I Have Failed You, Anakin / Random Updates / Thankfuls

Guys, I have an apology to make: I'm super duper alley uper bounce* sorry for not blogging in, like, eons (okay, it was eleven days, but whatevs). Unbeknownst to you, my awesome readers, my family took a trip to Mexico for Thanksgiving - hence my absence. The busyness of life can get to you, know what I mean? So I wanted to tell you how terribly sorry I am. As Obi Wan Kenobi said to his backslidden** Jedi-apprentice-turned-Sith, Anakin:

"I have failed you Anakin [alternatively read as "blog readers"], I have failed you."

All that to say, mea culpa. I'll try harder.

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And now, to significantly more interesting stuff!

Let's see...

Well, our trip to Chetumal, Mexico, went well. We basically chillaxed, shopped, enjoyed the luxuries of Wal-Mart, Sam's, and a mall (albeit tiny). The hotel worked out well - turns out that it was only $36 a night. SCORE! 

I also realized that I completely forgot to share with you a list of things I'm thankful for. *facepalm* I have remedied that situation and added a belated Thanksgiving list:

I AM THANKFUL FOR... 

1.) My God. He gives meaning to my life, brings joy to my heart, fills me with peace even in the midst of chaos, faithfully supports me through my trials, never ceases to love me unconditionally, and sent the ultimate Gift to save me. There is none like Him (Jeremiah 10:6). 

2.) My family. They back me up, love me without reserve, listen to my concerns, care about me selflessly, and share in my struggles. My family is such a blessing in my life.

3.) My friends. I've got a sprinkling of them all over the world, frankly - Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Belize, India (if I didn't include your state or country, it's not because I forgot you - just your location!). Friends are the family you choose. I am so thankful for these people who love me and have touched my life. BTW, I might get to see some of you this Christmas! :)

4.) The blessings of living in a safe area, having a wonderful, spacious home, loads of great food, plenty of clothes, and a lack of any true worries. 

5.) The gift of education. I appreciate the sacrifices my parents have made to homeschool me and my siblings. Thanks for investing in our futures, Mom and Dad!

6.) The blessing of having a huge range of opportunities open to me.

7.) The knowledge that I am never alone. 

8.) The gift of life. The gift of a strong body. The gift of good health. Don't take them for granted. 

9.) The blessing of the simple pleasures of life - getting a good night's sleep, a hot shower (I really appreciate this one: only recently got hot water; it has been out since August!), eating chocolate (!!!!)...

10.) Great, clean music! I know that all the other thankfuls I listed were rather deep, but c'mon - gotta love some good tunes! Crankin' Christmas songs right now. ;-)

That list barely scratches the surface and is pretty general, but it is a nice start. 

Gosh, I can't think of anything else of interest to write about. Oh, I had this idea (saw it on another blog, actually) to set a side one post per week to list some of the awkward and awesome moments of the week. Should we run with it? Tell me what you think. 

BTW... I totally understand y'all's*** aversion to commenting; I'm a blog lurker myself. But I seriously doubt any of you are literally allergic to posting a comment. Gee, you can do it anonymously, for goodness' sake! What I mean to say is, please feel free to comment. I would really appreciate it. 

Blessings, everyone! Stick around for some more posts, and don't forget to subscribe.

~*Brielle*~

P.S. I am considering starting a YouTube channel. Should I go for it?

*Yes, that is a quote from Tigger of the One Hundred Acre Wood. I'm weird like that. Oh d-d-d-dear. 

**Apparently "backslidden" isn't a word. Oh, well... *presses "add to dictionary"* ... "Problem solved, Rico!"
***Y'all's. 'Cause that's how I roll. Yee-haw!

Guess Who Worked Here...

Hahaha!

"I've tried playin' it cool...but when I'm lookin' at --- the bakery where Harry Styles used to work before he became 20% of One Direction?!"

Oh My Goodness Gracious!

Okay everyone, I have some crazy news...my family and I are going to the U.S. this December!!! As most of you probably know, we currently live in Belize, Central America doing missions work. This summer we forewent (past tense of forego?) our planned summer furlough, but we just discovered we will be visiting for Christmas! Well, actually, it was us kids who recently discovered the fact - my parents obviously decided, LOL. You can see how excited I am...after all, we haven't seen our family or friends in nearly a year! (We did visit last winter because Josiah had a health issue.) I seriously cannot stinkin' wait.

Our parents just announced it to us yesterday. We were all sitting on the couch and they threw us off by first telling us we would be visiting a different church meeting, so we didn't expect their second declaration. It went something like this:

Mom and Dad: "The other thing we wanted to tell you guys was that we're going to be visiting the U.S. this December --"
Us kids: "Are you serious?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
Mom and Dad: "Yep."
Joy and I: *turn toward each other and begin screaming hysterically like obsessed fangirls at a One Direction concert while gasping for breath and gesticulating wildly*

^^^That's how it happened. The hysterical fangirl part is especially accurate ;-).^^^

As you can imagine, we basically strangled our parents by hugging them.

So, to all my Stateside readers...I might see you in a few weeks!!! :D

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~

Shout-Out to My Readers

Hey everyone!

Yes, I am aware this is my third post today, but I don't care. I am writing this to let you guys know how very much I appreciate you. Y'all are my inspiration and my encouragement. You are the reason I write on this blog. I am so thankful for your readership (apparently that is a word), and I hope that my blog is a blessing to you guys. I just want to shout-out to each of you:

To my 92 readers in the United States,

To my 40 readers in Belize,

To my 5 readers in Germany,

To my 3 readers from the UK (60% of One Direction? ;D),

                                        India,

                                 and Vietnam,

To my 2 readers in Canada,

To my 1 reader in Mexico...

Thank you. I love you guys. 

For those of you who are returning visitors, why don't you follow my blog by email? Scroll down this page until you pass the "Top 5 Posts of All Time" gadget, and you should land at a little box that will allow you to subscribe. Simply type in your email address and press send, and you will receive all new posts directly in your inbox!

Again, everyone, thanks for sticking around. I told you it would be worth it! ;-)

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~

Reaction Buttons!

Guess what?! I have solved the problem of the lacking "like" button! I have added customized reaction buttons so you can send feedback after reading any blog post. Currently there are only two: a "like" and a "dislike." I know some people are reluctant to comment, but c'mon - there's nothing easier than pushing a button! It is totally anonymous and a fun way for me to get feedback from you guys, and y'all can see the results, too. I don't intend to keep these same buttons forever, but I preferred to start with them since I had just ranted about the need for a "like" button. If you have any ideas for other potential buttons, please comment! I would love to hear back from you.

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~

Random News From The Annals of My Life

Sorry for the temporary blogging hiatus; I've been pretty busy lately. I've written a few blog posts but haven't yet published them for various reasons. I'll try to catch back up.

Here's a few random bits of news to update you on life.

Harry Edward Styles - the hamster - passed away yesterday. We don't know what was wrong with him. The day before his death he was quite chipper and energetic...just his usual self. The following day he was lethargic and limp, breathing intermittently, couldn't walk, etc. It was really sad when he passed away; I was participating in a live online class session, so I couldn't be there, but apparently Harry was crying and squeaking as he died - he had never made any sound before. It was rather tragic, especially because we had Harry for only a short period of time: today would be the one-week mark of his life with us. Still, we are glad we had him at all, even for such a brief time. The comforting thing is that Harry had a happy, loving home during his last six days of life, instead of dying at that pet store without ever having a family. Rest in peace, Harry. I'm sure you are looking down on us from hamster-heaven ;-).

This isn't related, but it is some big news: Ruth left today :(. For those of you who don't know, Ruth was an intern from Mexico who has lived with us for the past four months. She came to help with the ministry here on Caye Caulker, and she really was a blessing to us all, especially to the kids she helped teach during the youth meetings. We are going to miss Ruth a ton (with just the six of us the house feels so empty!), but hopefully we can see her again soon if our family visits Mexico! <3

The rest of this news could hardly be classified as "major", but I figured I might share it with you...

I'm memorizing the Gettysburg Address this week! Maybe, once I learn it by heart, I can post it on here (and I promise I won't just copy and paste it - I will type it up by the sheer ninja-power of my own brain!).

By the way, I saw this video that I am convinced is probably the cutest and most romantic proposal ever. The first part is the best, if you don't want to watch the whole thing. Check it out:

Another random thought, now that I just posted the above: can Gangnam Style really be the number one video on YouTube? I mean, you're kidding me, right? Wow. Just...wow.

And while I'm on the topic of randomly picking subjects - I seriously think that Blogger should create a built-in (but optional) feature so that readers can "like" a blog post, a la Facebook. How useful would that be?!

Lastly: I noticed on another blog that each weekend the author posts links to various different articles, videos, or photos that relate to the blog's topic. The readers can then explore the assortment of interesting pieces. Of course, if I were to do this you can just imagine the randomness, since I don't necessarily have a narrowly defined focus for this blog. Oh, well - maybe all give it a try. If you guys like this idea, PLEASE comment below. Seriously. I'm basically begging you. See:

That's a bit dramatic, but I really am asking you to comment. If you don't know how, scroll to the bottom of this post. It will say "posted by Brielle Autery at [time]," and to the right of that there is a clickable phrase - right now it will say "No comments," but that status might change if you click on it and write something :D. Again, thank you; I uber appreciate it. 

...Okay, this has been a very eclectic post, but such is life. I will try to get in another blog post today. Keep your eyes pealed! (Is it just me, or does that phrase make no sense?! And, NO: I do not have ADD - oh look, a bird!)

LOLz and blessings!

~*Brielle*~

Photo credit: http://houseten.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/begging-dog.gif

A Classic Case of Engrish

This is absolutely hilarious!

Photo credit: www.engrish.com 

Disclaimer: In sharing this I do NOT endorse the aforementioned website in any way. Engrish.com has various photos and memes with content that I am unwilling to promote. Thank you for understanding. Please browse (the web) responsibly. 

Into Marvelous Light I'm Running!

I know this is a random post, but I absolutely LOVE this song. The lyrics are very deep and meaningful, and the music is good. Please take a few minutes to listen to it and read the words.

Updates!

Hey, all!

I've updated the blog a bit recently. I've added a few new gadgets: a picture of me, a widget that shows the top five posts on this blog, a "follow" button, and a "search this blog" function. Feel free to use them. I would especially appreciate it if you put the subscription option to good use ;-).

By the way, I think I fixed the comment issue. Originally, the comment link wasn't visible, but it appears that all is well now. Again, don't hesitate to make use of it! I always like feedback.

Lastly, my sister Joy just wrote a great post on the subject of the abortion issue. Deep stuff. Check it out at her blog: Tiggery Joy in Belize.

Blessings,

~*Brielle*~

Harry Edward Styles - the Hamster

As I said in my two most recent posts, my sister and I were out of town over the weekend visiting a friend for her birthday. She is an animal lover, so we went to the pet store with her...and Joy came home with a hamster! The poor little guy lost his eye - we don't know if he was born that way or got injured. As soon as we got home, my dad was already joking about his resemblance to Nick Fury. Good times, good times ;-). Anyway, because of his "deformity" they were giving him away for free. Tori (our friend) asked her parents if she could get him, but they decided it wasn't a good idea since she already has a "zoo": a rabbit, guinea pig, turtle, fish, etc. So Joy saw her chance, called our parents, and they agreed. Needless to say, Joy was ecstatic! By the time we got the little hamster back to our friends' house, Joy had decided to name him Harry (since then, she has revised it to Harry Edward Styles - and she claims that she isn't obsessed with One Direction! *rolls eyes*). 

Here's a picture of Harry. That's Joy holding him. Sorry for the uber lame quality, but it's a webcam pic and we couldn't get him to hold still long enough! 

You can see Harry's one eye in this shot. The color isn't very good because there is light coming in from the window. In reality he is a pale tan with some white patches. Harry's a Roborovski dwarf hamster (Robo), so he is really tiny. Most of his bulk is fluffy fur :P. He really is adorable; maybe I can upload a better shot later.

Here's to a long and happy hamster life for our little friend, Harry Edward Styles! :D

Blessings,

~*Brielle*~

I'm Back!

Hey, guys...

I'm back to my blog! Sorry I couldn't write over the weekend, but I was out of town. I intended to write yesterday, but, alas - all was for naught! When my family and I got back to Caye Caulker, we were all exhausted and went to bed early. Unfortunately, that meant you didn't get a Sunday blog post. I will try to make it up to you by blogging a lot today! <3

Blessings,

~*Brielle*~

See You On Sunday!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I probably won't get a chance to blog tomorrow or the next day - Friday and Saturday. My sister and I are going to visit a friend and her family, and it is unlikely I will have time to write. *Sad face* On the other hand, I'll be livin' it up at her house, so...

(- with Joy and Tori at Belize)

I will miss you guys! Please don't go away; I really appreciate my readers! I will be back as soon as possible. You can expect a post on Sunday.

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~

#endoftheweekpickmeup

#endoftheweekpickmeup

PHOTOSHOOT

Just over a week ago my sister Joy and I did a fun quasi-photoshoot. She is taking an online photography class, and one of her assignments was to create a DIY home studio and take some pics. She used me as her subject in a few photos, and we got some great shots. Check 'em out:

These are just a few photos from the shoot, but they are some of my faves. Hope you liked them!

By the way, here's a pic of the photographer, my sister Joy! She took this pic of herself. Isn't it awesome? Click here to visit her photo blog. 

Blessings! 

~*Brielle*~

*According to Blogger spell-check, photoshoot isn't a word: it should be hyphenated. But I'm intentionally squishing into one word. 'Cause I'm a rebel like that ;-). 

Hachi: A [Tear-jerking] Dog's Tale

Not last Friday, but the Friday before, my family and I watched the movie Hachi. It is not a new release; apparently it has been out since 2009, but we had never watched it until recently. I missed the first twenty minutes or so because I was doing other things - I didn't even intend to watch since I figured it would just be another run-of-the-mill dog story. Sure, those stories are heartwarming, but Balto and Lassie are so well-known, and they get old after awhile. However, this movie was different. 

The performance in Hachi is top-notch, with the movie boasting a star-studded cast including Richard Gere and Joan Allen. But it is the story that is so heart-wrenching. The based-on-a-true-story tale is about a music professor who finds and rescues a young Akita puppy at the train station. When he brings it home, his wife is adamant that the dog be returned to its owner or adopted by someone else, but she soon comes around when she realizes how well Hachi has bonded with her family (or is it vice versa?). As time passes, Hachi becomes a part of the family and loves his master deeply. Every afternoon he goes to the train station, waiting for the professor to get off the commuter train. For years he continues in this habit, with loving devotion to his master. Even in the wake of a terrible tragedy, the faithful Hachi loyally awaits the professor day after day...           I won't tell you anymore because I don't want to ruin the story in case you watch it.  

And let me warn you in advance: Thou shalt bawl thine eyes out. I almost made that phrase the subtitle of this post, but it was too long and tedious. Seriously, this movie is soooooooo sad, yet soooooooo awesome. To convince you, I will divulge one of my deep, dark secrets. Ready? 

I cried.

You read that right. That is a surprising declaration coming from me - after all, I'm a ninja. Hardcore warriors like me don't cry when they see a dog movie! *Duh* Well, I have discovered that the exception to the never-cry-in-a-dog-movie-it's-lame rule, and it is the movie Hachi. In all seriousness, though, I rarely cry in movies. A few tears escaped when I watched Iron Giant circa ten years old, and I think I sniffled a bit when I saw Amish Grace (the true story of an Amish community that publicly forgave without reservation the man who murdered their children). Other than that, I have a dry-eye record, but Hachi left me with tears running freely down my face.

If any of you watch Hachi and don't cry, I have two things to say to you: 

First, I recognize in advance that you will think I'm dumb and childish for crying. I'm okay with that, because deep down inside I am assured of my ninja/samurai/warrior status, so... you got nothin.' Secondly, if you don't cry in this movie, you were probably dropped on your head as an infant and the part of your brain that feels emotions was permanently damaged. Of course, I'm totally kidding about the latter point, though I don't regret affirming my awesomeness level. 

My point is: GET A HOLD OF THE MOVIE HACHI. WATCH IT. CRY. AND THANK ME (AT LEAST IN YOUR HEART) FOR TELLING YOU ABOUT SUCH A TOUCHING MOVIE. 

Lolz and blessings,

~*Brielle*~

Comment - Yes...Spam - No

Okay, guys - I'm about to ask you a question of utmost importance. Pay attention. Here goes:

Will you please comment on my blog? Pretty please? With sugar on top? And confetti and glitter falling from heaven? And pink unicorns dancing in the background? And... well, you probably get the picture.

Why do I want you to comment? Because it is the only way I know you are here. True, I can check my stats and see that since this blog's creation three days ago, I have had 63 hits. And I can see the breakdown of what countries y'all* are coming from. And what browsers and operating systems y'all* are using. But if you never comment, you're just a number and I don't know who you are or even if you like  my blog (of course, you probably like it if you keep coming back, and - after all - what's not to like? xD). I understand your aversion to commenting; I'm a blog lurker myself. However, I'm asking you to consider taking a moment to comment if you happen to come across a post you like or think is funny or agree with (or the reverse of any of these). In fact, I would super-duper appreciate it if you comment on this post just to say you are reading. It will make my day ;-).

But before I move on, allow me to clarify my comment policy. *Clears throat*
I have currently configured the comment settings so that:

• Anonymous comments are not allowed
• Any back-links you post are hidden
• Comment moderation is off (I can still moderate comments; this just allows you to post immediately without having your comment approved first)
• Word-verification is off 

I have removed anonymous comment privileges and hidden back-links to reduce spam. Comment moderation and word-verification are off for the convenience of posters; but be warned - if I get spam or inappropriate content, I will change the settings to prevent it. Don't tempt me. Just kidding :). Actually, I'm mainly trying to prevent spammer-bot comments, which is why I may have to turn on word-verification (though I doubt my little, low-traffic blog is a likely target o.O). 

Anyway, to recap: 

1. I would love it if you comment 
2. Don't spam me

Thank you, guys!

Blessings, and don't forget to comment! <3

~*Brielle*~ 

*Yes, y'all. 'Cause even though I was born in Virginia, I'm a Texan at heart.

Voices Without A Vote

The video below was created by a handful of high school students in California who were determined to speak out despite their lack of a legal voice at the polls. I couldn't have said it better myself. Please watch it.



The presidential election of 2012 is one of the most pivotal in history. I'm only fourteen years old, so I can't vote. But some of you reading this can. So, please: cast your vote tomorrow, and remember my generation - your posterity.  Our future literally depends on it.

Liberty 2012!

God bless America.

Live Every Moment, Love Beyond Words, Laugh Every Day

I agree!

After all...

• Jesus Himself declared that He is "the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6)
• "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength'...'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.'" (Mark 12:30,31)
• "A joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22a)

Just some thoughts to ponder.

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~



- All Scripture references are from the New International Version of the Bible, emphasis added -
- Photo credit: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=26314436 -

BTW...Check Out My Sister's Blogs!

My sister Joy did me the favor of referring her readers to my blog, so I want to take a moment to refer you to hers.

Joy writes on her personal blog "Tiggery Joy in Belize," so named after her upbeat personality - like Tigger in the stories of the Hundred Acre Wood.

She also has a passion for photography and has a great photo blog called Amanda Joy Photography. I encourage you to check this one out; Joy really has a gift for taking photos!

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~

My Blog's Inception - or, "Welcome!"

I wrestled for a long time with the question of how to start this post - it being the oh-so-important first blog entry and all. But I finally decided to just go with the flow and touch on the most important topics: who I am, why I am blogging, and what this blog is about. You will hear a lot more about these subjects if you stick around long enough, but here's a brief introduction.

Who am I? 

My name is Brielle Autery, and I am a teenage missionary kid living in Belize, Central America. I love God, my family, people, and life, plus a gajillion other things (including blogging!), but the first four are what really matter. If you want to know more about me, check out my profile or read my "About Me" post (coming soon). For now, I won't bore you with a lot of redundant information you can find elsewhere or will be reading in the near future ;-). 

Why am I blogging?

Because I love to write, and a blog is a great medium for doing so. However, this blog isn't a professional site with a special niche topic. It is just the chronicles of my life - my thoughts and ideas, musings and ramblings. I might write about my great frustration over the overuse of ellipses one day, then in my next post retell the events of a recent mosquito infestation, then the next day discuss my faith , and in another post share a photo of my dog, Jazz. Okay, I probably won't be that random, but pretty close to it. Because that's life. It's random; it's messy; it doesn't fit in a box; it goes off schedule - and my blog will reflect that. And I'm okay with that, because that is its purpose. Trust me, I'm not aiming for your average high schooler's blog, where posts are written in some dialect of texting-language and follow a pattern clearly indicative of ADHD. Nor should you expect me to post goofy videos like "Where's the Chapstick" on a daily basis. I'm just saying that this blog is going to be fun and full of life. 

By the way, some of you who know me will remember that I had a blog before this one. But like so many blogs, it was tragically neglected... *blows nose dramatically*. So when I realized that I really love blogging and decided to get going again, I preferred to just start over and create a new blog. <End of brief explanation>

What is This Blog About?

I kinda covered this point in my response above, but in a nutshell:

Live, laugh, love. 

Yes, I know that was short; yes, you can look forward to a post on this one, too!

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That's it, folks! I hope y'all stick around in the upcoming days to see this blog continue to unfold. I can pretty much guarantee you that it will be worth it. And by pretty much, I mean definitely ;-).

Blessings!

~*Brielle*~