Horse Show @ Clay County Fairgrounds

Psalm 20:7-8 -"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God."

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Recently I was blessed by being able to go to and participate in a horse show at the Clay County fairgrounds in Green Cove Springs, Florida.  I was #299, which was a significant number to me!  :D I rode Onyx, the beautiful paint mare from Eagle's Rest.

I was able to do two activities- Toilet Paper Pairs and Ride 'a' Buck.
 

"Toilet Paper Pairs" is riding a horse western style (which means the reins are controlled with one hand instead of two) while holding onto one end of a strip of toilet paper that is (in this case) 8 squares long that another rider on a different horse is holding on to too.  The judge tells the pairs to do various things such as walking, trotting, and reversing the horses (for the more advanced riders he tells them to canter, lope, etc.).  I had a lot of fun participating in it, and my partner and I both got 4th place ribbons! :D
 

"Ride 'a' Buck" is riding a horse western style, bareback, sitting on a dollar bill and making sure it won't fall out/off, all at the same time.  If it does fall out/off, the person and horse are eliminated, and they go to the center of the ring and wait there until it's all over, as they do in Toilet Paper Pairs.  I received a 5th place ribbon for Ride 'a' Buck! :D

I had a great time, met some people I hadn't met before, received some good tips for riding, and had a great time riding (as well as cleaning tack before, and brushing down the horse, etc.).  :D
 

I was also blessed and thankful to have my family come out to see me and Onyx :D, and to be with friends that I knew and trusted! :D

I'd like to be in another horse show, Lordwilling.  This show was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot! :D

In Christ,

Nehemiah Cook

Photo courtesy of My Mother.  Thank you, Mama! :D

From my Journal: A test of faith

[Journal entry #37]
Today is May 11th, 2011.  I have been earnestly praying since Sunday that I would be able to do a pony club that involves grooming horses...I know that it will only be possible if the LORD wills it...
"Let not your heart be troubled," Jesus said, "You believe in God, believe also in me." I realize that this is a test of faith, trust, and obedience from God to me...
I'll just have to "Trust in the LORD with all your [my] heart, and lean not on your [my] own understanding.  In all your [my] ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your [my] paths."
"Nothing is impossible for those who love God, and are called according to His purpose." (paraphrased)
I will be strong and courageous. I will not fear, nor be dismayed, for the LORD my God is with me wherever I go.

 Blessed be the name of the LORD!

 Nehemiah Cook

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[Journal entry #41]

Today is August 24th, 2011. ...I was told that I might not be able to do the activity at Ms. Cindy's this year, but I know that with God all things are possible. If the LORD JESUS wants me to do it, He will provide the opportunity and allow me to do it. I believe that this is a test of faith and obedience in Him, and that God is trying me...No matter what happens, whether this opportunity becomes reality and I am blessed with this, or this is taken away,  I will praise the name of the LORD, and bless His name.  No-one else could give me this hope and want, and no-one else can take it away...                                                           Nehemiah Cook

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[Journal entry #42]

Today is August 25th, 2011.  I am still earnestly praying for peace, contentment, and God's grace and will for my life, my future and everything I have longed to do.  Right now, part of me is calling to give up this dream of riding horses at Ms. Cindy's, telling me it would be best for me to do that {give up the dream}.  But the other part is calling me to have faith, hold on, and fight the good fight.  I believe my adversary doesn't want me to go to Ms. Cindy's, but I know that whatever happens, God's will will be done.  I feel like there are many obstacles to overcome in order for this to happen, but God is bigger  -there's no word to describe how great He is. I can only do this through Him.  Praise His name! Everything is possible through Him.  Hallelujah!                                                                                                                        Nehemiah Cook

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[Journal entry #45]

Today is September 4, 2011.  After a long day of many Spiritual Battles of choosing to believe God or not about His promises, I have found rest in Him (see song in back of journal).
The Lord Jesus Christ answered my prayers about going to Ms. Cindy's this year! ...The Lord has come to me in prayer and has taught my soul so many things, and contented it.

-Praise the name of the Lord!-

His Servant,
                   Nehemiah Cook

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[Journal entry #47]

Today is September 20, 2011.  I am Really blessd to be able to go to Ms. Cindy's this year.  I thank God often for that.  It's amazing that God cares for me and wants me to have this opportunity.  I am praying that I'll learn quickly and well and that I'll have a lot of knowledge about horses, etc....
Yesterday at Ms. Cindy's, Ms. Cindy let me ride Onyx, a beautiful paint mare.  She is so sweet, and I ... her! I think that, Lordwilling at Horse Shows, I'll be able to ride her....I have learned that talking to a horse isn't silly, it's smart.  I'm sure they understand what I say.

-Hallelujah!-

His Servant,
                  Nehemiah Cook
p.s. Ms. Cindy taught me how to direct a horse, and I'm confident that I can ride now!

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[Journal entry #56]

Today is November 12, 2011. [it was really November 11, 2011. :D]
-I drew chalk horses in Starke today on a sidewalk.
I wrote this under the biggest one:

PHILIPPIANS 4:13
" I can. Can you?"

-Can you?

                         Nehemiah Cook


-The picture above is courtesy of Mrs. Geiger.  Thank you, Mrs. Geiger! :D 

News, etc.

The next Order of Alfred the Great meeting will be on Monday, November 14th, 2011 at 2:30 pm.  We will have the regular schedule of events, and maybe even a battle! We will close the meeting no later than 3:45pm.  For those of you who have questions, please contact me at: nehemiahcookemail@gmail.com, or my home phone number.  If you have pads, cleats, or anything protective, you may wear that during the meeting.  Lordwilling I'll see you then! -NehemiahC

Why one should join The Order of Alfred

            Why should a person join The Order of Alfred?  Why should I join this small club, when I can do the same activities at home?  These questions are asked about joining The Order of Alfred, a small club with big reasons.

            At The Order of Alfred, one can meet new friends and hang out with friends that aren’t seen on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis.  At each meeting, friends can combat each other to get their stats higher-against other members of either higher, same, or lower levels.

            Medieval History is an important part of the Order of Alfred.  One who joins can learn about heroes such as Leif Ericson, Alfred the Great, and the legendary King Arthur.

             Weaponry and Swordsmanship can be learned at The Order of Alfred meetings.  The Order of Alfred currently has a large arsenal of harmless weapons that club members can use to spar, duel, and fight each other with.

            The Order of Alfred is more than a small club.  It is a team; and a team is a group of people that stick together, and help each other out, no matter what the circumstance. 

            Do you want to join that team?  Please contact The Order of Alfred at: nehemiahcookemail@gmail.com, and mention “Join the Order of Alfred” in the subject line. 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."-Joshua 1:9

Renovations!

The Order of Alfred's blog has been renovated! 
Please comment on what you think about the new look...and what I should post on. 

The Handbook for Knighthood

Are you interested in becoming an official Order of Alfred knight?  With the all-new Handbook for Knighthood, you can do just that.  The Handbook for Knighthood is a MicrosoftWord document that you can download to your computer and fill out after completing the activities (memorization, weapon skills, small report on Alfred, matching activities, etc.). If you are interested in becoming a knight or taking a look at The Handbook for Knighthood, please e-mail me at nehemiahcookemail@gmail.com .  It's completely free!
Below are a few pictures from the document.

Narnia...In Legos

 

This is "Prince Caspian" from the Chronicles of Narnia book, "Prince Caspian".  He bears some resemblance to Prince Caspian in the Disney movie as played by Ben Barnes.

This is "Trumpkin" from "Prince Caspian"

 

This is the scene from "The Horse and His Boy", where Edmund Pevensie is coming back from talking with Prince Rabadash, trying to persuade him to stop chasing after his sister, Susan Pevensie.

The Story of William: Part 6

CHAPTER 6

             

             “My message is this” William said carefully.  “One has died for all, but still many will die for One.” The look on the king’s face was full of grief.  “I believe,” he said with a slight pause “I believe, that this means that our persecution here is not going to end.” 

            William looked sympathetically at the king.  “The persecution here is not going to stop anytime soon.  According to your message, I believe that we are to have a strong uprising against us very soon.” 

            The king looked at William and said, “I have been wanting a bit of encouragement from the outside world.  You have brought that to me.  Thank you.”

            “I will be strong,” the king said, “For I know that ‘I can do all things through Him who makes me strong.’” 

            William smiled.  The king had repeated the same words that had given him strength back in the canyon when the Shrieks had attacked him.  “We will be strong,” William said, looking at the king and smiling.  “Aye.” the king said.  “We are brothers.”

The Story of William: Part 5

CHAPTER 5

             

             Stephen, as William had learned to call the cook, had one of his head chefs take over the kitchen until he returned.  He led William to the passageway where the king had already finished his exquisite supper.  William thought that the king was magnificent.  The king was talking with the lords and ladies in the great hall.  The king was wearing beautiful clothing that to William looked very comfortable.  He wore a light crown of solid gold on his head, with tiny, expensive diamonds throughout. 

            “Ross, my good sir,” The cook asked an armored man in the passageway, “Will you tell the king that he has a young Servant in his presence with a very important message?”  “Yes, Stephen.  And right away.” the man replied. 

            Soon William and Stephen were in the king’s private room.  “It is better that we are in a private room, then in the hall. 

            The door to the room opened, and a messenger said “His majesty, the king.”  Stephen bowed fully, but William nodded his head slightly.  “Stephen,” the king said, “This young servant is to stay with me alone.” he paused shortly “I will reward you for what you have done for me.  Now go.”  Stephen nodded, smiled, and went back to the kitchen.

             “So,” the king said, “You are a servant, and you have an important message for me, correct?”  William nodded.  “You are also a follower of the ‘One True King’ too, are you not?” the king asked.  “Yes, sir, but how do you know?”

            The king smiled.  “Your manners are enough that anyone should now. You did not bow to me, but slightly, and the followers of the King will only bow to the King, as you have showed me.”

            The king looked at William intently and said, “I am also a follower of the King, and I do not make my servants to bow to me.  When they bow, they do it out of their own will.”  He leaned forward and asked, “What is your message?”

The Story of William: Part 4

CHAPTER 4

             William looked for a way to escape if he needed to, and saw a passage leading out of the room.  The man didn’t attack him, but instead said in a deep voice, “What brings you here into the kitchen of the king?” before William could answer, the man spoke again. “Speak up, lad.  I can’t sit around waiting all day long.”  William spoke up a little timidly at first, but then loudly.  “My name is William.” he said, “I have an important message for the king of Anthropoly.”  

            The man looked at William with question in his eyes.  “Why did you sneak in by the kitchen then, ‘important’ messenger?” he said, a little playfully.

            “I am a stranger in these parts.”  William said.  “I have come all the way past the canyon, and did not know that this was the wrong entry door.”  William paused and looked at the knife in the man’s hand.  “If you will show me the right way in, I will go away in peace, and not make any trouble.”

            The man’s knife lowered to the table.  “If what you say is really true,” he said “And that you have come from past the canyon, I will bring you to the king myself.  But first,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye, “You will have something to eat.”

            The cook walked over to the the counter, and sliced a bit of boar from the carcass he had just bent over.  He had seen William eyeing it hungrily.  The cook proceeded to put some fruits on the plate, “A rare delicacy” he said.  “Food good enough for the king himself!”  He put the plate in front of William.

            “What is the king like?”  William asked.  “The king,” the cook responded, “Is fair, but he is also just.  He used to be a harsh young prince, but then one day, a messenger arrived and gave him a message.  They say that the messenger was sent by the King himself, all the way from the nothern point of the world.”

            “What was the message?” William wondered.  “The message wasn’t really important, you might say.  The messenger said that the king would die within seven days.  Nobody was surprised; the king was very sick most of the time.  The prince, however,  thought that his unkindness had brought the sickness upon his father.  The king died several days later.”

            “Now,” the cook continued, “I will take you to see the king, his most royal majesty, Opher.”

The Story of William: Part 3

CHAPTER 3

             William was in the forest.  He was beginning to feel very discouraged when he remembered the words that the King’s servant said to the King.  “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”

            William repeated the words.  “A lamp to my feet” he said, “A light to my path” he repeated. 

            William bowed his head and lowered himself to his knees.  “O King,” he said, “Help me out of here.  I cannot find a way out.  Help me, O King.”  William felt a peace surge through his body.  He felt at rest.

            Suddenly, he could see a path in front of him.  “Is it my imagination?” he wondered.  He walked over to it.  It was not!  He had a way laid out in front of him!  He could get out of the forest and on with his mission!

            William did get out of the forest.  He then slept long and hard.  When he awoke the next day, it was late morning.  He took a little bit of food from his pack, and started on for the Castle of Anthropoly, where he supposed he would find the king. 

            Before long, William was at the gates of Anthropoly.  He approached the gates, where a steady stream of people moved in.  William joined the crowd.  The throng of people was in a hurry to get inside the city gates to their homes.

            After a while, William came out of the crowd.  He stayed on the main road, instead of going on a “less traveled path”.  He saw a man outside of a building, and asked him for directions to the castle.

             “’Ollow that road, m’ boy, and ye’ll see a row of ‘eautiful houses.  Af’er abo’t a mile you’ll see the cas’sle o’ the king.”  William thanked the man and hurried on.  “I could have figured that out myself,” he thought, since by now, he could see soldiers marching to the castle.

            He passed the row of beautiful houses that the man had told him about, and after that, he saw the castle.  A double moat protected it, just as the other moat protected the city.  He walked up the drawbridge, and the soldiers briefly examined him. 

            The soldiers did not take away William’s sword.  William wondered why, and he decided that he was young and harmless in the eyes of the soldiers.  He grinned. “The Shrieks thought that too,” he remembered. 

            He was now in the courtyard, and saw a door.  Seeing that many people went in and out, he decided that he would enter there.  William walked in the door and saw a man bending over a counter.  The man turned around, and with a bloody knife in his hand, walked over and shut the door.

The Story of William: Part 2

CHAPTER 2

            All around William were the carcasses of the ugly creatures.  He looked closer at them and saw their rat-like heads with their enormous bat-like wings.  William shuddered.  The creatures were about the size of him.  He could not bear the sight of them any longer; he had to turn away.

            William felt blood trickle down the back of his head.  He touched it, and felt around, and found a big gash.  “If only this mist would clear up,” William thought.  “I could find the spring the messenger told me about.”  The mist did clear up, and soon William could see the spring.  He bent down, and bathed his wound with the icy-cold water.  The water felt good.

            William took a little food out of his bag and started to eat it.  The path started to become steeper and steeper.  He was now at the edge of the canyon.  He looked around at his surroundings and soaked in the beautiful view.  The kingdom of Anthropoly was far bigger than he had ever imagined it to be. 

            In the middle of the city there was a huge fortress, with houses and marketplaces surrounding it.  There was a wall surrounding the city, with a double moat that seemed to be at least an eighth of a mile wide.  In front of the kingdom, there was a lush, dark forest.  There were a few paths leading to the Kingdom, and William saw that one of them led to the dark, looming fortress of the Malice.

            He saw a path that seemed less traveled on.  “If this city doesn’t like the One True King,” he thought “I need to be as cautious as possible.”  William decided as he made a mental note to avoid the busy main road.  He lay down in the shelter of a scrubby tree and slept.

            The next morning, William followed the path that had seemed to go straight to the kingdom of Anthropoly.  He had been on it for a few hours, when the underbrush around him seemed to be getting thicker.  A few hundred yards later, he could not even see the path. 

            William looked around him.  All the trees looked the same.  They looked angry, and threatening.  Their branches, black on one side, and yellow on the other, seemed to reach out toward him.  William shivered as he realized that he was lost.  

The Story of William: Part 1

This is a story of faith, perseverance, and the battle against the old human nature. 

We join William on a quest to encourage, promote, and glorify the One True King, and to battle wherever darkness lies. 

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

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INTRODUCTION

             Sir William was a good looking, hardworking slave boy personally picked by the King to be rescued out of bondage.  He is smart, and skilled with the sword.  I daresay that no other boy his age is as chivalrous and kind as he is.

            I will begin his tremendously amazing story at a place near “The Canyon of Shrieks” by the old shepherds that have once watched their flocks on its once lush plain.

CHAPTER 1

             This place is so dry!” thought William as he walked on.  “And so quiet too!”  William’s black hair seemed to reflect the dry heat of the canyon.  He was incredibly thirsty.  All William could hear was the pounding of his riding boots on the ground.  They seemed to say “Water-thud-water-thud-water...” 

            William thought back to his days in bondage and when he was a slave for the emperor.  He remembered the day when the King had came and taken him away.  He also remembered his promise to the King.  “I will serve you always,” he had said, “Even until the day I die.”  William didn’t mind the heat as much anymore.  He was glad he was free.  At that very moment,  he heard an eerie yell. 

            “Eie-aii-aiii-ii!”  He heard the yell again, and this time it seemed to be closer.  Suddenly, the whole canyon started echoing with the eerie yells.  William gasped in horror, as there was a break in the mist.  The creatures were circling him like vultures ready to eat an animal carcass! William did not know what to do.  His hair on the back of his neck stood on end. 

            He felt a sudden impulse to run, but he remembered the words told to him by the messenger of the King:  “I can do all things through Him who makes me strong” William clenched his teeth.  “I will not fear,” he thought.  “The King depends on me to take the message to the king of Anthropoly.”

            William felt a sudden peace inside of him, even though the creatures were starting to swoop down on him.  William turned so only his sword side was facing the creature.  When the creature came hurtling out of the air, he applied a crosscut to it and split it in two.

The Story of William

"The Story of William" is a 7-part series starting June 5th, and ending June 11th, 2011.  Each day of week I will add another chapter here for you to read.  Please e-mail your friends about this story of adventure, faith, and conquering over evil.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

We would like to pause and wish all Mothers a happy Mother's day tomorrow.  Thank you for all you've done for each and every one of us!

-All of the "Order of Alfred" members 

Chainmail

I have recently been immersed in one of my many hobbies, making Chainmail.  I originally got the idea from ask.com, but I ran with it and have just finished making the first ever (that I've heard of) Pop-Tab Chainmail Hood.  This would not be used in battle, but rather for show or for dress occasions because of the fragility of the tabs.  The hood is made out of approximately 800 soda can tabs, individually picked and sorted.  The project has taken about six months to complete.  Out of the many possible variations, I finally decided that this one was the best.  Below I have included some pictures of the hood. 

This is the front of the hood.

This was most likely the hardest part of the whole hood; the top.  Notice the tabs spiraling in towards the middle.

This is the back.  It was also very complicated to make; since I had to join the two halves into a seam.

The next thing I would like to make is a Pop-Tab Tunic.  It would be much, much, much easier than making the hood. Also, for those who wonder, The dark tab on the front of the hood is one of two Pop-Tabs that were supposedly run through the dishwasher.


The hood is made up of over 1000 Pop-Tabs that some of you readers and followers have kindly donated.  Thank You!

Strength: Update

Above is a glimpse as to what Strength might be like. This document was taken from the first day of filming.  I was able to take the shots you see checked above, since Coach Goforth helped me get onto the field.  As you can see, I still need the rest of the shots for the movie, so it might take a little while to release.  The Coach was a little worried that I stopped the filming half-way through, but he was relieved to know that I wasn't getting paid to film because if I was it would have been "too bad".

Please keep checking for new updates and outtakes.

Strength: The Inspirational Short

I am currently working on an inspirational short called Strength with some of my amateur film friends.  The theme for the short is on the power to control words.  We will be trying to use as much of our own music as possible so that anyone who wants to buy a copy of it can.  Today, Lord Willing, will be milestone #1, the first day of filming.
If anyone is wondering why I posted this on my blog it is because I would like to have the DuckTape swords in a scene from the film.  I will post more about the movie later.
-NehemiahC

First O.A. Meeting/Battle

Thank You to all who showed up to the O.A. meeting Monday!  Next battle I will try to acquire a few water balloons for those of you who prefer to be flame throwers. :)

For those of you who could not make the battle, and would like to know more about it, we started with a woods skirmish, and then we did a lot few open field battles. 

One of my brothers was using my biggest sword, dubbed "The Wallop Sword", and it was an especially dangerous threat because the blade unintentionally can fly off during battle.  If it didn't wallop me, it certainly dolloped me!

We learned that PVC cement or glue is better than using only Duck Tape at the joints, because it makes the swords more durable.
I recently assembled a battle axe, and during the battle I attached cloth streamers that made a menacing whooshing sound as it was swung.  The sound of it was just about as threatening than the weapon itself!

For those of you who are wondering what armor to make for the next battle, I strongly suggest that you find some leg, arm, head, and shoulder protection.  Football pads or converted knee pads will work very well for shoulder protection.

I learned that our teams would have had fairer victories, had we balanced them early on.  Our teams were pretty disorganized until the last battle, when we changed teams, and had a tougher fight.

I also learned that all rules should be pr-established and reviewed, and that you need to hit someone hard so that they, and the referees know that they're hit.

Overall, it was a very fun meeting, and I will Lord willing have another one soon.

The Loch Ness Monster

Job 41:31-33   “He [leviathan] makes the deep boil like a pot of ointment.  He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.  On earth there is nothing like him, which is made without fear.”

What do the above verses mean to you?  These verses are talking about a "monster" in biblical times called the leviathan.  From these verses, we see that the leviathan is a "monster" that is often in the water.  Could this mean that the “Loch Ness Monster” in Loch Ness is real?  Let us look at some points presented in an article by Answers in Genesis about real life dinosaur tales:

In the film The Great Dinosaur Mystery [a movie by AIG], a number of dragon accounts are presented:

O       When Alexander the Great (c. 330 BC) and his soldiers marched into India, they found that the Indians worshiped huge hissing reptiles that they kept in caves.

O        England and several other cultures retain the story of St. George, who slew a dragon that lived in a cave.

O     China is renowned for its dragon stories, and dragons are prominent on Chinese pottery, embroidery, and carvings.

Petroglyphs (drawings carved on rock) of dinosaurlike creatures have also been found.

In summary, people down through the ages have been very familiar with dragons. The descriptions of these animals fit with what we know about dinosaurs.  The Bible mentions such creatures, even ones that lived in the sea and flew in the air.  There is a tremendous amount of other historical evidence that such creatures have lived beside people.

You can read the full article by Answers in Genesis here.

Most footage does not have enough evidence to prove that there is a "monster" in the Loch Ness.  Most videos of the "monster" are just really clever hoaxes planned out ahead of time.

Most people that hunt it are pretty superstitious and fearful of it, even though they have the tools they need to catch it; with advanced sonar and weapons.  These teams usually set out to find it and get "videos", but they don't pursue it, thus they don't get the evidence they need to prove that what they saw was real.

To prove my point, the picture below is of the many alleged shapes of the "Loch Ness Monster".

 The first sighting of the monster was in 1933.  Since then, many studies have been conducted on the lake, and "behold!" something was in the lake.  Some people believe that there is not one "monster" in the lake, but two.  They believe that this is the case because hardly any animal is known to live for more than 80 years!  Thus, there must have been at least two "monsters" in the lake.  This would also explain the numerous sightings of the monster in the past 80 years.

Or, the monster is now just a myth.

Thanks, wiki! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_ness_monster

Whatever happened to Wallace's sword?

For those of you who answered my poll: "Do you think that William Wallace's sword still exists?" with the answer "I don't know", you are correct.  As far as anyone can tell, nobody knows whether or not William Wallace's sword really does exist, though evidence towards it being around it favorable.

Wallace's six-pound sword has an interesting "alleged" history.  King James IV of Scotland paid 26 shillings to an armorer for "The binding of Wallace's sword with cords of silk" and providing it with "a new hilt and scabbard" in 1505.  Historians crow that this would have to be done, for after all, Wallace's sword was made with dried skin on the hilt and pommel.

Apart from that "evidence" there is some evidence that it was moved from Dumberton Castle to the Wallace monument in 1885.  It was later moved to the 2005 Tartan Day Celebration in New York City in 2005.  The sword in the picture above is most likely the one he might have used, because the metal it was made of is extremely strong. 

The evidence that I can find is in in favor of Wallace's sword being around, even though evidence for it is extremely hard to find.  For all we know, his sword might have been destroyed in the medieval times, for they had a practice that "a sword should not outlive its owner".





Thank you to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace_Sword --- And to BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/as/warsofindependence/info.shtml?loc=sword

A Match at AWANA

Wednesday evening I demonstrated fighting with swords at an AWANA talent night at our church with Greg Smoak, a friend. It was pretty fun fighting with swords in front of so many people.  Daniel popped up a picture of my blog on the huge screen, and I told people about the blog.  For all of you who may wonder about the competition, Greg Smoak is a valiant Knight who can really use a sword.

The effect on the picture to the right was achieved by using a white sheet, a desk lamp, and a small figurine.

What makes a knight?

            What makes a knight?  A knight must be strong and courageous.  He must not fear or grow weary in sight of danger.  He must be smart and quick on his feet.  He must know that he is not fighting for his own calling, but he is fighting for a calling higher than he is.  He must be a role model.  He also must be chivalrous.  He must pass on his fathers’ legacy.  He must remember that he must not be judged by his clothing, but by his heart.  This is what makes a knight.

Me in costume

Below are some pictures of me in costume.

 

The whole costume besides the socks, shoes, belt, and DuckTape was made by my older sister.

The Biggest Sword I've Built

Yesterday we went by a hardware store in town, where I bought the supplies I needed and then went home to assemble the sword.  The overall length of the sword was 4' and 4" tall.  This sword I modeled after William Wallace's two-handed broadsword.  For those of you who would like to know,  The sword is the exact length of the claymore sword. You can check out the replica sword I modeled it after here.

Stunning sunsets and Inner thoughts

I took this beautiful picture quite recently.  What does it remind you of? 
Where I live, the sunsets are exceptionally beautiful.  Not far from my home is a lake, where in the morning I can see picture-perfect sunsets.  It is amazing that our Creator, and the creator of King Alfred, can create something as stunning as a sunset, yet also He cares for us and knows our inner thoughts.

Who is Alfred?

Alfred the Great was the founder of the British monarchy.  Instead of fighting with brute force, he won battles with strength, courage, and perseverance.  By his wisdom and knowledge he laid the cornerstone for the original British empire.

We are the order of Alfred the great. Our goal is to teach others courage, strength, and perseverance by following Alfred's example.  We are the next generation, and our goal is to pass on the traits of the Godly men who went before us.