Augustus Caesar's Crowning

I can remember the day very clearly. Chilly with a slight drizzle of rain, but these things made no difference to me, it was the final day of my triumph! I had received a triple triumph, a day for each major battle I won: one day for conquering the pirates, one day for my win at Actium, and one day for my victory over Egypt! Dancers, the two milk-white bulls that were to be sacrificed, and many others led the procession. Beside me stood my stepson, Tiberius, and my nephew, Marcellus. We three rode in a gleaming chariot; I carried a scepter with the head of an eagle in my right hand. Behind us walked the senate. For the first time in decades one man was named ruler over Rome, me. The people of Rome gasped when they saw that I led the senate, it did not lead me. However, these people were soon to find that I truly tried to do what was best for Rome, not me. Over the chanting and marching I saw in the distance the gates of Janus. At last after years of war, these gates were closed. Little did anyone know, except perhaps me, that these gates would remain closed for 200 more years. For centuries more, peace would rule Rome. Ever since then, I have tried to do what is best for Rome. Yes, my rule was a bit like that of an emperor, but it was so because I believed that that would be the best way to govern Rome. True, the republic had worked well, but only when Rome was a tiny city-state. After I had conquered those many nations Rome turned into the ruler of countless peoples. We had to learn how to give them freedom, but not to let them turn rebellious. I asked my two best friends what their advice was on how to rule Rome. Their ideas were quite different, but I took that which I needed. Anyone can tell you that in the year 27 B.C., the year I was crowned governor of Rome, the government greatly improved. I have tried to serve Rome faithfully, that was certainly accomplished! Now, I must try and bring up Tiberius in the ways of a noble ruler, for he shall succeed me, and I must not bring shame upon the name of Caesar.

This narration was written as if by Augustus Caesar himself. I got the idea from my friend, Noah. He is a very good writer, keep writing, Noah!

Slowing Down Life

Things are really starting to come together! So many little things are making big differences. For instance, my dad bought a mule (no, not one of those spindly-leg horse-like creatures, an actual farm vehicle), my dad has also bought the trees that he will be planting on our farm, my mom has bought a book called Fresh Eggs Daily and two alpaca magazines, already we training for a completely different lifestyle. Anyways, why are we moving from a comfortable city life, to the rugged country, where wall-mart and CVS are fifteen minutes away? The answer is simple, we have caught country-love syndrome! N,o not really. Yes, my dad wants to run his own business, and, yes, living in the country will be awesome; but also, me and my family have noticed that living here in Frisco can really shorten your perspective. Instead of seeking for things such as a good  relationship with God, and true, lasting friendships, it is easy just to look at what we want now. We want the most fashionable clothes, we want to live in a nice big house, we want to be engaged in the most popular activities. In addition to this, it is very easy to give up our lives to all the different places to be, things to do, and people to see, it simply becomes to much! Now, sitting here in my pajamas, I am not saying that living in the country will stop this, it will simply make it easier, as long as we make a point to do so, we can slow our lives down a bit. However, we can only do this with God, if are our wishes are parallel to God's we will succeed! To put what I'm saying in a nutshell, we could all slow our lives down a tad, doing so, we will not only free up a lot of time, but also, we will be able to focus on what is more important than the latest trends, trusting and obeying the Lord.  

Alexander The Great's Empire

After Alexander the Great conquered Persia, he was immensely delighted, however, he still felt that his kingdom could be expanded even more. He wanted to extend it all the way to the Hydaspes River, perhaps further. Then, he wanted to enlarge his kingdom towards the west, perhaps uniting all of the Mediterranean! However, before he got a chance to conquer India, something very interesting happened. One day, the great palace at Persepolis was burned! We can not be sure how this event came about, but there are about three reasons that we think could’ve happened. One, Alexander and his friends became drunk and accidentally burned the place. Two, Alexander and his friends burned the palace purposely in order to show the Persians that Athens was better than Persepolis. Or three,  Alexander and his friends burned the palace to get back at the Persians for trying to destroy Athens. After this startling event, Alexander and his army tramped across many miles to get to India, along the way he conquered tribes, made peace, and dealt with many other problems. When Alexander finally reached India, he confused the Indian king by spreading out his army along the banks of the river. When he did cross, the bowmen shot at the Indian’s fierce elephants angering them to the point of destroying anything in their way, friend or foe. The Indian king gave in after a few hours leaving Alexander ruler of India, too. This crucial battle extended Alexander’s kingdom all the way from Pella, in Greece, to the Hydaspes River, in India. However, Alexander’s army was tired. They had not seen their family for a full eight years and were ready to return home. They certainly did not want to go to the west of Greece and try and conquer the rest of the Mediterranean. For a few days Alexander sulked but eventually, he was forced to give in to his army’s wishes and return back to Greece. The Great Expansion was over. Alexander’s empire stretched over miles of land, at least half of the known world. He had truly worked hard and earned power and respect over many nations. Sadly, Alexander would not be able to live long enough to really enjoy this power, and died after the short reign of thirteen years.   

Promising Future!

I, currently, am in the process of moving. It's really tiring! I never noticed how much work moving could be. Packing, purging, cleaning; wherever you look there is something to be done! Luckily, our realtor has just taken the photos of our our home and put them online, what a relief! Now all we have to do is keep the house clean (okay, maybe not that much of a relief)! However, more changes are coming, no, not just the excess cleaning. See, right now, me and my family live in Frisco, Texas; a quickly growing community. My mom and dad moved here in 2001, thinking that it would be a lot of fun to live in a small town. Well, then the mall was built, and, it wasn't such a small town anymore. That being said, for my whole life I have lived here in the rapidly growing town of Frisco. My dad has always wanted to run his own business, and right now, he believes, is the time to move out to East Texas and start a tree farm. He believes that God is leading him to do this, and I agree with him. I think it will be a lot of fun to live out on a farm in East Texas, it's going to be awesome! We will get to have alpacas, horses, chickens, and possibly a milking cow! However, the transition from city life to country life is going to be a rough one. It's sometimes hard to know what I like best, and who I really am. I know that I love city life, but there is a part of me that wants to be a true cowgirl! I know it's probably best to love both equally and not try to be the best at one, but that can be very hard! Please be praying for me and my family as we start a whole new lifestyle, we will need it!

March

I wrote this poem today because the weather is SO lovely! The setting is Oakbrook Park, Frisco, Texas. 

March

The trees are barren, with hardly a verdant burst,
The water trickles delicately,
Rolling over sticks and stones.

The day is warm, and yet,
A south breeze licks my face,
Cooling my body, and swelling my soul

The sky is a deep, rich blue
It beckons the birdies forth
They, however, stay on their comfortable, leafless, perches.

Basking in the warmth of the sun,
The peace of the day,
And the warm, south, breeze.

Even though these lovely things
Swell my heart and soul,
We must retire into the glades.

Here, the water is stagnant,
More thickly covered with sticks, and branches
It runs far back, into the depths of the woods.

The trees give little shade,
And the muddy banks and their brush,
Do not give much more.

These differences could paint a picture in my head,
And make the glades seem unworthy, to live in poetry,
And make the open land, a picture of successes,

I, however, am reminded that each and every corner of God's creation,
Is a masterpiece in itself, and we are blessed to have months like March,
All of it's many auras included, emitting thousands upon thousands of sensations.

Spartan Training

Oxford First Ancient History
In the beginning of Spartan history, the people of this country were a very educated and civilized folk. They wrote poetry, exported goods, and were a part of civilization. However, after the Helot Rebellion the Spartans took a change of ways. They believed that if the Helots were to Rebel again perhaps they might not be strong enough to fight off their slaves. After all, for every Spartan there was seven Helots! In case the Helots did rebel, the Spartans wanted to be ready, therefore, they decided that all of their children would be sent to military school. The children must be well educated in the practice of fighting, there may be an extreme need one day. When the final laws of child training were set into place, you might have preferred to be a Helot! When a babe was born, if he was sick or weak he would be left outside in country, to die alone, by order of the government. If the babe did pass the test, when he was seven, he would be taken away from his parents and put into military school. Here they would stay for twenty-three years and be brought up by other older men. These military camps were really very awful. Not a holiday was allowed and their drills would only be stopped for short times when they were paraded around the older men and examined for excess fat. The Spartan boys were encouraged to steal food when it was necessary. This was considered good training for the time when they would be on the battle field. They were allowed one light toga for both winter and summer, no shoes at all, even in the snow! On top of this, they were allowed to show no emotion at all! Many times whipping contests would be held, the boy who could stand being whipped for the longest was the winner. Many boys were known to die rather than to cry out in pain. Yes, this was the training of Spartan boys. The beginning of their life was not a happy one, often painful, and lonely, however, the Spartans believed that fighting for your country and family was more important than pain, and the bravery that they showed in battle is still renowned today.