Included in the download are three short bonus tracks that I made. I may make them into longer songs eventually.

Enjoy!

If you've ever watched a movie, you've watched a green screen at work. The actor (or actors) stand in front the the screen, and act out the scene. Then, back at the computer, the film editor replaces the green background with something else.

You can run into problems, however. You have to make sure that there are no wrinkles in the green screen, and that the actors don't wear green clothes! But other than that, it's a simple way to transport your film to another location.

I played around with my tripod and green screen and made a couple of short "videos". Or maybe we should call them "tests". Happy new year, and until next time!

Merry Christmas! See you in 2012!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

They were innocent. They had done nothing wrong. They were just trying to help, but the very people they came to help betrayed them. Nate Saint and four of his friends were killed by the savage Auca tribe of Ecuador, while only days earlier they had shared the gospel with them. Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer, a biography written by Janet and Geoff Benge, is a powerful story of hope, love, betrayal, and forgiveness. It is interesting and well written, and, most importantly, it will keep your attention all the way through.

This book is an overall summary on the life of Nate Saint. Its main goal is to educate people on the life of Nate Saint, but also to give the reader an understanding of why people need a Savior. The book focuses mainly on Nate’s missionary years, but also addresses his life as a child and young adult. Up to the point when Nate Saint is convicted to become a missionary, the book speaks generally about his life. But when Nate Saint begins his journey as a missionary in South America, everything is mentioned in great detail. In fact, the details are so numerous that the reader can easily get lost. There are so many characters and many different events occurring at once, it’s hard to keep track of them all. But this is a small annoyance. As the book progresses, it talks of Nate’s life at home and on the field, with a distinct emphasis on the providence of God in Nate’s experiences as a missionary.

The most powerful part of this book is the description of the death of Nate Saint. The book does not delve into the gory details, but enough to leave you a little bit shaken. The “death chapter” also probes you to think, “Why did the natives betray Nate?” and, “Why didn’t Nate defend himself?” Rarely have I read a biography that provoked thinking after coming to the end. You might say that this book is emotional, but the authors don’t press it upon you so that it seems overdone.

"Ummm...another one?" I replied.

"You'll like this one," he said. "It's fun."

"OK," I said, (not entirely trusting him) "What is it?"

I have to stop my narrative for just a second. We're in the process of acquiting another house to use as a short-term rental fro whoever wants to stay in the area for a few days (if you know the area in which we live, you're probally wondering what the draw could possibly be in a place like this. We're kinda wondering the same thing). Dad and I are lookign around for a TV for the living room. We plan to also include a library of some of our best DVDs for the renters to watch. I'm trying to get him to get an Xbox for the house too, but...

"How about writing movie reviews to give the renters?" contiued my Dad, "So they know which ones are the best, it they have content issues, etc."

"That sounds like fun," I said, "When do I get started?"

"As soon as you want. You can poist them on your blog for now..."

And that concluded our conversation. I ran the remainder of the way home developing thoughts on my first movie review. "What move should I do it on? What do I want to include in my reivew? How should I...?"

I hope to post my first review in the next few weeks. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's are some highlights from the trip, in our own words:

Abbey: "My favorite part of the camping trip was picture scavenger hunt. We split up into two teams and Mom gave us a list of things to take pictures of. Some of them were 'Something tall, something short, and something gross!'"

Emma: My favorite part of the camping trip was swimming. We made a raft out of logs and floated around on it. The water was warmer and clearer then our pool!"

Kate: "One of my favorite parts about the camping trip were the mornings. Because you would wake up and there was another whole day ahead of you. One of the morning Dad and I went fishing, but we didn't catch anything."

Rebecca: "I liked the boat rides because our dog went in the boat and was cute. And the waves were fun. And that's all!" Editor's note: Becca tented to "lose it" on the boat rides. Some pictures are provided.

I personally like the scenery, boating, and snorkeling. There's lots of places to explore around the campsite, and so many more places to go in the boat. The food is always great (thanks to Dad), and he makes sure that everyone is safe. This was one of the most fun years I've had at Ross Lake. Click "Continue Reading" below to see some pictures.

Until next time!