on world power. It took an entire four more years for her to get closer to her goal, but she was crafty and united in her plan, perhaps unlike the grieving and confused heart of America that was desperately arguing with herself and trying to make up her mind. My mother and I prayed and fasted all day yesterday, but apparently we were in a smaller minority than we realized. The CLOWNS vote, uninfluential as it was, is likely fixing to get a trip to the woodshed, and I may very well end up bending over right next to them, biting my tongue to keep from screaming, "See, I told you so."

But ultimately, I want the story to have a happy ending. I have a feeling the One True Prince knows what is going on and isn't impressed with Liberal (the spirit of humanistic liberalism) in the least. Until the Prince comes, America must pray for her redemption as she slaves away for her stolen inheritance. I want that inheritance back, and I am willing to fight for it. One may argue that we have no reason to be frightened, but we have every reason to burn with a righteous jealousy...and with a feeling of guilt. We were usurped, but perhaps only because we let our guard down. We had the chance of a lifetime to fight for life and justice on the Supreme Court...and we threw it away. We are now wounded and weak. We cannot save ourselves. Let us pray that by some miracle the LORD will begin preparing righteous Supreme Court Justices that have HIS heart - and that Barack's heart will be conformed to HIS will.

May the LORD give us the strong, prayerful, respectful and genuine heart that King David had towards King Saul - acknowledging him as an anointed leader, even though his appointment was the result of a bad choice made by the people.

On a final note, just remember that we never know exactly what will happen in the future - not even what will happen tomorrow. Something might suddenly realign the course of the nation. But until then, it is time to gird up our loins and get back to the drawing board. Prepare to be tested unlike you have ever been tested before.

"The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes."
- Proverbs 21:1

PRAYERS FOR THE NATION AND THE WORLD,

~Amanda Christine Read~

Do Dreams Come True?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:16:00 GMT

As this Election comes to an end, I would like to share with readers why such political experiences so deeply affect me.I didn't think anything of politics and government until Election 2000, when I was a 10 year old child. I didn't really have a clue about what was going on initially, but I heard my parents talking about the Spiritual significance of the time and why we so badly needed a godly leader in the White House.I didn't sit around contemplating or interpreting what was going on in the news...until I had a strange, out-of-the-blue dream.

Tuesday, October 24, 2000"Last night, I had a dream. It was that George W. Bush and Al Gore were standing on maps. At first, it seemed like Al Gore's map was filling up with votes. But, he seemed afraid of something, I don't know what. When I looked at George W. Bush's map, votes practically covered almost all America. After having this dream, I feel that George W. Bush will win the Election for sure!"

In my second, more private journal I included further details about the dream.

"One night in October, I had a dream. George W. Bush and Al Gore were standing on maps. Every time they were colored in, it represented the number of votes they got. At first, it looked like Al Gore would win. In panic, I looked over to G.W. Bush's map and he won by just a little! Hopefully, G.W. Bush will win."

Then, on Election Day...

Tuesday, November 7, 2000"The Election - finally - the day all waited for. All seemed like in my dream - Al Gore seeming to take over when it all came down to Florida. But then, there was a toss-up. 'Too close to call' it said on the news. I was not feeling good today. So I missed some of it."

If I recall correctly, Florida had flashed back and forth from red to blue to red in my dream. I was sick with a bad sore throat and fever on Election Day. Mom came in my bedroom and prayed with me about the Election. I kept insisting, ever since Oct. 24th, that Bush was going to win and that was all there was to it.I was later amazed to see that the very electoral map pictured in my dream appeared after the Election. The LORD had allowed me, a clueless child, to see what would happen. Oh, how I miss having the innocent faith of a child. A child who awoke one morning and praised GOD in complete trust that regardless of what the media was saying, Bush would be the winner - but by "just a little".Shortly after the map dream I had a more comical sort of dream. I dreamed that we were decorating the house for Christmas when suddenly George W. Bush and Al Gore came through our front door and set up their podiums in our living room. We were all bewildered, especially my parents, who insisted that the Election was supposed to be over with before Christmas season. I later figured out the meaning of that one - the Election was still going on in December!During the 2004 Election my dreams were more vague, but several featured Bush winning. One strange dream featured Bush winning the Election and my family and I visiting the White House. When we were at the White House, strange things indicated that Pope John Paul II and Yasser Arafat died. Perhaps needless to say, those people rarely crossed my mind. However, after President Bush's reelection, both of them did indeed die. Another interesting twist to include - around the time of that dream, my sister Rachel and I both dreamed on the same night that Mom had another baby, and it was a boy and we named him Benjamin. That came to pass too. :)This year dreams seem to be held back from me. The closest one to predicting the Election came in September. My dream actually began with me arguing with a guy about the Election over the internet (oh my...it just dawned on me...that IS scarily accurate).

Sunday, September 21, 2008"Restful Sunday. Read the BIBLE and sang songs. Had a dream last night pertaining to national politics - celebrations of McCain-Palin inaugural in Alaska, prayers of Thanksgiving in advance for victory morning after the Election - Mom, Rachel and I were running to see the news - I was coming last, hearing the cheers from the TV in the master bedroom as I ran down the stairs - but the further down the stairs I got, the more my fear and doubt rose, which ended my dream. How could I be so convinced and then lose faith? I mustn't do that again...I long for the faith of my childhood."

The one especially encouraging part of the dream was of my entire family rejoicing in the brisk fall air outside. It went something like Psalm 126:

"When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.Restore our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."

Let us all, whether we agree regarding this Election or not, pray that the LORD JESUS CHRIST's will be done.

PRAYERS FOR THE NATION AND THE WORLD,

~Amanda~