The Blog of a Writing Maiden

Keyboard recommendations?

2012-02-09T13:34:00.002-08:00

Hi friends! I'm looking into buying a piano keyboard, and am wondering if any of you guys have recommendations for what I should get. So far this is what I've come up with...

Brand: Yamaha or Korg (I've heard that Casio isn't as good...)
touch sensitive keys

I've also been told I need a damper pedal and weighted keys.

I have only about $150 I can spend on it, and have been looking at craigslist. I probably need a stand as well...? (Otherwise where would I set it when I'm playing?) I've also been deliberating on how many keys are necessary, and whether 61 is enough or if I should hold out for one with 76 or 88 keys. Basically finances are the issue, and of course I want one light enough to move easily, as I probably won't be setting it up and leaving it up somewhere.

What kind of keyboard do you have, and what have you needed/used and what features aren't necessary?

p.s. Sorry about the font; I can't figure out what's wrong with it.

A life-long race

2012-02-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Written at the beginning of December 2011

I am learning that many things are life-long. You must forgive over and over, repent over and over, turn to God over and over, re-evaluate your thinking over and over. Why else would it be called 'running the race'? When you run, you must step, over and over, and thus you go on. In life, you must do things over and over, and thus you progress, moving on in life, in maturity, and in coming closer and closer to Christ. This race has an end, but we all have a reward if we continue on and persevere to the end.

The Lord knows how long each of our races will be, for He knows what we can endure, and how long we can last, and how much we need to be challenged. And the whole way, He is running beside us, cheering us on, and helping us when we fall. Sometimes even carrying us when we are too weak to run ourselves. Sometimes, we are surrounded by people who are all running the same race as us. Sometimes, it seems there is no one to run alongside. But, the whole way, we know He is there to cheer us on and to give us what we need to finish.

If we pass up someone else, or someone passes us, or we finish before others, or they finish before us, we know that God in His wisdom is still watching over the whole track and keeping an eye on each individual. He notices when we stumble, or when we slow down, and He knows exactly what to do to keep us going. He even knows when some people will give up or just slow down, and He knows why. He knows all the difficulties of the track. He knows where all the potholes are, and which parts might make you slip, and which parts are solid.

He knows about each person in the audience that considers joining the race. He knows about the ones that consider, but then walk away and don't join. He knows about the ones that want to join, but are afraid. He knows about the ones that watch the runners and laugh or seek to harm them. He knows about the ones that run proudly, that look down on the other runners, thinking they're better at running. He knows about the ones that help the runners that fall. He knows about the people that run beside the track, but not on it, trying to trip up the people on the track; who try to appear as though they are running on the track with the runners, but are really just fooling the runners. He knows the ones that run awkwardly, that are perhaps maimed or injured, the ones that are rejected, or ignored, and He pays close attention to them, to keep an eye on them.

Not only does the Lord choose our track, and it's difficulty, He provides the training for the race, the cheering, the coaching, the rule book, and the prize at the end and anything else you could possibly need. Anyone can join, no experience required. Oh, and its free.

And, if you lean on Him, it is guaranteed that you'll win. However, it is at a cost to yourself. If you wish to join, or to continue on, the Lord asks that we talk to those who watch, to talk to those who run with us, and point them all to Him, the One who provides all this.

Do we point everyone to Christ, or do we want them to focus on us, and how great we appear to be running?

Another tag...

2012-02-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

I was tagged at "Tell the World". =)

Rules:

✔a. You must post the rules.

✔b. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

✔c. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've been tagged.

d. Tag eleven people and link them in your post.

e. Let them know you've tagged them.

11 facts about me:

1. I like to cook/bake.

2. When I sew, I don't usually follow a pattern.

3. I like picture frames. =)

4. My wardrobe has a lot of blue in it.

5. I have tasted dog food (when I was little).

6. When I was little, I put a caterpillar in my mouth.

7. I don't generally eat dog food or caterpillars anymore. ;D

8. I have all the charts from highschool. If you want to know what homework I did on a certain day in my highschool years, I can tell you exactly what subjects I did, and how much of each!

9. I decorate my room with old calendar pictures.

10. I really like pasta! =D

11. My Bible is in the NASB version (and I also have a couple of NKJV versions).

Questions I was asked:

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook

What project would you like to accomplish in the next 5 years?

Finish my book.

What book would you read over and over again?

I have read the courtship books by the Castleberrys several times.

What advice would you give those younger than you?

Desire God more than man's praise. It's something you have to work on your whole life, so you might as well start now.

What is your favorite movie of all time?

Oooh, hard question. I don't think I have one favorite. I enjoy several, including Time Changer, Star Trek, etc. (though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, unless you have ClearPlay or something).

What is your favorite phrase?

I don't know if I have a favorite phrase, though I like: "If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing." -Benjamin Franklin

What was the last song you listened to today?

Actually, I haven't listened to any songs today, except maybe a family member humming/singing. I've been listening to my playlist when I'm on the computer lately.

Name 5 people who have been an inspiration to you

hmmm... probably

my mother

George Mueller

there's gotta be more...

I enjoy reading about missionaries, so I suppose them too.

Elisabeth Elliot.

Who makes you laugh a lot?

my little siblings...

What lesson have you learnt recently?

that if you don't read your Bible and spend time with the Lord, you can start to feel empty

Why did you start blogging and what do you like most about it?

Well, I started when I was 15, and I think it was because I just wanted to, and I thought it would be fun.

I like to be able to write about things, without having to write a long book, and still have people read it, and be able to have conversations with people.

People I tag:

Stephanie, at The King's Bookworm

I know I always say this, but anyone else that wants to...

Questions for those I tag:

What is your favorite time of day?

What is your favorite meal?

Do you like fruits or veggies better?

What was your favorite toy or pastime as a child?

What is your favorite pastime now?

Have you ever just sat and read a dictionary?

Which do you like better, cats or dogs?

What do you like most about where you live?

Do you live in a mobile home or regular house?

Have you ever traveled across the country?

Do you like camping or hiking?

Excerpts from 'Flicker in the Night'

2012-02-02T17:33:00.004-08:00

So, a little background. This is taking place in the 1740s, during the Great Awakening. (You know, Jonathan Edwards? Did you know he loved dark chocolate?? =D Just learned that on Sunday. Yeah! Okay, moving on.) During that time, the churches were full of people that were not true Christians. They were somewhat superstitious as well. It's a very interesting time period, and I'm trying to have my book be historically accurate (of course). =)

First paragraph of the novel:

"Chapter 1

November 1740

The cloudy sky darkened above a dense forest settled in the midst of Connecticut, as a young woman, Lydia Findlay, hurried on the road through the trees, keeping to one rut in the dirt. A gust of wind sighed around the bend in the dirt road, and overtook her, snatching at the linen that covered her wooden basket. She shivered and nearly dropped the basket in her haste to draw her woolen cloak tighter and grab the linen at the same time. The cold months are not to be here yet, Lydia thought, trying to reassure herself. She couldn’t quite shake the feeling of dread that lingered in her heart."

Just from reading that alone, do you want to read more? Or does it sound like it's going to be a boring story? One condition for answering these questions. *Be Honest!* But please do give me your opinion on these.

Another excerpt, from Chapter 2

"She walked underneath the great bare tree right by the house, and sat down at its base, hugging her knees. As she sat there, thoughts of what the funeral would be like filled her mind. She wouldn’t need any help with being solemn. She really didn’t want to feel better, if she was honest with herself. But she forced herself to think of good things. Papa James was not feeling poorly anymore. Lydia tried to think of another good thing, but instead, her mind wandered and drifted. There would be no hired mourners, she knew, and for that she was glad. Hired mourners were only for if the deceased was disliked in the community, and Papa James had always been welcomed by everyone.

She wondered again if Irvin would go to the funeral. Would Dadai make him go?

She blinked and wiped her eyes. How they stung! She closed her eyes, and rested her head on her knees. Her head was throbbing, and her throat was starting to ache.

It seemed only a minute, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her. “Lydie?” ‘Twas a familiar voice. “Lydie? You all right?”

She slowly opened her eyes, and they stung more than ever. “Irvin?”

“What are you doing here, Lydie? Mother sent me to find you. ‘Tis time to get ready to leave.”

Lydia peered up at him, suddenly remembering. “Are you going to the funeral, Irvin?” She paused, moistening her lips and swallowing.

Irvin stood up and took his hand off her shoulder, flashing a smile at her. It wasn’t a real one though, and the beginnings of a frown appeared on his face. He looked away and shrugged, sighing. “If you truly cared for Papa James, ‘twould be best, don’t you think?” Lydia insisted. He turned back and stood there, looking down at her. “Irvin. Please do. I want you to come.” Her voice gave out and she whispered, “I need you to come.” She felt it was ridiculous to say, but it seemed true enough.

Irvin relented, and tried to smile. “Fine. I’ll go, but just this one time.”

Lydia cleared her throat. “Are you sure you mightn’t come for the service at the end of the week?”

“Absolutely not! You know how much I dislike foolish piety!” He said it almost fiercely, and was about to say more, but just turned away and headed for the front door, hunched over a little."

So, what do you think??????

Have a great day! =D

3 awards

2012-02-01T11:00:00.002-08:00

I was awarded triple times over by Jaime at "A Princess in Purity". Thanks, Jaime! This looks like fun, so here goes...

The rules for these awards is list 7 random things about yourself, then tag 15 other bloggers. =)

Here goes - 7 random things about me.

1. I am 19.

2. I have a basset hound, and our other dog is a crazy boston terrier. =D

3. I sleep on the top bunk.

4. I do not drive, except when practicing with my dad.

5. I like historical fiction.

6. I have read the Bible through only one time.

7. I love music.

I tag anyone who wants to do it. Really! If you want to do it, just comment and let me know you're doing it. =D

Next award:

Here are the rules for this award:

✔1. post these rules.

✔2. post 11 random things about yourself.

✔ 3. answer the questions set for you in their post.

✔ 4. create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. go to their blog and tell them they are tagged.
6. tag 11 people.

11 random things about me:

1. I have always shared my bedroom with my sisters.

2. I do not have a cell phone. We have a 'third phone'. =D

3. I, I, I. I think this sounds selfish. =D Um... I had bagel during breakfast, and a bagel for a snack/lunch.

4. I don't have any pants in my wardrobe. (well, there's the snowpants...)

5. I like to eat chocolate. I don't like to drink it as much as I like to eat it.

6. I like icecream. Better than cake? Yes.

7. I used to eat the frosting off my birthday cake, and then leave the cake.

8. My birthday's in fall, but I've had an icecream cake for my birthday before. =)

9. Hmmm... I like purple.

10. I have a guinea pig named Charlie.

11. My favorite boy name is, and probably always will be, Daniel.

The questions I was asked:

1. What is your dream salad? Turkey Cashew Pasta Salad. (I like pasta.)
2. How long do you spend on a computer each day? Well, it has been about 3 hours before, but lately it's been less, for which I'm glad.
3. How long have you been blogging? Since I was 15.
4. What has blogging taught you? Hmmm... good question. I don't know. Looking at all the blogs out there, though, I know I don't want mine to be fluffy, and I don't want my life to be like that either. Also, I've found that I can ~~spend~~ waste a lot of time 'blogging'. (i.e. looking at blogs, and trying to find something to do on the computer. It's easy. Don't try it.)
5. Do you have good handwriting (cursive or print)? My mom says I do, so I guess I do! =D
6. Have you ever been to summer camp, and if so do you like it? No. I've only ever been camping with my family/church.
7. Do you play an instruments? For how long? I like to play the piano, and I've tried guitar a little. I'm not currently practicing either right now. =( I should. I'm not necessarily good at them though.
8. What is something (besides the above) that you are good at? Answer honestly. I suppose I'm good at cooking and cleaning/organizing.
9. What is something in your personality you need to work on? Wow. A ton for sure. Worrying, pride, laziness. I'm sure selfishness, too. And the list goes on for sure... I'm thankful for a patient Lord!
10. How many children do you want to have in the future? I hope many, many, but we'll see what the Lord's plan is.
11. Do you like shopping? eh. Not really. Only occasionally, if I have something I'm actually going for. Or if I'm going with someone else.

Thanks, Jaime! Those were good questions. Here are my 11:

1. Which do you like better, crayons or colored pencils?

2. Do you consider yourself to be creative/craftsy or no?

3. Are you generally quiet, or talkative/outgoing?

4. Are you more or less outgoing on your blog than in real life?

5. Do you like scented candles?

6. What would your future house look like, if you could choose?

7. How many sibbies do you have?

8. What is your goal in life?

9. What was the last book of the Bible that you finished reading?

10. Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

11. Have you ever memorized a whole book of the Bible?

People I tag: anyone that follows my blog and wants to do it. =D

I do not really put awards on my sidebar, though, so they will just reside here on my post.

Thanks, Jaime! =D

p.s. Those book excerpts are coming, by the way, so look out for those tomorrow! =D

Year Past, Year Ahead giveaway

2012-01-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

There's a giveaway ending tomorrow on The King's Bookworm blog. There are 6 prizes! So I'm doing this quickly so I can enter and here's my post with the answers to the questions:

1. What do you do each year for the New Year? Stay up late and wait for the ball to drop, go to a party, etc...?

Sometimes I will stay up late, sometimes I will go to bed. We don't have set traditions for it. Last New Year, I was awake at 12. =)

2. How do you celebrate Valentines Day? Do you go all out (decorate the house, go out to dinner, etc.), do you just give each other Valentines or chocolate, or do you not acknowledge the day at all?
I don't do much, except say 'Happy Valentine's Day!' =)

3. Do you get snow in the winter? How much?
Not a ton. This year, we got up to about 6 inches. Enough to go sledding. =)

4. How do you celebrate Easter?
We go to our grandparents' house.

5. "April showers bring May flowers." Does this saying describe where you live?
Somewhat. We get flowers in spring, of course, but they probably start coming up before May sometimes. =)

6. June is a month well known for weddings. How many people do you know that have been married in June?
I don't know for sure. I'm sure I do know some people, but I don't know everyone's anniversaries.

7. Do you celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks? What is your favorite kind of firework?
No. But we watch other people waste their money! =) It's quite fun, though loud.

8. Ok, so August gets really hot. How do you like to cool off on a hot summer day?
Go swimming, or stand in front of the air conditioner. =D

9. Ahh... September the month when you get in your last digs of the summer, the leaves might start changing colors, and you start school. What do you like best about September?
Our church's annual campout; the changing of the season, in a way.

10. October... now that involves pumpkins. :D Do you and your family go to a pumpkin farm or the store and get pumpkins? What do you do with them? Do you carve them or make pies out of them (if they are edible ;))?
We go to a pumpkin farm. We haven't been buying much of them the last few years, but usually they just sit there for decoration. We have carved pumpkins a few times, though. =D

11. Thanksgiving is a wonderful start to the Holiday Season. What are you thankful for this past year?
How much the Lord has taught me. My beautiful family. My church. The experiences I've had.

12. Christmas is such a wonderful time... how do you celebrate Christmas Day?
We go to our grandparents' and have a Christmas brunch. It's tradition! =D We give and open presents. Exchange of the gifts in just my family happens on Christmas Eve, but with the relatives, on Christmas Day.

13. What was the most memorable thing that happened to you this past year?
Oh, boy. I don't know. My little sister was born, I had my first airplane ride. It's been a year of spiritual growth for me too.

14. Was there something this past year that you were able to learn from in a major way?
Wow, yes! There have been many things. I lesson I know I have not finished learning, is that you really have to obey God above everyone else. You must make sure you are in line with His word, not with everyone else's word. I'm in the process of learning that you need to care what the Lord thinks, and not care so much what others think. It's easy to know, but not fully take on and act on, you know?

15. There are ups and downs in every year. What was the happiest thing that happened? What was the saddest?
The happiest thing is probably that my little sis was born! =D The saddest thing is not for the general public's consumption. Sorry. =/

If you want to see the highlights of last year, see this post.

16. What are you looking forward to this year? Have you any super duper plans ahead of you?
I so want to learn more about my Savior, Jesus. I'm looking forward to growing in Him. I have hopes and dreams, of course, but we'll see what God's plan is...

I do hope to work more considerably on my book. I want to have more joy. I like serious more than silly, but I do want to have the joy of the Lord more present in my life. He's given me a ton to be joyful about, but I think over the past year, I've taken to more pondering and quiet thinking, and less joke making. Not that making jokes is bad, but I don't want to be the type of person who can't stop, and becomes annoying in doing it. It may seem strange, needing to work on being joyful, and it's not that I never laugh, but.... well, if you don't know what I'm talking about, then you won't understand, and if you do, then you will. =D

17. What is the funniest thing that happened last year, that never fails to make you laugh?
I'm not sure. I don't think there was just one funny thing! I'm not thinking of many at the moment, though.

18. What was your favorite month last year?

Again, sorry, I don't have a favorite. I liked Dec. as I had my birthday, but I just like the whole year, I guess. =)

A little update on life and such things...

2012-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

This week, our project was to switch the girls to our parents' room, and our parents to the girls' room. This has been taking up quite a bit of time (as you can imagine). We have 6 girls in our room, and needed more space (and the master bedroom is the only bedroom in our house that's bigger than the girls' room). Anyway, so today I worked on editing my novel, and I finished a whole chapter! My, it takes a loooooong time! But, I'm happy to have finished another chapter. =)

Is anyone interested in reading an excerpt of my novel? Just thought I'd put that out there and see if any of you folks would be interested. =)

Have a great weekend, folks!

Courageous, the movie

2012-01-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

We own all the Sherwood pictures movies so far, and since my parents don't have tons of extra money lying around, and I wanted to see it, and don't own one of them myself so far, I bought it. My dad was out already, so he stopped by the store and picked it up for me. We watched it that night (the day it came out). I've never bought a movie before on the day it came out on DVD. =)

Pros - Interesting storyline; not predictable, and kept your attention. Acting was pretty good too. I liked seeing the different kinds of characters and their situations.

Cons - Too 'preachy'.

To me, it was not as high of quality as Fireproof was. I was thinking about it, and I think it's because Courageous focuses on 4 different guys, and their families, so it didn't have as much time to develop each character's story. Whereas, Fireproof, and all the other movies Sherwood Pictures has done, were focusing on 1 or 2 characters, and their families. From what I've seen, Sherwood pictures seems to do better focusing on one or two main characters and their situations. Those seem to be more successful, and more effective.

Anyway, another thing is that MINOR SPOILER ALERT when Adam (the main character) decides to sign a resolution, and his buddies decide to do it too, one of the guys' wives says that they need to do a ceremony. Now, I'm all for having accountability, but I'm not much into doing tons of official vows. I mean, obviously, you need official vows when you get married and things like that. But, for something like this resolution in the movie, I would've had my family watch me sign it, and then hang it on my wall. When a Christian thinks they need to do a bunch of vows, their life gets so filled with trying to fulfil all the vows, that they lose sight of what being a Christian really is. Anyway, rabbit trail there, but I just would've rathered (if it had been me), done it kind of like how people do child dedication. Just a quiet proclamation before some witnesses, that you plan on doing this thing, and signing it to make it set in ink that you want to. END MINOR SPOILER

Other thoughts -

It accomplished the emotional punch, and was a very emotional movie overall (though if you must know, I didn't actually cry much). It can make you think, and you do feel for the characters. Probably not for anyone younger than about 14, though, depending on the maturity level of the individual.

So, would I recommend it? Actually, to be honest, I don't know that I would. In the sense that, if someone said, "What's a good movie that you'd recommend?", Courageous would probably not be on the top of my list. The ending was not a wow ending for me.

So, yeah, it depends on what sort of movie you like. I'd say, if you've seen their other ones, then sure, go watch it. It was clean, entertaining, and I enjoyed it.

Also, I would probably watch it again (and I should hope so, since I own it now =). It was entertaining, and also had good morals, which is severely lacking nowadays. So, I guess, yeah, in a way I would recommend it. Hmmm... anyway, you can decide for yourself if you want to see it. I'd say go for it, and let me know what you think! =)

The Christmas Sweater

2012-01-19T22:55:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

a review by me =)

Ah, it has been a long time since I read half a book in one day. The Christmas Sweater was that book for me. I read it a few months ago, but have just now finally got around to writing a review for it.

Synopsis - So, it's about this boy whose family has always been poor. His father dies from cancer, and so him and his mother continue to struggle on, trying to make ends meet. One Christmas, he is anxious to get a bicycle, and when the day arrives, he gets a knit sweater (made by his mother). He hates it, and thinks he will never be happy unless he has the bike. His mother is killed in a car accident, and he goes to live with his grandparents on a farm. So, it's basically about his journey of learning what is important in life and how to get right with those around him and get out of this pit of self-pity that he's been wallowing in.

Pros - The story was interesting, gripping, compelling... it made me want to keep reading. It was easy to read, and it was interesting, because in parts of it, a character would say something, and then Eddie (the MC), would think something in response, and you can tell he is twisting what character #1 said. You know? You understand what #1 is saying, but Eddie twists it in his mind, making it suit his purpose and misinterpreting it. So that was a very interesting tactic.

Cons - Near the end, when Eddie hits rock bottom so to speak, the point that is made is this:

you are worthy of redemption

I was reading through the book, and the character was getting closer and closer to the point where he could finally realize he needed redemption, and then, it just comes out with this message about how you need to realize that you are worthy, and you should believe in yourself. I was very disappointed, and now realize that this is a major difference between Mormons and Christians. I mean, I knew Mormonism was wrong, did not match up with the Bible (even though they try to make it match up), and wasn't really anything like Christianity, but this just shows a very specific difference. Instead of pointing the reader to the cross, and to Jesus, it just tells you that you are worthy of redemption!

Now lets just think about this for a minute. As far as I know, you don't have to be redeemed unless you are unworthy of heaven. If I need redemption, then I am not worthy of it. If I were worthy, I'd go to heaven without needing redemption. Being worthy of redemption is not possible, so I am very sorry to see that Glenn Beck wasted this opportunity to point people to Jesus and show them that they need to be saved. Knowing that he's not a Christian, however, I suppose I shouldn't have been that surprised. It is just disappointing to see an opportunity like this, a compelling story leading up to a climax, wasted on a false idea.

Now, I haven't read the book in a few months, and I think I may be missing one other point similar to this, but this is the one I remember.

One other thing that I do not like is that one of the characters (who is a habitual lier and deceiver) is made out to be a great role model.

In closing - I'm not going to give some sort of rating, but I'd say its definitely for older, mature people to read. I don't know that I'd recommend it, but it is an interesting story and kept my attention. You just need to read objectively, comparing all you hear to what the Scriptures say.

I love home.

2012-01-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

I love being at home. Or more specifically, I love my family. I love being at home, because that's where my family is. If my family was in Antarctica, then I would love to be there, because that's where my family is. I love the fact that I'm not off at college, or at a job 8-5 each day. I love to sit on the couch, holding my Little Man, or my cutie pie chubby baby, or eavesdropping on my little sisters playing house. I love cooking yummy meals and I especially love it when I get the meal done at a decent time, complete with fruits and vegetables, and all the food ready at once. I love to hear my Clementine say 'You'd make a good mom.' or another sister say 'I like you.'

courtesy images.google

I like being in a place where I'm always loved. Even when my hair is messy, or I'm crying my eyes out over something (trivial), there's always someone who likes me, or who loves me. (Sometimes it can be a little over-done, as in the cases when my Clementine says 'are you okay?' and I'm fine. Thanks for asking dear. But, do I look like I've been crying?) I like spontaneous conversations about we sometimes look mad or like we've been crying, when we are fine or just in deep thought. I like having a big family. I LOVE having a big family. I like the fact that when I watch a movie, there's always someone to watch it with. Actually, I don't like watching a movie alone. If there's no one to watch with me, I'd rather not watch it at all.

I'm not a disillusioned, brainwashed young woman who is saying this because that's what I've always been taught. On the contrary, I know about what makes a woman successful by modern-day standards. I know that college is the best way to go after you graduate. I know getting a degree will bring the most success in life, the best job (yeah, right), and the most security.

But I also know what is real. Jesus is real, and no job can provide the security that His love can. After having 'tried out', in a sense, working outside the home (even if it was only house-cleaning and babysitting), I've found that I love being at home. Not that babysitting is bad (its not), and I like to help and bless people, but I just love being at home. I can babysit, clean, bless, and help at home. I understand that others need help, and I'm willing to give it. I enjoy spending a week with my grandparents. I enjoy spending time with my relatives. I enjoy hanging out for a day with a friend. But, I also enjoy my home. Considering the current state of most young ladies' lives out there, I am thankful this is the case. Most young ladies don't have healthy home lives for which to joy in.

At the moment, I feel more comfortable at home and church than anywhere else. Well, that and Grandma & Grandpa's house or my aunt & uncle's house. All these places involve family. My family's houses.

It makes sense why people say that family is the foundation of the country. It makes sense why the family is so under attack by Satan.

I can't put pictures of my favorite things in my house, because my favorite things are my siblings and parents. I do have a mug from my brother that I particularly like. But,even that can't compare with the worth of My Favorie ~~Things~~ People.

Who (or what) is your favorite thing? First should always be Jesus. Where does He rank on your list, and what/who has 2nd place in your heart?

DIY Homemaker

2012-01-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a blog/website called DIY Homemaker. The idea is to make a collection of articles, by many different ladies, on the subject of homemaking. DIY, as you probably know, stands for 'do it yourself'. So, I'd like for many of the articles to be about doing things yourself. (Cooking healthy, recipes from scratch, raising animals, making your own clothes, gardening, cleaning, things like that.) Since I certainly don't know all of this myself, I'm trying to recruit writers. I'd like to learn from others while making a place where people can learn from each other.

Would you, or anyone you know, be interested in writing for it? I have a bunch of info up on the blog about writing for it. Even if you don't want to write for it, please check it out! http://diy-homemaker.blogspot.com/

New Year's Day

2012-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Day! to all my readers, friends and family - those I know and those I don't know - both new and old. As I've said before, 2011 was a year of new experiences and growth for me, and I have no idea what 2012 will hold for me, but I know God is in control, even when my little heart fears. He is in control, and I doubt I'll ever stop having to learn to trust Him (!).

New Year's Eve the three oldest sisters in my family watched the Princess Bride. Ha, yes we laugh at the awkward parts, snicker during the sappy looks (even though we're girls), and turn the volume down during the torture scenes.

So in the last post, I talked about last year.

How about this year? There's not much I can really say about it, since I'm not fully acquainted with it and have really no idea what it will be like.

I would like to make a goal for myself, however. (And keeping with the name of my blog, it's fitting that that goal happens to pertain to my writing pursuits - if you can call an occasional edit or scribbling 'writing pursuits'. =)

My NaNoWriMo 2010 book (2 YEARS AGO?!), called 'Flicker in the Night', has been slowly and infrequently worked on, and it's about time I work on it seriously to get it finished.

So, I'm setting a goal. (Hear, hear!) I would like to be finished with the 1st edit by March. I'm thinking, finish the first edit, have some people take a look at it and see if I missed anything, and then look into publishing it (perhaps self-publish?). It will never be a perfect book, but I don't want it to be riddled with errors (sheesh, that would be terrible). I also don't want to be so hung up on that that I never finish. I know that when I finish, it won't be the greatest book ever written, but I hope it will be entertaining and wholesome, thought-provoking and interesting. I hope it won't be too obvious that it was written by a 19 yr. old (as in, many obvious mistakes), but I know it won't be Tolstoy (anyone else here like his short stories?) or some other famous author. It will be imperfect, just as I am, but will still be dear to my heart, I'm sure. I just hope that someday, it can be dear to the readers' hearts as well.

In any case, I have a question, or rather a small favor, to ask you. I'm going to put a little note up on my sidebar or at the top of my blog about it, but would any of you be willing to comment every once in a while asking about it (how far I've gotten, if I'm almost done, etc.)? Because, it would be splendid if I had reminders, and it would give a little dose of motivation.

If you think you could perphaps do it, even if only once, I'd really appreciate it!

(Of course, if you forget about me, someone you don't even know, but who struggles along, trying to write something worth reading, and not become lazy [can you believe writers can become lazy? I can.] that's okay. I truly won't be offended. I do like comments though and would be very pleased if you left one. =)

First post of the year? Here it is! 2012 is here, full of unexpected surprises. It's like looking at the horizon and wondering what's over it, and knowing that Lord willing, you will one day actually find out.

Reflections on the old year

2011-12-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

I think right about now is when I'm supposed to dish up a winsome and fascinating list of New Year's Resolutions. "Get up at 6 every morning, brush teeth at least twice a day, smile at a stranger every time I go somewhere, etc." I actually don't take too kindly to these sort of things in my life as I usually don't fulfill them. (Read 15 new books? Yeah, right! Ha.) Why promise myself to do something, when I know I won't? I know there will be days I forget to brush my teeth. Is that something worth groaning and sobbing over when I fail? Not really. I agree that we should take care of our bodies, however, lest you think I'm some sort of backwards wierdo (well, maybe I am =D).

This last year, 2011, has been jam-packed, and I've experienced things I really wouldn't have guessed. Partially for my benefit, here's an overview.

I had my first airplane ride in January, and was away from my family (across the country!) for 3 weeks. The longest I've ever been away from them. Thank the Lord for the telephone. I used it daily.

This year, I've tackled a few more worthwhile subjects here on my blog. I don't like 'fluffy' posts, and so why do them here on my blog? If I don't have anything encouraging or thought-provoking, or challenging to say, then I don't know that it would really be worth it to say anything. Written in February: Preparing and Waiting for Prince Charming, Part 1 Preparing and Waiting for Prince Charming, Part 2

April (or maybe it was March?), I got a printed copy of the first draft of "Flicker in the Night" (which was, if you didn't know, my NaNoWriMo 2010 novel).

May, I graduated highschool (why homeschool? - click here to read my assessment), and our family was also very involved in helping a family we knew, whose baby had heart problems.

It was in June that my baby sister arrived, and our family became a dozen. I also wrote up a post in that month about how I wanted to write worthwhile things. I also got a second-degree burn on my right hand (my dominant hand), and had to wear a wrapping on my hand for a couple/few weeks. Praise the Lord there was no scarring, and no lasting side-effects. During that time, I didn't do as much work as usual, and I'm afraid I got a little used to that. I don't like lazyiness, but it sure can easy to 'take a break'.

In August, I discussed how Christians writers should write, and how we should be thinking while we're waiting for God's man for us (obviously aimed for girls =). Continuing on with a sort of theme, I also posted in September about Watching out for Mr. Perfect! and my opinion on modesty. Sept. was also the month that my dad became unemployed (and he still is).

In October, I wrote about desiring Christ most of all. Don't know who Christ is? Let me introduce you...

I think it was July through October off and on that I was helping a family we know, whose mother is pregnant and was having complications early on. This year, I've been away from my family the most I've ever been in one year. I've survived, and learned quite a bit in the process. =)

November was my second year doing NaNoWriMo (in which I won). Interestingly enough, Nov. had the most posts here on my blog.

December I turned 19. I feel like I've grown quite a bit this year, in my walk with Jesus, and (hopefully) maturity. I think that the Lord's really been teaching me more about what really matters in life. This year for Christmas, I was able to buy my family gifts, so I was really excited for Christmas. I also received some right fine gifts, among them a book by Katie Davis (who blogs here), called 'Kisses from Katie'. I've really been enjoying it.

This year has been a year of changes for me. Graduating highschool and watching as the kids start school again, this time without me, my dad becoming unemployed and now spending the day with him being home instead of at work, problems with extended family members. Starting an etsy shop - I haven't sold a single thing yet! :( Wondering if etsy is really for me.

I've learned that if I set a goal for myself, I can really accomplish it if I work hard (if it's God's will, of course). I set a goal of when to graduate, and even though I took a month (practically) off school in Jan, I was still able to graduate a month early.

I don't know what 2012 has for me, but I hope to grow more and more in the Lord, and hopefully to do something effective for Christ. I still hope someday to learn piano (music is beautiful), and I've been thinking about doing missions work, praying, and wondering if that is God's will for me someday.

Please direct all praise and glory to the Lord. Without Him, I think my life would be a wreck.

Something un-profound

2011-12-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a writer. She lived in a house with lots of siblings, and her days were full to the brim with thinking, cooking, reading blogs, and sometimes even moments of nothing. She neglected her own blog, having many thoughts but not one word in which to say them on the web where the whole world could see them. The world waited in breathless anticipation for the day when she would one day reappear.

One day, it finally happened. =)

The world sat in shocked silence, leaning forward on the edge of their seats, reading every word carefully, whispering them under their breath and contemplating every sentence. This girl never ceased to amaze.

Well....

maybe not. ;)

What could I say? Where do I start?

Anyone looking at my life might say, "Well, there hasn't been much new, and certainly not much to get excited about."

Ah, but there they are wrong.

Sometimes the biggest things that happen are the things that happen in your mind and your heart. Contemplating, learning, thinking, wondering, hoping, fearing. All things that you can't touch or see, really, but which have huge effects on one's life if one endulges in them long enough.

I guess I don't really have anything much profound to say.

Sorry if I'm a waste of your time. I hope to have something profound to say in the future. ;)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am not ashamed to say Merry Christmas. I don't usually say happy holidays, for the reason, I assume, that I don't celebrate any of the other holidays. New Years' Day, yes (kinda), but other than that, just Christmas. So there you have it.

Today is the day that we celebrate the birth of our precious Lord Jesus. Nothing on earth has ever mattered more than our Lord.

If you think about it, it's so amazing and awesome. Our God, not just any god, but the greatest of all gods, the God of gods, and Lord of lords:

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Phil. 2:6-7)

He was born as a baby, a human baby, and yet He was God himself at the same time.

Why did He do it? What could be the purpose of doing something like that? Why should we put up a nativity and think about a baby in a manger?

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:8)

The whole reason is was Him to die. His whole reason for living on earth, growing up as a carpenter's son, serving and striving along with regular joe-blows (so-to-speak) was to die, crucified next to a couple of criminals.

And why would He do all that and die? Live, growing up, all of it to end with the death that a criminal deserves - living perfectly and fulfilling the Law, only to have it end in a cruel death, surrounded and killed by people who hated Him? Whose only thoughts for Him were of murder?

He did it for you.

He did it for me.

We deserve to die like He did. We deserve death. We deserve death forever, everlasting horror.

We deserve it because we can't fulfill the Law. The good things we do are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Imagine when you clean the bathroom, scrubbing around the base of the toilet. Or, when you clean out your refrigerator. That rag that you use can get pretty filthy. I don't know about you, but I'm not enthusiastic about keeping that dirty rag around when I'm done. Well, when we do something good, that 'good' deed is just like that dirty rag. Because it's marred by sin.

As a result of Jesus doing all this for us:

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)

Jesus deserves our worship and praise, our wholehearted service. He deserves no less.

Us on the other hand, ay-yi-yi. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. Any good we attempt to do is marred by sin. How can we expect God to be pleased with us when we don't honor Him in other areas of our life? We don't deserve praise. We don't deserve anything but punishment forever.

But if you accept Jesus' gift of salvation - His sacrifice in place of us having to die for our sin - then God looks at you as being clean because of His Son. As if you've been scrubbed off and shined up, and He doesn't treat you according to your past sins, because He forgives you for them. He forgives us because of Jesus. But only if we believe Jesus, and trust Him, accepting that He did it for us.

He already did it. We can't change that, not even by disbelieving. It's true no matter if you believe it or not. It's already done. Its just a matter now of whether we accept it or not.

So what do you gain by not believing? You gain hell, everlasting torture.

What do you gain by believing? Everlasting life with the Creator of the universe. The most creative person you'll ever meet. The most amazing artist, musician, writer of all time. He's the best at everything, and He knows everything there is to know.

There's a cost, though. You not only must accept His gift, but you must have Him as Lord of your life. You can't just accept and then continue how you're living. You have to repent of your sins. It's a continual thing. You must humble and submit yourself to Christ daily.

It can be hard, and Satan will attack you. But, Christ conquered death. Christ is more powerful than sin, and Satan.

God's plan is best, so whose plan would be better to follow than the One who knows what each path would end in? What each door could lead to?

I heard an analogy recently.

There are two families. One's father is Satan, and one's father is God.

Which family are you a part of? You can't be in neither family. You are in one of them, but which one is it?

So, what can we learn from Jesus' example?

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (Phil. 2:1-5)

We must have the same attitude that Christ did when he took the form of a bond-servant and was made in our likeness, the likeness of men.

My question is, how could anyone insist that God doesn't love? What else can we demand of Him?

He lowered Himself to our level, for our sake!!

Think of the person/people whom you are close to, whom you love.

Well, God loves you even more than whoever it is you're thinking of. If you disregard what He did for you, it's worse than slapping Him in the face. Can you imagine slapping that person whom you love? Can you imagine spitting in their face and cursing at them? Then could you really consider doing that to God? How could we?

If I were to give a gift, and the person rejected it and didn't speak to me after that, I would be really disappointed, and very hurt. How would you feel if someone rejected the gift you gave them?

Yet are you willing to do the same to God?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for coming to earth as a human, in the vulnerable form of a baby. For being an example to me of what lowering myself, and humbling myself really means. I'm not anywhere near to being perfect like You, and yet You, being perfect, humbled Yourself down to be an example to me. You don't have to humble yourself, but I must. I don't deserve praise like You.

You are the best example of what laying down your life for your friend really means. You are so awesome, Lord, that I can't even really comprehend it. When I finally realize another part of your majesty, it's only just another tiny snippet of who You really are.

I can't really comprehend You, yet You took the time to give me a letter, to let me know a little about You. I can't comprehend You, yet You're patient, willing, and eager to have a relationship with me. To listen to me, hear my problems, my worries, my fears. You are willing to just let me cry on Your shoulder. You are willing to hear about the same thing, over and over and over again, when I encounter the same problem many times; to help me through that problem each time, even though You've helped me through it before. You show me and teach me a little more each time. Or, maybe I just learn the same thing as last time and had forgotten, so it seems new. That's another thing. Nothing's new with You, and You don't forget anything.

You give me gifts I don't deserve. You shower me with love. You impress me. You show off to me and I love it. You are really the only one worthy of being able to show off. You show me that You alone are awesome, and anything else on earth that I could ever be impressed with isn't really much compared to You.

You teach me how to love other people. I cry for those who are in need. Who need You. Who need love. I wonder what Your plan is for me. I hope in You. I wish, and dream. And I don't know. But, You tell me that You are enough. That I just need to trust You.

I believe You, Lord. I believe that You are enough. I don't know what it's like to live for years on end, wondering where I'll get food. You provide for me daily. Yet there are people out there who don't know if their families will live or die tomorrow. They need You, Lord. Convict them, and show them You are there. That You love them. That you are the most awesome Gift the world will ever see. That you can heal, save, and protect. That You listen, and answer. That you love, with a love we don't comprehend. With a love that surpasses any other love on earth. And that that love is directed toward us. We don't deserve it! Why do You do it? I love You. I love that You love me, and that You want to give me Your love.

I should probably sign off now, Lord.

You are the most awesome, Lord, and I thank You that you're willing to love me, and teach me how to love. That you came as a baby to earth.

Even though the world wants me to think about a fat, red, jolly guy that lives in a fake place in the middle of the ocean, on Christmas, I don't forget that You came. That guy doesn't impress me, and he doesn't come anywhere close to You.

I love you.

-Your daughter, servant, and admirer

Israel and manna

2011-12-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have been reading through Exodus, and I find things that I've never really noticed before, even though I've read Exodus at least once, if not more times.

So, God saved Israel from the Egyptians at the Red Sea in Ex. 14, but then only 3 days later, they're complaining because they can't find any water (ch. 15)! I understand that having no water can be horrible, but after what God had just done, why didn't they turn to Him and just ask Him for some? I'm sure He would've been glad to oblige!

How often God blesses us, and we turn around and are not grateful, or we seemingly forget what He just did, and grumble or complain.

I find this interesting:
"So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat." (Exodus 16:13-15)

So the manna wasn't just hunks of bread laying all over the ground. And how did God get rid of the manna?

"They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt."(verse 21)

You can see God's handiwork here - I'm sure some people would've tried gathering later in the day, but that was made impossible since the manna melted when the sun came out! People had to obey God as to when to gather otherwise they'd have no manna that day to eat.

And, even though some gathered more than they were supposed to, and some gathered less, when they measured it, each man had the amount he was supposed to have. (vs. 17-18)

Manna is described in vs. 31: "The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey."

God must've known future generations like us would be curious as to how manna tasted! He didn't have to, and I wonder what His reason was for including that, but in any case, we have a wonderful God who knows us even better than we know ourselves!

Why Do You Believe That?

2011-12-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

Why do you believe what you believe? Is it because your Sunday School Teacher said so? Is it because your great-grandma said so? Is it because your parents said so?

Now, before I go any further, I really want to clarify one thing. I am not against parental authority, or even the authority of your elders. Rather, I fully recommend that you obey them, as much as you are able (unless they tell you to directly disobey God).

This post is not about whether you should obey your parents, rather, it's about beliefs. I am also addressing older people here. I'm not recommending that all little kids need to stop believing their parents from now on. No, I am talking to young adults (mainly teenagers and up). People who are responsible, and who have a certain level of maturity. If you are old enough to start considering seriously whether you will, say, go to college, and how you're going to pay for it, then you're probably right around the age that I would say I'm aiming for. That, and older. Of course, I know there are younger people out there who are would definitely be mature enough to read this message too. I'm just stating my intended audience.

Okay, so to start off with, I'll state my main point.

It is important, esp. as you grow older, to understand why you believe something. If you were to ask me, "Why do you believe the Bible?", it would be unacceptable for me to answer "Because that's how I grew up. It's what my parents taught me. It's what I've always believed."

You see, I am an adult. When you start reaching adulthood, it's important to examine what you believe against the Bible. Now, this does not mean to discredit what your parents or pastor says, like what I said above.

However, we cannot go through life as competent adults while only saying we believe something because our parents say so. We are going to be responsible before God for our actions, thoughts, and beliefs. Consider:

1 Peter 3:13-17 (NAS)

13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,

15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

We must be able to give a defense when someone asks about the hope in us. If someone asks about why I believe I'm going to heaven, I need to be able to answer readily.

I believe we must also be able to explain our beliefs to anyone who asks. Of course, it's okay not to know everything (we can't really avoid that anyway!), but if we do believe something, and someone asks why we believe it, and we honestly don't know, then we need to make sure we research whatever it is. It would be ridiculous to believe things and just not know why!

For example, why is it that you believe in God? Is it because your parents say He exists?

Or why do you believe in Creation instead of Evolution? Because your pastor says so? Or maybe vice versa. Why do you believe in Evolution? Because your school teacher said so?

We should have a reason as to why we believe things. I myself happen to believe some of the same things as my parents. Not because they say so, but I've seen why they believe what they do, and it matches up with the Bible. So, now, I believe what they do, not because they do, but because it matches up with the Bible.

I actually do not always agree with everything my parent(s) believe. If I disagree, however, my parents are always willing to show me from the Bible why they believe what they do. Oftentimes, I end up believing what they do. But, not always. However, this should only be the case if you give your elders/parents all the respect they are due (in accordance with God's commands), and if you seriously consider all sides. I do not believe it's something to be taken lightly. If you feel inclined to believe against your parents, because maybe you're struggling with rebellion or something, I would seriously caution you. Because then your main reason in believing differently is because you don't want to listen to authority. It's a distinction we need to keep in mind. As we get older, this does not give us permission to write off whatever our parents say. On the contrary, we should rather take their opinions and words even more, because we are embarking on a life as an adult, that we really don't know anything about.

Sometimes, you have to decide what you believe, and there are many honorable and godly men and women that believe either side (take Arminianism vs. Calvinism). It is a matter of how you view/interpret the Scripture. You can't just believe one or the other (well, you can, but you shouldn't), but you need to know why you believe one or the other.

If you don't know the reason for your belief, make sure you figure it out. And if you find yourself to be wrong, compared to the Bible, then you should change. If you find you are wrong, compared to a famous preacher, like Voddie Baucham, Kevin Swanson, or Billy Sunday, then don't change your mind. Rather, compare what they are saying to what the Bible says. If what they say matches up, only then should you change your mind.

All that having been said, parents and elders are given to us, and we need to listen. But, what they say is not the final word on beliefs. The Bible is. If you find that what they say is against the Bible, you should seriously consider their advice and the Bible before just believing anything they say. If my parents chose to become Atheists, as an extreme example, I would not follow them in their beliefs. Atheistic beliefs do not match up with the Bible.

I hope this really encourages you to seek God and the why behind your beliefs. Do not blindly follow whatever people say, even if they are your elders. That is how people are led astray. The moment someone says you don't need to look it up in the Bible to see for yourself, is the moment you should ditch that person's advice until further notice.

1 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Acts 20:29-31

29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

Another Vision Forum Giveaway!

2011-11-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

Vision Forum is a website that sells Christian books. Would you like to win a few hundred dollars to spend at their store online?

There are several blogs that are giving away Vision Forum gift cards ($100, $200, and $300 at each site!).

Click here to go to Generations Cedar and enter the giveaway! Ends. Dec. 3rd

Click here to go to Raising Olives and enter the giveaway! Ends Dec. 3rd

Click here to go to Life in a Shoe and enter the giveaway! Ends Dec. 9th

Click here to go to Smockety Frocks and enter the giveaway! Ends Dec. 3rd

Click here to go to the Modest Mom and enter the giveaway! Ends Dec. 3rd

=)

2011-11-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

2011-11-28T20:50:00.001-08:00

Live like you're going to die tomorrow. Because, in light of eternity, you are.

Serve people, not to look good, but because you have a very small amount of time that God has given you to love them. Someday soon, you won't have the chance to show them love, and then you'll wish you had. Even if you disagree on something, or have squabbled about something, try to make amends and then show them how much you love them! Serve them from your heart. Serve them because Jesus loves them, and Jesus died for them, and Jesus wants them to be His own as much as He wants you to be His own.

Untitled: A NaNoWriMo Tag

2011-11-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by loverofbooks and Miss Georgiana with a NaNoWriMo tag.

1. Write the title of your novel in the title bar. My novel is currently untitled.

2. Nominate two other people you know who are doing Nano. Anyone that is doing NaNoWriMo this year, please feel free to do this tag on your blog! =)

3. Answer all the questions below.

What is your current word count?
43,343 words

What would you consider is best about your novel: plot, dialog, characters, or description?
Plot.

Which of the above would you consider your weakest point?Probably description.

Of all your characters who do you like the best?
Lee Joel.

For sure.

What was the inspiration for your novel?

I originally had an idea, and talked to my parents about it, and they gave me ideas, so now it has morphed so much, it is quite different from the original idea, and I like it better because it's more unique than the original idea. Whew! Long sentence, but hopefully that made sense. =D

How long have you been doing Nano?

This is my second year. I won last year, and aim to this year. =D

What other writing projects have you completed or are in the process of writing?
Flicker in the Night

What would you consider the funniest line in your novel?
Oh, sheesh. Um, I don't know, but here's part of a scene in my novel that isn't exactly serious. Most of my novel is serious, so there's a few scenes that give some 'comic relief'.

"Can you tell us a story?" Lily hung her legs off the front of the couch and swung them back and forth.

"What should it be about?" asked Betty, looking at the clock, and keeping an eye on the hall toward the desk to the ICU.

"A princess," said Lily quickly.

"No, a spy." Stephen pulled his cardboard phone out of his pocket. "One that protects the president and his wife. Lily, you be the president's wife, and I'll be the president."

"Okay."

Go to the 11th page of your novel and paste the last paragraph here. I don't have my book in 'pages' right now. I'm using Yarny.me, so each chapter is separate. Therefore, I'll do the last paragraph of my 11th chapter instead.

Okay, never mind, because it's kinda boring, so I'll do the last paragraph of chapter 10 instead:

Pam was silent as she did so, staring at Lee's face. "Lee," she said softly, almost like a whisper. "Lee we're all here for you." Lee lay unmoving, unresponsive to her words, but somehow, it felt like he really knew what they were saying. "We all hope and pray you get better soon."

What time period is your novel set in?
2011 =D

Please paste here the paragraph you consider the best.
Not sure which is best, but here's a pretty good one:

He tried to say he could hear, but his tongue wouldn't cooperate. A strange smell filled the room he was in and reminded him of the perfume Grandma Downing always wore. He moved his fingers a bit, and under his touch was a soft, cool sheet.

This makes it look like I'm good at description (maybe), but most of my book isn't this good in description.

What are you planning to do when your novel is all written and edited? Writing wise, that is.

Well, I want to finish "Flicker in the Night" and get both that and this current one published. After that, I'll probably write another book?? =D

Yay! =D

2011-11-26T12:35:00.001-08:00

I'm so happy today! I like how my novel's going. =D You know when you think of something, and you get it down on paper, and it seems perfect for your story - worded right, flows with the story, adds a great element, and you can't believe you thought it up...? Yeah...

Difficulties with your story fade into the past, and you plunge ahead with this great newness. It's especially great when that happens near the end of your novel, because the end is so close, you can almost taste it. ;)

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
Mark Twain

Joyfully Feminine

2011-11-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

My website. Please visit! =D

40K

2011-11-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hit 40,000 words!! =)

My 40,000th word is head. ;)

And now I am ahead. =D

Vision Forum Giveaway

2011-11-21T21:55:00.000-08:00

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home is hosting a giveaway for gift cards to Vision Forum totaling $600!

Vision Forum, if you don't know about them already, is an organization that sells many things, including but not limited to, Christian books. Click here to go to Vision Forum and see what they're about.

One thing that you might also be interested to know is that they are doing a writing contest that will end on Dec. 31st (I think). It costs $5 to enter, and each year, they've had a new theme for you to write on.

So, anyway, click here if you want to enter the giveaway for gift cards to Vision Forum! =)

33k & Quotes

2011-11-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

I reached past 33,000 words today, so here's a few quotes on writing for your enjoyment:

Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet.

Anonymous

Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.

Ray Bradbury

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

Bill Cosby

Try not to become a (wo)man of success, but rather a (wo)man of value.

Albert Einstein

(part in parenthesis my addition)

You should never be ashamed to admit you have been wrong. It only proves you are wiser today than yesterday.

Jonathan Swift

It's none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.

Ernest Hemingway

One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones.

Stephen King

To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.

Herman Melville

Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.

Alfred Hitchcock

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.

Helen Keller

(don't know exactly what this has to do with writing, but it's great none-the-less)

A good novel tells us the truth about its hero, but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.

G. K. Chesterton

The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in [a hot place], together, as quickly as possible.

Mark Twain

If you’re going to be a writer, the first essential is just to write. Do not wait for an idea. Start writing something and the ideas will come. You have to turn the faucet on before the water starts to flow.

Louis L’Amour

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London

Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.

George Bernard Shaw

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.

G. K. Chesterton

Disclaimer: I do not recommend everything written by every one of these people. In sharing these quotes, I am not recommending that you go out and read everything written by them.

"It is not the critic who counts..."

2011-11-19T11:06:00.001-08:00

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the

strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred

by dust and sweat and blood.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Giveaway at...

2011-11-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

Home-Keeping Hearts is hosting a giveaway, in which the prizes are a book on homemaking, and a subscription to The Kings Blooming Rose magazine. Ends Dec. 5th.

A 'Guys' Tag

2011-11-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

I found this tag on someone else's blog, and it looked cool... not your usual 'what's your favorite color' boring sort of tag. This tag has (supposedly) 'guy' questions. Things only guys (supposedly) would be interested in. Heehee. =)

One note before we continue:

I have reached 25,000 words in NaNo!!!

YayYayYayYay!!!

I'm excited! =)

Now, on with the show...

What is your favorite brand of Shoe/Boot?

I didn't know guys were interested in 'fashion'. =) Not that I am either. I like converse because they can be washed in the washer machine. But, I've never worn them, so I guess they're not really my favorite. I just like the shoes and boots that do their job and are comfortable. =) I like tennis shoes, but that's not a brand. Oh well. For being a girl, I actually don't know much about fashion. That's okay. I don't always like to fit in. =)

What is your favorite car company?
Well, we have a Dodge truck, and it's pretty slick. (It also turns like a dream... or in my case not like a dream since my driving dreams are usually weird.) So, maybe Dodge? Or whatever our 15 passenger van is... ah, a Chevrolet.

What is your favorite meat to eat?

Ground beef. Or bacon/ham. =D

What is your favorite way to eat meat? (burger, ribs, steak, meatloaf, etc. )
with pasta!
But, I do like meatloaf, and burgers too.

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
I don't really watch sports, but ice skating is interesting to watch (minus skimpy girl outfits!).
Soccer is interesting too, but I don't really watch that either. Hmmm...

What is your favorite sport to play with friends?
Volleyball, for sure.

What is your favorite working activity outside?
I used to really like mowing the lawn, but now I don't do it much because the earmuffs hurt my jaw (I have TMJ). So, if I ever get earplugs, maybe I'll take up that activity again. Also, gardening or raking leaves can be fun. =)

What is your favorite working activity inside?
cleaning the house, esp. the kitchen

If you have a license, do you like driving?
I don't have a license, but I do like driving (kinda). But, I wish I could live without ever having to drive. Not likely, but anyway...

What is your favorite "war" movie?

Okay, I don't think I have just one!!

So, ones I enjoyed and would be willing to recommend!

'Gods and Generals'

'Sergeant York'

'The Patriot'

'The Great Escape'

I also enjoyed, but would not recommend without Clearplay:

'Saving Private Ryan'

'Flyboys'

'The Hunt for Red October'

There are a few more I've seen, but so many of them are chock-full of junk, so even if they are enjoyable (with clearplay or something), I'm not really going to mention them.

What is your favorite series of movies?
Oh boy. Let me think.

Maybe the Bourne Trilogy? (Once again, only watch with clearplay)

Most recent movie you watched?
The newest Robin Hood 2010 with Russell Crowe

What is your favorite junk food?
ice cream =D

What do you mostly do throughout your day?
recently? NaNoWriMo/ computer

Have you ever wished you were public schooled?
nope

Have you ever been terrified for your life?
probably

Is this a boring blogger tag?
No

Do you own a gun?
No - they cost quite a bit of money to buy, maintain, and shoot. And, I pretty much don't have a lot of money. =) But, I like to watch people who own guns shoot in a spiffy competition (Top Shot). Disclaimer: Consumerism will or will not be allowed on this blog post by discretion of the owner of this blog post. A small mention of something does not necessarily constitute an incident of consumerism. However, if the owner does not specifically recommend something, she will say so and failure to mention her non-recommendation can be legitimately construed as a recommendation. ;)

Have you ever had a job?
not in the 'traditional' sense, but yes. My job is to help babysit, clean, cook, home school, and odd jobs.

What is the maximum of money you have owned at one time period?
Probably around 180 to 200 dollars.

What is your favorite website?
Well, I like swagbucks, blogger, gmail, and google. Other than that, there are a number of other nice blogs.

How many hours do you hang out on Facebook/Twitter/Google +?
NONE! =) I might spend about 5 minutes every other day to look at my sister's Facebook.

However, if you were to ask about blogs/computer time in general, it would be more like anywhere from 1-3 hours a day, or slight variations.

If you want to do this on your blog, go ahead! But, be sure to let me know so I can see your answers! =)

2011-11-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to say that I did a guest post at 110% Surrendered! After you read it, make sure you read some of Katy's posts and comment! I'm sure she'd like to hear from some visitors to her blog. ;)

Have a great week!

NaNo's coming along.

Vetrans Day 2011

2011-11-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

20,001 words

2011-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Another fun milestone: 20,000 words! =)

My 20,000th word is 'with'.

My 20,001st word is 'Rick'. ;)

Just thought I'd throw that in there. =)

10,000 words

2011-11-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

in my NaNoWriMo novel 2011!!! Hooray!

My 10,000th word is: gone

Very exciting! (Well, at least for me it is. =)

Only 40,000 more to go.

Only, I'm aiming for my novel to be more like 60,000 words.

Maybe I can pull off doing all 60,000 in the month of November?

Or, if not, at least the 50k and then I can do the last 10,000 in Dec.

But, Nov. would be nice. Really nice. One can always hope.

Type fingers, type. Think, brain, think.

It's okay, Carrie. Don't sweat it.

50,000. Not much, right?

Yeah, right.

I ~~wish~~ would really, really like it if I could have a chocolate keyboard.

Too bad that's not one of the prizes for winning.

picture courtesy google of images

Oh, yummy!

picture courtesy of google images

Does anyone know where I can buy one? ;)

Do you have any cool milestones you'd like to share about your novel(s)?

(It doesn't have to be a NaNo novel.)

Happy November, people!! I'm loving it. =)

Elizabeth Rose's Lovely Literature Giveaway

2011-11-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Rose is hosting a lovely giveaway with many beautiful prizes. Click on the button above to go enter and see for yourself! =)

What Am I Using for NaNoWriMo?

2011-11-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have now reached just over 2,000 words so I am rewarding myself by doing a post for you all. What exactly am I using for NaNoWriMo? Well, I tried out mywritingnook.com and I was going to try a few others from the NaNoWriMo Special Offers page, but I have now settled on Yarny.me I like that it saves 'versions' of your manuscript. It's pretty easy to use, so for now, I'm sticking with it. I'm using the offer from the NaNoWriMo website, and wrimos get a free version of yarny, so I'm using that. Be sure to sign up through that.

I know a little more about my novel than I did yesterday, so here's a very brief description.

On his 19th birthday, George Downing finds out that he's adopted. While he's busy trying to track down his birth family, a close friend is involved in a plane crash and goes into a coma.

Beautiful People, NaNo Edition.

2011-10-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Click here to go to it.

1. Sum up your novel in five words, or less.
planned pequeño, coma, life support

2. Novel title?
There is no title yet. It's untitled.

3. Sum up your main character(s) in one word.
Lee: Christian
George Downing: interesting (sorry, I don't know much about him yet)

4. Advice for newbies in three words?
Research
Write
Think

Just a note: research includes reading books on writing, and even 'classics'. If you read classics, you are practically researching how to write effectively. ;)

5. Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?
As of right now, I only know of 2 characters. And those I don't know much about.

6. Do you plan on staying up till midnight on the 31st?
Tonight? No. I write best in the morning, after a night's rest, and before all the kids start getting up and scurrying around. =)

7. How many years have you done NaNo?
This is my second year.

8. What came first, characters, or plot idea?
Plot idea. Thanks, Mommy. =)

9. How much prep do you do before November?
Last year? A lot. Enough to give me a decent outline.

This year? None, and I am figuring out that I like outlining my novel a bit more than having a very general idea about the story. Tomorrow, I expect I'll do a bunch of research and write a bunch about my novel, so I have an idea of where it's going...

10. Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo?
excited, somewhat anxious, anticipation.

I like NaNo.

I hope I can pull the story together this year and create something worthwhile.

In only a dozen days...

2011-10-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

November will be here! And with it, the long-anticipated NaNoWriMo! Get your typing fingers ready, folks!

So, questions, questions.

1. (The obvious first one) Are you going to do NaNoWriMo?

2. If so, can you give me your username so we can be 'writing buddies'? My username is writing_maiden. Click here to see my account. They don't have the 'writing buddies' feature up yet...

3. What do you use for NaNoWriMo? Google docs, Microsoft Word, www.mywritingnook.com ??

Looking forward to a month of words...

Desiring Christ Most of All

2011-10-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at church, the sermon was about fellowship in Heaven.

What is it that we desire most of all? So often, our thoughts can fill up to the brim with hope of marriage, kids of our own, homes and kitchens which will be ours, and so many other things, it's crazy. And so often, we forget about Heaven, our eternal home. We focus on our future homes, how we will decorate them, how we will organize them, what we will do in them. But, we forget about heaven, our future home.

What if we knew that Jesus was coming tomorrow? Or today? Would we say 'Yes' to Him? Or would we say 'Please wait'?

We need to say 'Yes, come now'. How can we call ourselves Christians if we don't desire being with Christ, or if we don't look forward to His arrival?

Wouldn't it look weird if you knew someone that was going to get married, but she didn't buy a dress, or plan anything, or talk about what she hoped to have in her wedding? What if she didn't get ready at all and just said "Well, I'll just show up. My fiance will love me like I am."

Strange.

Now put that into perspective with us and Jesus.

"Yeah, Jesus is coming, but its not like I need to do anything. He'll accept me as I am." I feel almost embarrassed just typing that out. Yet, even if we don't say it, or even think it, we do it, or act it. We act with that attitude, because we don't do anything in anticipation of His coming.

1 John 2:28

"Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming."

When was the last time you told someone about the Lord? I don't even know if I've ever really 'witnessed' to anyone, except maybe when I was little. I thought singing "Jesus Loves You" to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me" might get someone to realize they need to be saved.

But now I'm older, I realize the gravity of not believing. I feel sorry for the lost; I've cried knowing that people are going to hell. I hate the possibility that people who are dear to me might end up in hell. Yet what do I really do about it?

And why do we always feel so busy? Too busy for our Lord? We don't know what we're doing!

Think of the person who you are closest to. Maybe it is your mom or dad, or sister, or best friend. Now, imagine you live apart from each other, and don't see each other ever. Can you imagine talking on the phone for only 1 or 2 min. a day? If this person writes to you, long letters telling you all about what they're doing and how they wish to be with you. But, you only read a paragraph of each letter.

This all sounds ridiculous and unfathomable. Yet, it is exactly what we do in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. I can hardly believe we do it, yet we do, and it's so easy. We make God's heart ache when we go day after day with just slight acknowledgement. We might think about Him 1/4 or 1/2 the day, but if we don't talk to Him or do anything, what good is that?? God spent so much time on us. He spent so much time getting the Bible written, and into our hands, but we only look at it for a few minutes a day, if that.

Now, maybe you read your Bible for an hour a day. I commend you. You are an example to us all. But, I don't read it for an hour a day. Some days, I don't read it at all. And, I feel sad and guilty. I am guilty.

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
-I Shall Be Whiter than Snow, by James L. Nicholson

I feel strongly about serving God, but I don't do it much, do I? How much do any of us do, really?

Christ loved us so much, He endured torture and death for us. It is unspeakable what He went through. And He did it all so we could be with Him. And yet, we hardly pay Him any mind.

Not only did He make a way for us to be with Him, but He is preparing a place for us to be with Him.

John 14:1-3

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

He longs for us to be with Him.

John 17:24

"Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."

Not only all that, but He has set it up to where we can enjoy fellowship with each other after we die.

1 Thess. 4:15-17

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord."

(I suppose I should say 'emphasis mine'.)

Our Lord is an awesome Lord. We should wake up every day, wild with excitement for what He's done for us.

Phil. 3:20

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"

And I haven't even mentioned yet, that we don't deserve any of it!! We don't deserve an all-powerful God's love. We can't even comprehend it, yet He gives it.

Something I like to think about is that God has surprises planned for us in heaven. Gifts we cannot even imagine. If we think the blessings on earth are great, then how much more the ones in store for us in Heaven!

With all this, though, none of it (that's right, zip zero) is meant for those who haven't repented and don't believe in God. If you are reading this, and haven't accepted Christ, and the fact of what He's done for you, then you don't get a single penny so to speak. You are headed for a place of eternal wrath and horror.

Matthew 25:41

"Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;"

2 Thess. 1:6-9

"For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,"

Once someone is in hell, there are no second chances. They will be stuck there forever.

If you think that God will not send you to hell because He is a loving God and will see your heart and how you try to do good, then you are wrong. It is because He is full of love, and because He is just that he must condemn you. If He let people into heaven who did not accept His gift of salvation, then He would not be a just God. But since it is impossible for Him to be anything but perfect, He will sentence unbelievers to hell.

Even if we only did one minuscule sin in our whole life, we would still be sentenced to hell because we did not obey God's law. Everyone on earth has broken God's law and deserves eternal death and torture. Including me, including every pastor, or missionary, or every other person. But, God has extended a gift to us. Knowing that not everyone would accept it.

He sent Jesus, His Son, to earth. Jesus died and was sent to Hell for 3 days, and God rained His wrath down on Jesus in Hell; so much punishment did Jesus receive, that it was enough to cover all the sins of every person that ever lived, is living, and ever will live. And what is amazing is that Jesus was willing to do this, even though He was pure and spotless. He was and is perfect and never did a single thing wrong.

God created us to be a Bride for Christ. Of course, Christ could've said, "I would rather take a perfect Bride. I don't want one that's been redeemed. I'd rather have one that was perfect from the get-go."

But He didn't say that. He wants us for a Bride, we who are chock-full of wickedness and sin. And not only that, but we was willing to give His life to wash us up, to make us fit to be His Bride. We don't bring anything to the table, but He provides it all.

But if we want to accept His gift, and become His Bride, we must repent and turn from our sin. We must admit that we are wretched sinners, in need of forgiveness. We must turn to God and away from sinfulness. We must believe that Jesus paid our debt, and will save us. That He will redeem us. We must accept Him as Lord of our life. We must believe in Him.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...” - from Acts 16

Please accept Him before it is too late.

A couple of neat giveaways...

2011-10-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Bree at He Designs My Life is holding a few giveaways, and here are a couple of them:

An "Apple Jack 'n' Peel" scented candle: click here to enter.

And a pretty rose ring: click here to enter.

They both end on October 31st!

I invite you to check this out...

2011-10-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, I have been participating in something exciting! You may have heard of it before. It is called 'Swagbucks'. It's all over the internet, but what exactly is it?

It is a website, where you sign up for a free account (you don't even have to give your real name or address), and then you use their search engine (which is powered by Google) whenever you want to search on the web. Occasionally, and randomly, you may win some "swagbucks". "Swagbucks" are like dollars which you save up in order to 'redeem' them for fun things, like gift cards. I am saving up for amazon gift cards.

So, it's simple. You click here, sign up, search the web here (search.swagbucks.com) and start earning! Eventually, you can save up for stuff, and it's like getting free things! If you sign up with any of the links I give here, then I get extra bucks, which is super fun.

Here are some 'hints' about how to win a good amount of swagbucks each day.

1. Do their daily poll each day. You get 1 swagbuck for doing it. To get there, go to swagbucks.com and look at the top of the page. There will be a drop-down menu that says 'Earn'. Click where is says 'Daily Polls' on that menu.

2. Search in the morning, around noon, and in the evening. You probably won't get a ton of wins all in a row (so it's basically useless to spend more than 5-10 min. each time searching), but usually you'll get one in the morning after a few searches, and probably a couple few other times in the day as well.

3. I've found that longer searches win sometimes. (For example, if I just do 'chili recipe' in the search, I might not win. But if I do 'what is the best chili recipe ever??' or something similar, then I might win. *Note - this is a true example, which happened just today.*)

4. Check for codes every once in a while, esp. in the morning around 9am. You can check on their widget. A lot of times the codes are only for 7 swagbucks or some smallish amount like that. But, of course, every tiny bit helps, and adds up fairly quickly. I've only been doing this a few months, and I already have over 600! (You only need 450 for a $5 Amazon Gift Card!)

So there is an exciting thing going on right now, where if I get just 5 people to sign up by the end of the year (by clicking here), and if those 5 people earn 50 swagbucks each, I can get a bonus!! It's not hard to get 50 swagbucks. So, please do me a favor and click on the picture below (and if you sign up by clicking there, then I am referring you, and I get bucks ;)

Pretty please?? Don't just do it for me, though. Do it for yourself - think of what you could do with 'free money' to Amazon or Home Depot, or whatever. You can always get things to give people for birthdays or Christmas, or whatever. This would probably be especially nice if you don't have any spare cash laying around. ;)

Thank you!! Let me know if you have any questions! I'm not terribly 'long-in-the-tooth' in this, but I feel like I have enough experience to recommend it. And, it's fun trying to win. As with anything, of course, make sure you manage your time wisely and don't go on long searches each day for how to win more swagbucks (I know this from experience). The best way to win more is to just do a few simple things and exercise patience. (Though not all those searches are entirely useless.) Anyway...

Have a great day!!

I'm thinking of doing a giveaway...

2011-10-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

I am really considering doing a giveaway soon. Why? Well, in honor of 50 followers (wow, look on the sidebar! --->), and soon-to-be 200 posts! Sound fun?? Well, I was wondering if anyone would like to sponsor it (as in, give something to be given away). I wouldn't be able to promise anything in return, but there is a chance that you would get publicity. ;)

Comment and let me know if you are interested in sponsoring... or if you're interested in entering a giveaway if I host one. =) Thanks! Have a lovely evening, ladies!

Also, do you think I should do it as a 'blog party', or as some sort of contest? Let me know your ideas. (But only give me your ideas if you won't be offended if I don't use them. Thank you! - Just thought I'd clarify. ;)

7th Annual Homeschool Blog Nominations

2011-10-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

This looks like a fun contest... You nominate your favorite homeschooling blogs (there are a ton of categories!). Make sure you go and nominate before October 21st, when nominating comes to a close. Voting begins in November, which is when you will vote for blogs that have been nominated. I've not even heard of this until this year, but it looks fun. (Maybe you could nominate my blog?? =) I had fun picking blogs to nominate.

Anywho... here's the link to nominations...

http://hsbapost.com/7th-annual-homeschool-blog-awards-nominations/

Have a great day!!

End of the Matter Giveaway

2011-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

End of the Matter is giving away 4 gifts for their first blog anniversary!! The prizes are sweet and pretty; you should go check it out! It's easy to enter!

Click Here.

Thinking of NaNoWriMo...

2011-10-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ah, NaNoWriMo,

I've been thinking of you by day;

I want to participate,

but I don't know what I will say.

Shall I do a historical novel

like the one I did last year?

Not a sequel, but maybe a combo

of ideas that have crossed my mind here.

I've got great ideas, I want to impart

in a novel of my own.

But what if they aren't as great as I thought

and I find out my word count I've blown?

Perhaps I will attempt a seat-of-the-pants,

instead of my outline-ish self.

Perhaps this one will be the one

that won't stay on my shelf.

(Not that the last one will, either,

but I've plenty of ideas that have.

With last years and this, though editing I must do,

I've an obligation to be brave.)

And so I look forward this year

to November with delight

and hope I get great enough ideas

to write 50,000 words about.

If the World Were a Village of 100 People

2011-10-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:

The village would have 61 Asians, 13 Africans, 13 people from the Western Hemisphere (North & South America), 12 Europeans, and 1 from the South Pacific
51 would be male, 49 would be female
70 would be non-white; 30 white
67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian

As to their ages:
30 would be 0-14 years old
63 would be 15-64 years old
7 would be 65 years old and older

20 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
18 would be without access to a safe water supply
39 would lack access to improved sanitation
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
7 people would have access to the Internet
1 would have a college education
1 would have HIV
2 would be near birth; 1 near death
6 would control 59% of the entire world’s wealth; all 6 would be US citizens

Sources: The Global Citizen, May 31, 1990, Donella H. Meadows (unless otherwise noted below), The CIA World Factbook
2001 (age, birth, death, internet), 2001 World Development Indicators, World Bank (HIV), Adherents 2001 (religion) Bread for the World (malnourishment), United Nations Population Fund (food security) The Global Supply and Sanitation
Assessment 2000 Report (improved water, improved sanitation.)

Pasted from Teenage Musings (excluding picture).

Doing Great Things For the Lord

2011-09-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘doing great things for the Lord’? Missionaries? Evangelists? We need to make sure our view of different things line up with the Lord’s. Is your view on great things the right one? Well, let’s look at what God’s view is.

The Lord’s first commandment to us is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The second commandment is to love our neighbor as our self. If we obey these two commands, we are doing what God wants most of us.

There are other commands in the Bible as well. Rejoice always, prefer others better than yourself, do good to them that hate you and persecute you, keep your thoughts captive to the Lord, avoid foolish arguments, be humble, encourage others, and the list goes on.

You don’t have to go off to a foreign country and witness to people who have never heard the gospel in order to do something great for the Lord. While witnessing in other countries is something God is well pleased with, there are some things that we can do right here at home which He views just as highly – some of which were mentioned above.

Because the things He tells us to do in the Bible are very important to Him, we will be doing great things for Him if we obey. Even small things that may not seem very big really are big in God’s eyes. I love the fact that God’s main priority for our lives is to live for Him, and after what He did for us on the cross, I think we owe it to Him.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Love: The Greatest Thing in the World.

2011-09-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from "The Greatest Thing in the World" by Henry Drummond

Every one has asked himself the great question of antiquity as of the modern world: What is the summum bonum—the supreme good? You have life before you. Once only you can live it. What is the noblest object of desire, the supreme gift to covet?

We have been accustomed to be told that the greatest thing in the religious world is Faith. That great word has been the key-note for centuries of the popular religion; and we have easily learned to look upon it as the greatest thing in the world. Well, we are wrong. If we have been told that, we may miss the mark. In the 13th chapter of I Corinthians, Paul takes us to

CHRISTIANITY AT ITS SOURCE;

and there we see, "The greatest of these is love."

It is not an oversight. Paul was speaking of faith just a moment before. He says, "If I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing." So far from forgetting, he deliberately contrasts them, "Now abideth Faith, Hope, Love," and without a moment’s hesitation the decision falls, "The greatest of these is Love."

And it is not prejudice. A man is apt to recommend to others his own strong point. Love was not Paul’s strong point. The observing student can detect a beautiful tenderness growing and ripening all through his character as Paul gets old; but the hand that wrote, "The greatest of these is love," when we meet it first, is stained with blood.

Nor is this letter to the Corinthians peculiar in singling out love as the summum bonum. The masterpieces of Christianity are agreed about it. Peter says, "Above all things have fervent love among yourselves." Above all things. And John goes farther, "God is love."

You remember the profound remark which Paul makes elsewhere, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Did you ever think what he meant by that? In those days men were working the passage to Heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments, and the hundred and ten other commandments which they had manufactured out of them. Christ came and said, "I will show you a more simple way. If you do one thing, you will do these hundred and ten things, without ever thinking about them. If you love, you will unconsciously fulfill the whole law."

You can readily see for yourselves how that must be so. Take any of the commandments. "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." If a man love God, you will not require to tell him that. Love is the fulfilling of that law. "Take not His name in vain." Would he ever dream of taking His name in vain if he loved him? "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Would he not be too glad to have one day in seven to dedicate more exclusively to the object of his affection? Love would fulfill all these laws regarding God.

And so, if he loved man, you would never think of telling him to honor his father and mother. He could not do anything else. It would be preposterous to tell him not to kill. You could only insult him if you suggested that he should not steal—how could he steal from those he loved? It would be superfluous to beg him not to bear false witness against his neighbor. If he loved him it would be the last thing he would do. And you would never dream of urging him not to covet what his neighbors had. He would rather they possessed it than himself. In this way "Love is the fulfilling of the law." It is the rule for fulfilling all rules, the new commandment for keeping all the old commandments, Christ’s one

SECRET OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Now Paul has learned that; and in this noble eulogy he has given us the most wonderful and original account extant of the summum bonum….

Modesty and Our Wardrobe

2011-09-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you've floated around much in the pool of young Christian women's blogs here on the web, you have probably noticed, at one spot or another, that modesty is discussed. While is seems that everyone and their sister has talked about it, I have yet to do a post on my own, devoted to this 'controversial' subject. ;)

What is Modesty?

First off, lets start with these verses:

1 Timothy 2:9-10

"Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. "

My view of modesty is this.

I think that the above verses are talking about clothing, and the heart. How should you adorn yourself? (clothes and actions?)

For clothes, "with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments"

For actions, "by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness"

When I talk about dressing modestly, usually I am talking about clothes. When I say "I think young women should dress modestly", I am not saying "Young women should act modest." Rather, I am saying "Young women should dress modest."

I agree, young women should act in a modest manner, but I think a discussion of a modest heart I will leave to another post. Practically every blog I've read has focused on the heart issue, while talking of the clothes as a side note. The heart issue is important. Which is why I am still going to discuss it (in another post). I'm going to do this in a flip-flopped way though. I'm going to do the clothes first and the why, then look at how our hearts and actions should be.

I believe that a young woman is immodest if she has anything showing that would be considered private. I do not mean to wear turtle-necks all the time, or scuba suits. I mean, just simply, cover up So, my definition would be this:

Hiding and covering the private parts of your body that should be reserved only for your husband.

What is Immodesty?

Isaiah 47:2-3
"Take the millstones and grind meal.
Remove your veil, strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.
Your nakedness will be uncovered,
Your shame also will be exposed;
I will take vengeance and will not spare a man."

In these verses, God is describing nakedness:
1. remove veil
2. strip off skirt
3. uncover the leg (or thigh, see below)

If you go with NKJV or KJV, it says:

"Remove your veil,
Take off the skirt,
Uncover the thigh,
Pass through the rivers.
Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
Yes, your shame will be seen"

What Sort of Clothes Should I Wear to Be Modest?

I'm not going to have a 'do/don't' list. I will just simply tell you what modest clothes are to me, (including my preferences) and I think it's pretty basic, so I'm sure most of you will agree with me. Of course, there's always different styles of clothes out there, so how one girl's wardrobe looks will probably be different from another's.

The bottom line is, though, that the best sort of modest clothing will always keep you modest, even when you are sitting, bending over, etc.

Also, it should not be tight on you. If it outlines the curvatures of your body, then what's the point in wearing clothes, right? The point is to cover up so people can't see what they shouldn't. If it covers you, but outlines your body, then people can still see you, just not your skin.

Skirts/dresses
Based on the verses above, I think you could go with covering your whole leg, or covering your thigh.

*Just be careful that if your skirt hemline comes to around your knees, then your thighs or underwear can easily show when you sit down, which would be immodest.*

Shirts/Blouses
If your neckline or armholes is/are so low that cleavage shows (even only when you are bending over), then it is immodest.

Another thing to keep in mind is your midriff. If you can see your belly button in the mirror when you stretch your arms above your head, then the shirt is immodest. One way to remedy this is to just simply wear a different shirt. Or, you could wear a cami or another shirt underneath. I've done this before.

My Preferences
I personally prefer skirts that are to my ankle. I do have some that are in between my knee and ankle though. It is a matter of preference (obviously, which is why it's in this category), but I will say that I think long skirts often look prettier.

As far as layering goes, I do not prefer it. I do wear a cami under my shirts sometimes, if the shirt is too short when I reach up. But, I do not prefer the style where a couple/few buttons are unbuttoned at the top of a shirt, and another shirt is beneath it. Or another example:

The reasoning behind all this is that even if you are covered, the top layer that would be immodest by itself can still draw attention to the bust. It's not like I'm going to go around asking guys "Hey, does this outer layer still draw attention to you-know-where?". But, for me, it's a conscience thing. And a conscientious thing. Plus, that style seems to be in right now, and I like to be different. =)

If you do choose to do this, make sure that even with the shirt underneath, it is still modest. I've seen it happen where a young lady had her shirts layered, but the layer underneath (which was supposed to be higher for modesty), actually didn't cover her up when she bent over. So, just be aware of that.

Why?
So, what's the point in the whole modesty thing?

#1. Because God commands it.

1 Timothy 2:9
"Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,"

#2. Because we should not be a stumbling block. If we want to show brotherly love, we should do so for our brothers in Christ by being modest.

Romans 14:21
"It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles."

If you think about it, this was part of the problem with David and Bathsheba. Yes, David was at fault. But, Bathsheba could've taken some precautionary measures by not undressing where others could potentially see her.

~♥~

In another post, I will talk about heart modesty and how our attitudes should be concerning modesty.

Why Not To Smoke

2011-09-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few posters from the American Cancer Society:

The first one is actually in the health book that I did one year in highschool for homework. The health book is published by ABeka and is called Health in Christian Perspective.

Who would want to waste their lungs away? Some people probably don’t realize that they’re killing themselves slowly. Some people probably do realize it but don’t care or at least don’t make much of an effort to stop.

Smokers are more likely to die from lung cancer, oral cancer (at least in males), esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and bladder or kidney cancer, than people who don’t smoke. Doesn’t that sound tempting? Oh yummy!

We as Christians should remember what Romans 12:1 says:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

Doesn’t that verse say it so perfectly? Of course, it shouldn’t be too suprising to us since God is the founder of logic, reason, and truth. It’s just amazing!

Attention

2011-09-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

The next two weeks, I'm going to be gone, with very little internet connection, except on the weekend. But, I have some scheduled posts ready for you all. A few of them were on my old blog, so they might seem a little different. I probably originally posted them when I was 15 or 16. So stay tuned and let me know which posts you think they are! ;)

Preserving Flowers

2011-09-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

When I am given flowers, I usually at some point or another do something with them to keep them long after they would usually die. There are two ways I do this.

Drying Flowers

1. Hang the flowers upside down by a ribbon or twine or cord, or whatever you have that would work, and keep them hanging until they are completely dried out. The easiest way to display them is to just keep them hanging.

picture by me

picture courtesy of google images

2. However, you can also make arrangements out of the smaller flowers. My grandma made beautiful arrangements for years with dried flowers. Here are some examples of flower arrangements. (In my opinion, they are not as beautiful as my grandma's, but they are examples anyway. When you look at these, just picture 10 times prettier, and you've probably got it just about right as to how my grandma's look. =)

picture courtesy of google images

Pressing Flower Petals
You can do the same thing I describe here with whole flowers, but I have only pictures of the process with petals.

1. Tear the petals off the flowers, while still keeping the flower petals whole.

picture by me

2. Lay the petals out on Kleenexes or paper towels or napkins in amongst the pages of a phone book. Pick the best petals to do this with. Make sure the petals are flat, and not folded, as much as possible.

picture by me

3. Put another napkin on top of the petals.

picture by me

4. Close the phone book, and place it in a spot where it can sit for a while undisturbed. You will probably want to put it in a pile of phone books, or stack phone books on top of it, so as to have the petals pressed as tightly as possible.

picture by me

Have a wonderful weekend, ladies!

May I introduce you...

2011-09-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have the most wonderful Prince Charming! I think you could say we are engaged! I am happy, and I am excited to grow in love.

Let me introduce you to who HE is...

He loves me perfectly.

He does things with my best in mind.

He always wants to be with me.

He corrects me in love, and points me back to God.

He loves children.

He is a servant.

He is a teacher.

He is an excellent example to me.

He is moved when I cry or when I am distressed.

He is full of love for others.

He is a perfect example of faith and love.

He is just and blameless.

He teaches by example.

He is holy.

He is gentle.

He is pure.

He is the perfect leader.

He never lies.

He will defend me.

His name is Jesus!!

His name is Emmanuel, His name is Savior.

His name is Christ, and His name is Messiah, which means 'anointed'.

He is the Shepherd and the Lamb.

He is the true vine (John 15:1) and the bread of God (John 6:33); the Bread of Life and the Living Bread (see John 6).

He is the Light of the World (John 8:12).

He is a refuge from the storm (Isa 25:4).

He is a strong rock and house of defense (Ps 31:2).

He is my Redeemer.

He is a sure foundation (Isa 28:16).

He is the way.

He is the truth.

He is the life.
(John 14:6)

He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings (see Rev 17:14 and Rev 19:16).

He is Wonderful.

He is Counselor.

He is the Mighty God.

He is the Everlasting Father.

He is the Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:6)

And His bride, the Church, is going to marry this perfect Man someday! If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are part of the Church, and you are going to be His bride someday!!

Revelation 19:7
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."

I'd like to direct your attention...

2011-09-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

to a new blog, written by my friend Rachel of The Inkpen Authoress and Our Family View from Us Two.

It is on the subject of stay-at-home daughter-hood, meant for encouraging young ladies who are taking the road most traveled (throughout history) by staying at home after finishing high school and serving our families whilst preparing for our futures while learning at home. Please stop by and visit:

A Butcher, A Baker, A Candlestick Maker
A blog by a stay-at-home daughter for stay-at-home daughters chronicling the trials, joys, hopes and dreams of we girls who choose a different path than most, and stay home to serve Christ by serving our families. (taken from the blog)

I know she'd appreciate visitors and comments. ;)

Have a great week, all!

Watch Out for Mr. Perfect

2011-09-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Young ladies (or maybe I should just speak for myself here ;) tend to think about what their future husband will be like. That's great! - to some extent. However, there is something we need to be sure to watch out for, and that is the mistaken picture that we often paint - that our husband will be Prince Charming, or our special Knight in Shining Armor, who will ride up on a brilliant horse, and carry us away into a romantic future full of perfect bliss.

It is a somewhat unrealistic picture, if you think about it. Perfect bliss?

Here, on earth, in this imperfect, fallen world? What are we thinking?

"The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?"

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV

This 'Prince Charming' will have a heart just like ours. It is wicked and deceitful, just like ours. Our Prince Charming, no matter how charming he will be, will still be human, and will still be imperfect. No matter how well he protects us from the bad guys, he will still fail in certain areas. He will still struggle, and he will still need God's help.

But that is okay.

We can't expect him to be all that God should be to us. We can only expect perfection from God.

It would be unfair to expect him to be perfect, especially as no one is perfect besides Jesus. We are not perfect! Isn't that why young ladies feel that they want a Prince Charming? Then their worlds will be set right... right? But this expectation can be only placed on Christ. He is the only one who will help us with our imperfection.

If we are waiting for a perfect man, we may as well forget it, otherwise we will be discontent for life. Jesus is the only man who was ever perfect.

What we should expect is a man devoted to the Lord and following Him. One who is devoted to God and who will be a devoted husband and leader.

Another way to look at it is this:

Once upon a time, there was a young lady who was waiting anxiously for a young man to arrive on the horizon and ask her Daddy to court her. She waits for a year... and then another... and another... finally, her dream comes true and a young man arrives at the door, asking her Daddy about her.

"Does she love the Lord?" asks the young man.

"Yes," replies her Daddy. "She displays that love often."

They talk a bit more.

The faults of the young man are revealed. "I am not always patient," admits the young man. "But, with the Lord's help, I know I will get better."

Daddy nods. It comes out that the young lady struggles with trusting the Lord.

"Oh," says the young man with a wave of his hand. "I can't marry her then. That will ruin my dreams. She must be as perfect as I can get." He leaves without a backwards glance, off to find another, more perfect, girl.

Imagine you are in the place of the young lady.

It would be unreasonable for a young man to look for a perfect woman. Yet, young women imagine perfect men. Ridiculous! That is not to say that we should settle for someone who has a lot of spiritual problems. I'm just trying to point out that we should not have unreasonable expectations. If we imagine our future husbands having just as many struggles as we have, then we probably have it just about right.

Pictures courtesy of google.images.com

Tag from Mikailah

2011-09-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Mikailah at Maid For Him. (Thanks! =) So, there are 10 questions, and I put them below with my answers. Enjoy!

1. Favorite Sport: volleyball

2. A good name for a dog: Homer, of course. ;)

3. Favorite Animal: cats and dogs, but I like others also

4. Favorite Subject in school: I enjoyed history, the Human Body, Recordkeeping, Literature...

5. Favorite drink: milk, water

6. Last song you heard: hmmmm... not sure about this one. I've heard at least one part of a song, but the last whole song I heard was probably a hymn at our church's family camp.
7. Do you like to make people laugh?

yes, but I don't think I'm very witty

8. Favorite Color:
I like blue and purple together, but I like purple perhaps I bit more than blue

9. Favorite Hobby:
Just one???!! I think I may pick reading blogs.... or writing.... or watching movies/shows.... or talking to friends.... or being by myself.... I don't know!! =)
10. School grade you will be starting in:
13th. heehee Actually, I graduated highschool last year. I'm not doing 'school' this year.

I tag:

Stephanie at The King's Bookworm

Elizabeth at The Endless Road

Any of my other readers who would like to! =)

How should I think while I'm waiting for God's best?

2011-08-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

On His Plan For Your Mate
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.

But God says to a Christian, "No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings.

"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow me to give you that most thrilling plan existing, one that you can't imagine. I want you to have the BEST! Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching me, expecting that satisfaction, expecting the greatest things, and know that I Am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait!

"Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have received. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

"And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with me and the life I have planned and prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me...and this is perfect love.
"Dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly, I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied."
--Author Unknown

I think about courtship and marriage. A lot. That can be a good thing, and a bad things, sometimes at the same time! But, I like something that the above poem points out.

Just think, the reason that you are not courting yet, could be that the one God has for you is not quite ready yet! God may still be molding him to fit you! I like to think about this. If I were to push the issue, and try to force a relationship, which seems like the world's way of doing things, I could miss out on God's choice for me, all because I was too impatient to wait for God's best. That is why waiting, and staying pure, is so important!

I admit it is easy for me to think a lot about a certain guy, or to be attracted to guys, or to wonder if someone is the one for me. Even though it is hard to guard our hearts, I think it is a battle worth fighting.

Proverbs 4:23

"Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life."

It is important to keep things in perspective too. Most guys aren't going to be the one for me, so I think it is better to view guys as 'he's not the one for me' rather than 'oh, maybe he is the one for me?!'. That way, even if a guy is the one for me, I wouldn't risk thinking that of someone who isn't. Of course, all this is fine and good, but a lot harder to do than say. And, I will admit, I do not always do it! Oftentimes, I do not think the way of the first view, but rather the second view. Not that I want to. That is why it is a struggle, a battle. One that I must fight, but need God's help to win.

For me, I think it is one of those battles where I get smaller victories now and then, but I will probably always be battling it, not ever winning until God gives me victory, or He comes again and perfects me.

However hard it is to wait though, there is only one man for me, and I am excited to see who it is God has planned for me! I can't wait till the day He shows me my man! In the meantime, I hope God helps me love Him most. And I would want that to continue even after I'm married. I want God to be first in my life, above the man that will be my husband.

Another thought- if I am not courting yet, it could be that God is still molding me to fit my man! Or maybe He is molding both of us (which I am sure He is!!!!). We young ladies can easily think the whole day about what we want in our man (at least I can), but we really should be thinking about how we should be for our man. What would a young man look for in a wife? Are we striving to be that woman? If we focus all on them, and not how we need to improve, then how can we expect anyone to want to marry us? Another way to ask it is: what sort of woman do we admire the most? And, if I were a young man, what sort of woman would I want for a wife?

The guidelines to use in answering these questions can be found in the Bible.

I hope to someday be an older woman like what is described in Titus 2.

What better time to start toward that than now?

How Should We Then Write?

2011-08-08T12:37:00.009-07:00

It may have been a dark and stormy night, but if Johnny Boy isn't battling aliens, fleeing from zombies, or avoiding vampires, teenagers of today don't seem to care.

Christian young writers have a responsibility to uphold. As followers of Christ, it is our duty to write wholesome stories, not modern-day trash. We need to strive for godliness in our writing, and we should be trying to convey Christian morals through our writing.

1 Timothy 4:12

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

We cannot, if we proclaim to be Christians, write worldly things.

1 John 2:15

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Did you know that Jesus was a storyteller? He told stories, but they always had a moral. There was always a lesson to learn. I think we should follow His example and strive to make all our stories point to God! What greater example could we have than the greatest storyteller of all?

God gave us His word through writing. I'm sure He always takes interest in what we are writing! Just think, He knows everything we write, so we need to make sure it is worthwhile! Can't you imagine Him, reading over our shoulder as we're writing? What an honor that He would take interest in that!

I don't want to have Him shaking His head sadly at what I'm writing, disappointed that I am not using it to His glory! I'd rather have Him smiling, pleased with my work!

all images courtesy of google search

15 Day Writers Challenge - Days 1-5

2011-08-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - Your favorite character you've written.

This is a fairly easy answer. Irvin Findlay, my Lead's older brother in "Flicker in the Night". I suppose this means I'm supposed to tell you a little bit about him. He is 18 yrs. old and does not go to church because he hates false religion. As in, he doesn't want to go to church just because it's his 'duty', and since that is what his church basically is doing, he doesn't like going to church. He knows what he wants, and he strives to reach it. If he were presented with how to have a true relationship with God, he would be likely to listen. But, before he gets saved, he hates foolish religiosity.

Second place might be Dr. Nautica.

Day 2 - Your favorite male author.

Well, my Heavenly Father is the greatest Author ever!!!!! No one can really compare to Him.

But, as for a male author of (a) book(s) other than the Bible..

Probably Charles Dickens, though I have not really read much of his books. So, if I could go just based off movies I've seen that were based on books, it might be Charles Dickens. I like his stories (at least some of them). If it has to be an author where I've actually read a book of his, then I don't know...

Day 3 - Your first attempt at writing.
I don't know. I probably don't even have it anymore.

I have written many small stories though, from a couple of boys finding a secret passage in their house, to a girl with a racehorse that was stolen (or something like that...). My first 'novel' (14 chapters) was very entertaining for my siblings, and they really like it. They laugh at it and love to hear it. (Isn't it wonderful to have little siblings, ready to laugh at the most ridiculous stories, and... ready to tell you just how ridiculous it is!! =) But, it is very amateur and is really shorter than a normal novel.

Maybe someday I will be brave enough to post some stories I wrote when I was little...

Day 4 - A novel or author that has inspired something in your writing style.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
There are questions in the book, questions that the character would probably ask, but that don't really get answered in a direct fashion. I tried to incorporate this method into my NaNoWriMo novel, and I can now say that I do not recommend trying to copy one author's writing style. I think it is okay to be inspired to write more vividly, or something, but if you try to copy a certain writer, then it might flunk.

This might not be a good answer - I don't know. Another author that is inspiring is Rachel at The Inkpen Authoress! =)

Day 5 - Your least favorite character you've written.Probably a boring character in one of the stories I wrote when I was younger. ;) I've written so many 'normal' and boring characters! I don't have just one! But, also, Mrs. Wright from Flicker in the Night, is very un-likeable.

1,000 Blessings - #176-200

2011-08-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

176. Baby girl dresses

177. Google Documents

178. timers

179. passwords

180. my dad's job

181. new recipes

182. 9x13" pans

183. homeschool conferences

184. the 'delete' key

185. the 'backspace' key

186. the 'enter' key

187. laundry baskets

188. baby swing

189. dressers/chest of drawers

190. our big swimming pool

191. garbage bags

192. garbage cans

193. garbage and recycling pick-up service

194. all-purpose sprays

195. paper towels

196. disposable diapers

197. concordance

198. dog collars

199. dog leashes

200. a fence around our property

Yay, I'm 1/5th of the way through my list! (some of these might be duplicates??...)

In Another Day - post 3

2011-08-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

January 6th, 2055

Dad is back. He did not see Pierce or his mom or dad or sister. They were not at their flat. Pierce was not at school again. I am scared that he is sick or they are all sick.

I can't say anything else because I am too scared.

Writing my name to stop this entry now.

Robyn King

January 7th, 2055

the government found Pierce's dictionary. The Workers took Pierce away and his mom and dad and sister. The Workers came to my flat. They talked about Pierce to me and told me I cannot be like Pierce or they will take me too. I am scared.

January 12th, 2055

The Workers watch us. I know they do. Dad says to stop writing for a while.

Writing my name to stop this entry now.

Robyn King

January 25th, 2055

I am scared. I want a dictionary, but the Workers keep coming to our flat. Why do they come? I will hide my book a long while again.

Writing my name to stop this entry.

Robyn King

March 8th, 2055

I found a old book in the park. It was under the spiky bush. Pierce and me when we were little would play in the big tree close to the spiky bush. The old book says Holy Bible on it. Dad took the book and is hiding it, or the Workers will take us away.

I like the Holy Bible. It has pretty words that I did not see before. I will want to read it always.

Writing my name so I can end this entry.

Robyn King

"In Another Day" - post 2

2011-08-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

My second entry for the In Another Day writing challenge, hosted by Raquel and Mary.

Click here for details.

If you would like to see post 1 that I wrote for this challenge, click here.

January 5th, 2055

This Newest Year Round Table Event was some days ago from now. We did not get 'Alexis' for our Worker. I did not See her at the Tables. We got 'Ben'. He was young. All the Workers are young. 'Ben' smiles with a thin mouth. He bunches his eyes up. Dad told me it was squint. I squint when the sun lights our sky right in my eyes. Ben was talking to the other members, but he looked at me too much. It was close to always. Did he know about my book I am writing in? With my old pens? Dad told me wait to write in my book again. It is to be hiding always, and Ben might have a idea about it. I will not let him or other Workers see it, because I like it. I will keep it hiding.

Pierce was not at school today. His School Gadget was gone from his desk. His desk was blank. It was different. Our Teaching Worker tried to tell me about the gene flow again but I was always thinking about Pierce. He might be sick. My Dad is going outside this night when the Workers look away. He will go see Pierce and if he is sick or not. Pierce has only no brothers but just a sister. He has a dad and mom. They have a house near us. It is a flat. We and all of every member around us has a flat. Dad says it is called apartment. We call it flats. I don't know y.

But I am scared. I think Pierce could be sick. I will let him have my Chargers of the Dawn Wii game if he is sick. It is my favorite. We play it always when Pierce comes to see us after schools.

This Newest Year will mark another big while that I lived. It will be 14. That will seem big to me, but Dad is at a bigger year. He is at 41. Mom is at 41 too.

Writing my name to stop this entry now.

Robyn King

The Soldier's Cross Giveaway

2011-08-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Over at Scribbles and Inkstains, Abigail is giving away 2 copies of her very own book "The Soldier's Cross"! It is a historical fiction (which is an interest of mine), it is written by a young lady like myself AND it was published (how is that for inspiring??), and it is free ;). I expect it is a good read as well. The giveaway ends August 15th. Click here to go enter! ;)

"In Another Day" - post 1

2011-08-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here is my first entry for the "In Another Day" writing challenge, hosted by Miss Raquel and Miss Mary. Click here for details and to enter!

January 1st, 2055

Celebrating this Newest Year at the Round Table Event later today. We are full of reluctance to go. The government has ordered it, and we are given no choice. We are to talk about individuality today at the Event. That is what it always is. How we will show it in the Newest Year. We gather with other members of society, and the Worker tells us about how our hearts can be filled in this Newest Year, and how we can express our seperateness. One worker is assigned to one table every year. Last year we got 'Alexis'. I still remember her face. She was tired. She tried to make us happy with what she was saying, but she was not happy about it. She tried to make us believe her. It is hard to be happy when she does not feel happy for what she is talking about. I hope we do not get her this year.

It is so difficult writing so formal like I am here now. But, I do want to preserve some semblance of the beautiful English my parents spoke when they were young. If I talk like how I write here, but talk it in the General public, the government will Know, and we will be found out. They will call us Rebels. I think we are, but we do not let them Know.

All about me, the teenagers are clicking away with their Gadgets in the whole day. It feels like the electric is in the air. The electric is everywhere. My Mom showed me a old gadget of hers that she saved when the government shut off the freemarket gadgets. It has a apple in the side of it, and Dad told me it was made by a huge company called Mack. I wish we still were having Macks made to get. They look cool. They feel nice to hold.

Dad uses old words. Only at home when he knows the Workers can not look at him and here him. The Workers can here us in the whole day, but at night. Then they look at the bright part of the globe and see and here the awake people over there. So, I look up words in a dictionary when I can find a dictionary but wait until darkness. I want to own one. My friend Pierce does. He has to keep it from the government, so they will not know. They do not like the members of Society to know about the old ways. Pierce sneaks the word book to me sometimes. I want him to soon. That is how I got this book I am writing in. It has no words in it, so I can do my own.

I learned a new word from Dad today. It is omnivore. It means you eat greens , but you eat animals too. Together. It sounds fun.

Writing my name to stop this entry now.

Robyn King

2011-07-25T23:02:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note to say that I am not going to be continuing the blessings challenge for the time being. You all, of course, may continue, but for now, I need to just take a break (I practically have been anyway). I am busy right now, and will have to continue it later when I get more time.

Update on me

2011-07-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Just a little update on me - you may have noticed (or maybe you didn't) that I haven't been doing posts on the 1,000 blessings challenge. That's probably kind of bad since I'm hosting it, but right now I am helping out a family for a while (not my family- some friends), so I'm away from home, and I'm pretty busy. Since blogging should not be my first priority (or yours either), we can all just excuse each other. ;) I am probably going to try to get up another blessings post sometime in the not to distant future, though. Just don't count on frequent posts for a while, please. =)

How are you all doing? Tell me what you've been up to! ;)

So, I have a knack for cutting myself when I go to people's houses and using their knives in food prep. Well, here at our friends' house, I was using knives for a couple days and had somehow avoided that. Of course, last night, I cut myself. Figures. =) It's kinda funny though.

And then (actually, before that), I burnt myself with a clothes iron on my left hand, so that burn is actually more sensitive than the huge one on my right hand right now. My huge burn that I mentioned in a previous post is healing very well (praise the Lord!!), and it is doing soooo good!! It did not affect my joint (at least not that I can tell). So, pretty much the Lord has been good to me, and I am currently on a path of learning and opportunity.

So, just a little update on me. Have a great week everyone! =)

1,000 Blessings Challenge - #151-175

2011-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

151. scrapers for scraping dishes when washing them ;)

152. electric hair clippers for the boys and Daddy

153. Azure Standard

154. whole wheat grain

155. meals from friends after we have a new baby

156. ziplock bags

157. homemade bread & other bread things

158. store bought bread

159. leftovers

160. electric iron

161. bird feeder

162. our dogs

163. extension cords

164. stories

165. a fairly large kitchen

166. colorful flowers

167. rainbows

168. clouds

169. a sturdy roof

170. wooden shelving

171. charts for school

172. the privilege of helping my siblings w/school

173. white blood cells

174. oat roller

175. wheat grinder

1,000 Blessings - #101-150

2011-06-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

101. rain boots or rubber boots
102. scissors
103. red pencil
104. how-to books on writing
105. drawing pencils
106. cloth diapers
107. disposable diapers
108. baby wipes
109. fan in the bathroom
110. the 'Grab' feature on Mac (can take a picture of anything on your screen - very handy for when doing projects on the computer)
111. DigitalColor Meter on Mac
112. blogger
113. laundry baskets
114. plastic boxes for organizing toys
115. our pretty TV cabinet w/drawers underneath for movies
116. paved roads
117. gate for across our driveway (actually fencing, but it is such a blessing! - keeps dogs and kiddos in =)
118. mailbox
119. bikes
120. pump for bike tires and balls
121. tetherball (good exercise)
122. step stool
123. sippy cups
124. mirrors
125. cameras for taking pictures
126. cameras that take video
127. socks
128. scrunchies
129. telephones
130. cell phones
131. piano instruction DVDs
132. metronome
133. instruction books on pencil drawing
134. suitcases that roll
135. DVD cases (protects each DVD)
136. sewing machine
137. iMovie
138. iPhoto
139. Preview on Mac
140. picnik.com
141. thesaurus/dictionary.com
142. google search engine
143. printers
144. photo paper
145. paper towels
146. wash cloths
147. dish towels & dish rags
148. crocheted hot pads
149.dishwasher soap
150. modest swim-suits

Tips:
-if you don't have time each day to post up a list, you can schedule a post for days in advance
-paste all your items thus far into one document or email so that you can search for duplicates as you type up the next section of your list
-ask another blogger to host your list if you don't have a blog (great idea, Samantha and Ana-Belen!!) I can host also, or you can ask another young lady that is doing it too.
-write a list throughout the day, when you are away from the computer, so that when you sit down to type the list, you have it ready and you don't have to try to think of what to list, and it doesn't take as much computer time

Thoughtful Thoughts from a thoughtful girl

2011-06-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

You know, I consider myself a writer. It's probably at least fairly apparent, esp. considering the title of my blog. There is so much more to writing that just making up stories and such, though. As a Christian young woman, it should be a part of me to encourage other young ladies, including through writing. We are all traveling down similar roads. No matter our circumstances, we all share similarities.

I suppose on one hand I don't feel qualified to talk about certain things. How can I talk about contentment, when I myself am often not content? How can I talk about emotional purity, when I myself have trouble with my emotions? How can I talk about being a sweet sister, when I am so often not a great sister? How can I talk about having a good relationship with our parents, when I sometimes struggle myself?

How can I talk about patiently waiting for a husband and meanwhile using our time for the glory of God, when I am not always patient, and sometimes wish I could start courting next month? How can I talk about things I'm learning from the Lord, when I don't always read my Bible or pay attention, to see if He could be teaching me something?

Who am I anyway? Certainly no expert. What would make me unique out of all the other young ladies who talk of daughterhood, singleness, and learning to be a wife and mommy for someday on their blogs?

If you ask me my favorite color, favorite food, or favorite animal, I will probably tell you that I don't have one. However, I may not be sure about my favorites of tangible things, but when I believe in something, oftentimes it is a very strong belief or opinion. So, I am unique because God made me a unique, separate person with a unique combination of opinions, personality, and interests, and He has made me to glorify Him.

Back to the thing about being qualified. Being unique doesn't give me qualification for talking about important things. In actuality, its not really a matter of qualification anyway. The goal in talking about these things shouldn't be with the mindset of 'teaching' these things to other young ladies, but rather to encourage and edify my sisters in Christ. Sure, I can teach things, just as other young ladies teach me things. What fun it is to find a tutorial or other useful set of instructions on how to do something myself!

But, this is not the sort of thing I'm talking about. I'm talking about those sort of posts you read where the young lady is talking about how we should act around our brothers in Christ, or how modesty is more romantic.

I have, of course, talked about some things, and hopefully they encouraged someone, somewhere, but I guess I just want to talk more about worthwhile, 'meaty' things on here on my blog. There's really no reason to have this blog if it doesn't glorify the Lord, and I like having my blog, so I want to encourage my sisters in Christ, or anyone that may stumble into my blog.

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. -1 Thessalonians 5:11

This should be my goal on this blog.

1000 Blessings - #76-100

2011-06-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

76. friends who have stopped by and visited after our new baby was born
77. speakers (such as computer speakers, or television screen speakers)
78. sight
79. touch
80. hearing
81. taste
82. smell
83. a healthy body that functions properly
84. rain
85. sun
86. sunglasses
87. hair brush
88. toothbrush and toothpaste
89. camping tents
90. camping bags
91. duffle bags
92. empty pop bottles (for experiments and tornado tubes)
93. lined paper
94. tape (duct tape, scotch tape, masking tape, etc.)
95. glue
96. wooden furniture
97. clocks
98. the ability to talk
99. communication, whether by music, speech, body language, etc.
100. smiles

In case you were wondering...

2011-06-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering about the first few things I listed in this post, the reason why I put those things is because yesterday while making dinner, I accidentally poured hot bacon grease on my hand when taking bacon out of the oven. So, I got a second degree burn on my right hand (which is my dominant hand), but it is doing well right now. I went to the doctor last night and then again this morning, and we have a plan of action. ;) I am able to type, but I can't cook right now, because I can't get my wrapping on my hand wet. So, yes. I guess I will be watching more carefully what I'm doing when I'm handling hot greasy food from now on. ;)

1,000 Blessings - #51-75

2011-06-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

51. doctors

52. running water

53. increased knowledge that enables people to know how to deal with injuries

54. stores that sell first aid supplies, like what they have at a doctor's offices

55. the use of my fingers

56. my Daddy, who is willing to take me to the doctor at a moment's notice

57. electricity

58. old fashioned snail mail

59. other young ladies who are doing this challenge with me

60. encouragement from others

61. being able to encourage others

62. the ability to help others

63. chickens

64. food

65. milk

66. water

67. radios

68. newspapers or any other means by which I learn of the news

69. burp rags

70. godly examples in the Bible

71. lessons in the Bible

72. the book of Psalms

73. God's great love

74. the faithfulness of God

75. our piano

1,000 Blessings - #26-50

2011-06-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

26. aunts, uncles, and cousins
27. shoes
28. fast internet
29. a huge bookshelf that we got fairly recently off craigslist
30. an education with a Christian worldview
31. Christian schoolbooks
32. historical fiction books & movies
33. the internet, with its many resources (which are great for aspiring writers!)
34. the library =)
35. the thermometer
36. Costco
37. our 15 passenger van
38. our Dodge truck
39. canning jars
40. our 3 freezers
41. our 2 refridgerators
42. a teacher guide (when you are helping your brother do 4th grade math ;)
43. history books (so we can learn from the past)
44. the easy chair that we got for around $20 (thrift store =) - great for rocking a new, sweet baby sister! =)
45. the opportunity to grow up with many brothers and sisters - plenty of learning opportunities! ;)
46. 2 waffle makers (get the waffles done in half the time =)
47. a large griddle
48. my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is my friend and Redeemer (a Lord who hears my prayers, and answers!)
49. lessons taught by God
50. our hymn books

1,000 Blessings - #1-25

2011-06-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

This list is not going to be ordered exactly with the 'best' blessings at the top, and the 'worst' at the bottom. All God's blessings are good, and whether we are thankful or not, they are all the best, because they are His perfect will! =)

1. The Holy Bible
2-12. my family; my parents and my 9 siblings
13. the version of education I got - homeschooling
14. my church
15. my bed
16. my pillow
17. our air conditioners!
18. books
19. other godly young ladies' blogs
20. long skirts
21. languages
22. the ability to write
23. our country, where we can homeschool and worship God without as much trouble as in other countries
24. the fact that God has kept my family in His care
25. baby Endurance, whose life touched so many others

1,000 Blessings Challenge

2011-06-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your many blessings, see what God has done!

Would you like to join me over the next 40 or so days? I will be posting up a list of 1,000 blessings that God has given me. If we post 25 blessings a day, it will take approx. 40 days. The challenge here is to recognize and list 1,000 blessings. It seems like so much, yet it is just a fraction of what God has given us! Let's challenge ourselves to look beyond the things that people typically list. Besides life, family, and our houses, what other things can we think of?

When you start your list, link up below. If you don't have a blog, just comment with your lists! Be sure to take a look at others' lists, but don't copy other people's lists - think of things on your own. Remember, the goal is to recognize 1,000 blessings that God has given you, and some of those blessings are unique to only you.

This challenge should help us realize just how much God has done for us! I don't know about you, but I should be praising Him a whole lot more than I do, and this challenge will force me to look at the blessings He's given me - things that I may just take for granted on a regular basis.

______________________

When you link up

It may be easiest to just link to all your 1,000 blessings posts with a certain tag.

For example, if you want to see all my posts on writing, click on the 'writing' tag:

It will then show you all posts with the 'writing' tag:

You then get a link, which will show you all posts with the tag 'writing'":

In the same way, when you link up here, just link to all your posts on your blog that have a certain tag. I will be using '1000 Blessings Challenge' as my tag.

I hope this makes sense!
______________________
Now for the linky thing, so you can link up your posts:

Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Psalm 22:22
I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

Count your blessings, name them one by one!
Count your thousand blessings see what God has done! =)

P.S. I will be posting the first part of my list in a different post.

P.P.S. The linky thing is open tomorrow.

P.P.P.S. You can put this picture on your sidebar to direct others to the challenge. Just link to this post! =)

Pictures

2011-06-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

These are pictures that I took with my sister's fancy-schmancy camera. ;)

Questions for my readers and visitors

2011-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hello readers,

This may seem a bit weird as this question is not a question about my blog. But, I was wondering if you all would be willing to help me out. I was wondering...

In books (or even real life), what sort of people or characters fascinate you the most? Maybe its ventriloquists, spy agents (you know who you are ;), or veterinarians. Maybe you just love books about dancers, or computer geeks, or aliens (yikes). Or maybe you are fascinated with those people who are obsessed with certain things, which leads me to...

In books (or real life), what are some obsessions that people have that seem interesting to you? I'm not talking about stuff like drugs or smoking. I'm talking about people who have obsessions like: reading, the color pink, armadillos, mountain climbing, skydiving, and things like that. Or fears, like fear of sharks, heights, snakes, etc. (And mostly major ones that affect or even rule those people's lives... hopefully you don't know anyone like this in real life, but there should be some book or movie characters like this out there. However, if you think of any obsessions that are somewhat mild, I would still appreciate hearing about it! =)

Maybe the characters that interest you the most follow a common pattern. Maybe they all tend to go through the same things. For example, maybe they all start out with a major fear, and they get over it. Or, maybe they all start out with a certain conviction, and they all work toward a goal that pertains to that conviction. Or maybe they all live in a certain place, or type of place. For example, maybe all your favorite characters live in the city and long for the country. Or, maybe they all live right next to a zoo. Or, maybe they all ride submarines to work. I don't know. In any case, the various characters you are most interested in could very well have something very much in common, so please take a moment and think of what that could be (if there is something), and then let me know what it is!

Please refrain from mentioning anything that is bad or inappropriate, though. I know there are people out there obsessed with drugs and things like that, or that there are people that live in horrible places, and that is not at all what I am looking for. Thank you!

Please answer these for me, and if you're wondering why I ask... just remember, I am a writer. ;)

HodgePodgeStitches, Welcome to the World!

2011-05-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hello blog friends!

Blog friends, meet Hodge Podge Stitches. Hodge Podge Stitches, meet my blog friends. Oh, and HodgePodgeStitches is my new etsy shop. =) I set it up this month. Feel free to buy something ;), and tell your friends!

The URL is easy to remember: www.etsy.com/shop/hodgepodgestitches

Let me know what you think! Any tips from experienced online sellers would be great! Thanks!! =)