wild rumpus

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Surprises. I have had a lot of them lately.

I have a complex view of surprises; if I know generally what to prepare for, what to expect, I will probably like it a lot; if it seems like everyone knows what it is except for me, I will be virtually tortured until the surprise is at length revealed; if I know something is up, but when I ask about it no one will tell me anything except 'You'll like it', I will be all but driven mad. But perhaps the most surprising thing of all is that I really have enjoyed every one of the most recent surprises immensely. I guess it is just 'getting there' that is hard for me.

About three or so weeks ago, my friends threw me a surprise birthday party (my little sister had a huge hand in it; I think it was even her idea in the first place). I am the sort that when I see something fishy going on - people quieting or shifting feet when I come near, sharing whispers and occasionally glancing my way, or the like - I fine-tune my ears, sharpen my vision, and become the most aware and suspicious sleuth I know.

    Having discovered the hard way from a previous mystery party that my attitude only increased my irritation as no one would tell me anything - that, of course, is what surprises are supposed to be - I, this time, was purposefully ignoring the symptoms of secret-keeping. And besides this, my friends (who had quickly learned my tendency to grow snoopy) were being extra careful to keep me in the dark.

    After returning home from some fun hours of lunch and shopping with one of my best friends, my little sister drew me into our library - my dad is amazing, and we actually have a room devoted entirely to books, and our grand piano (and well, the TV, too) - by playing one of my favorite video games, Spyro: A Hero's Tail. (I cannot resist it, and boy, does she ever know my weakness!)

    About to chastise her for gaming without me, I stopped short when I saw the elaborate streamers, and then looked to the side to see almost our entire church youth group huddled against the wall, smiling like excited imps - they looked somewhere between plain happy and mischievous - and it took me all of a split second to realize what was going on. Then they jumped up and yelled 'surprise', at which I teared up; this, partly because I was impressed at how well they had kept everything a secret without annoying me, and partly because I felt so honored, privileged, and special that they had put in the time and energy to make a surprise party just for little old me on my twentieth birthday.

    And you know what? It ended up being one of the best surprises I had ever had!

When my grandparents took me to the Ordway to see the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra last Friday, I knew exactly where I was going, exactly who with and what for; I was informed that the venue would be fancy - you understand I had never been there before - and that I would most certainly enjoy it a great deal. What surprised me was that it was well beyond what I expected: Infinitely lovelier, far more spacious and grand, and the music above and beyond anything I could have imagined. I learned that Mendelssohn's piece 'The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)' is possibly my favorite piece of music ever - other, of course, from my favorite song, In Christ Alone, and my favorite hymn, Come Thou Fount.

    It was the best kind of surprise - better than I could have hoped or dreamed.

And this morning, one of my very best friends in all the world took me on a trip she admitted she had been planning for about a month. She had given me a card the previous Sunday at church telling me she was taking me on an adventure, and suggested some things for me to bring: Bible, notebook, camera, and (of course) adventure boots!

    She picked me up this morning and brought me to Minneapolis to a little bookstore for 'young people' (about ages 3 to at least 20). ;) It was called 'Wild Rumpus' - just like from Where the Wild Things Are. (And just for the record, I love that book!)

    We spent a few hours in that store, looking at new books, treasuring old ones we had read before, ogling various artwork, and petting the chickens. Yes, they had chickens in the store - petite little things, one black and one grey - roaming free for anyone to enjoy. Several children were chasing after the hens intermittently, and finally my friend gently caught one and cuddled with it for a few minutes. The hen did not seem to wish to leave her hand! There were also caged Chinchillas, many pretty birds, and even a small tarantula named Thomas Jefferson.

    I wish I could describe the ceiling for you, yet I am afraid I will not do it justice. The creativity raised my eyebrows and drew in my camera for a click or two. It had two layers, one of water and a lower one of ice, which appeared to be being cracked by a canoe. The sight daunted me for a moment. I was impressed by the imagination. Actually, that detail itself almost made the whole trip worth it!

    I purchased Enna Burning by Shannon Hale, a book I have read before but never owned (I wrote a review on it a couple years ago here on my blog). There were at least ten or more books I dearly wished to buy, but alas; a nanny's pocketbook is rarely full enough to purchase a whole shelf of treasures.

    Besides this, my friend and I enjoyed an unplanned but peaceful scenic drive around a lake, a visit to the beautiful Victorian-styled Lake Harriet Bandstand, the Lakewood Cemetery, and we even discovered a sidewalk 'little library' box, in which we left a secret note in dwarfish script (based on that found within the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien). It read,

'Greetings, dear reader.
I hope you enjoy your books.
From the green elves of the north.'

And I drew a little symbol using the first letters of my and my friend's names. I hope someone finds it and takes the time to discover what it says! Simple though it is, I presume it will make a nice bookmark for its discoverer. We decided next time we came by - for I am sure that we will, perhaps this spring or summer - to bring a book or two to trade. How will I ever give up one of my books, though, even if I get one in return?? Maybe I will just pick up a random book at a garage sale and trade that instead. 'One man's trash is another man's treasure.'

    All in all, though we felt a bit rushed - I am certain we could have spent days in these places and not have enjoyed all they had to offer - the adventure was wonderful, truly worth the wait. And I am so thankful to the friend who gave this to me as my birthday gift. (Let's have more adventures soon, eh?) ;)

I realize it has been long since I last wrote - over two months, I believe! Well, I shall simply have to make up for that. After so much time, I have much to tell.

the devouring of books...

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...and the adventures of spring

It's always a treat when one is able to sleep-in an extra hour and then wake up to see sunshine, feel the warmth of the day, and breathe a thankful prayer to God.

Lately, I've wanted nothing more than to READ. I've been having the worst time with self-control when it comes to reading my Bible first thing in the morning. I actually did it today, before anything else. As always, just finally obeying God brought a beautiful peace and joy into the day.

    Yesterday, I read Leviticus 26, which is about God promises, either for good things should they obey Him, or for punishment should they disregard Him and fall into sin. This is the first time I've ever read Leviticus all the way through (just chapter 27 left, then I'm done!), and I can absolutely see it's value as part of God's Word. That is to say, a lot of people don't find it necessary because it's so full of SACRIFICE and LAWS, and all kinds of things that Christians don't need in order to live to God in this age.

    But it is necessary.

    God takes sin very seriously, and He wants His people to be set apart from the sinful ways of the world, to live a righteous life and to give Him the glory. He promises to bless our obedience and provide for our needs, but He will discipline us if we should fall away into temptation, forgetting His promises.

    I believe God has preserved this record (Leviticus) for us to remind us of the importance of godliness, holiness, true faith; it isn't a prayer-a-day kind of lifestyle, it's COMPLETE DEVOTION to God! If He was willing to DIE to spare us from an eternity in hell - we who are sinful, unworthy sheep who will stray from fields of hearty food and protection for one blade of withered grass - then we better not waste this one short life we have, but cooperate with the Holy Spirit in order to be sanctified, in preparation for God's one day perfecting us and - at last! - the eternal bliss of heaven.

Oh, I could go on and on about all that forever!

Along with suchlike weighty thoughts, I've been having lots of pretty little dreams at night and a great deal of story inspiration. Having discovered Shannon Hale's eight month-old book Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, I've found an ocean of new ideas and insight into characters I've loved for years from the prequel, Princess Academy (which I've read four times). I always marvel at Shannon Hale's knowledge of her characters - she always knows just what they want, just how to express all that they think and feel, and just when to give them what they need or want most. I'm a terribly distracted reader, so it takes me forever to finish a book, but my word... when I sit down with this, it's really, really hard to put it away!

    As far as my novel-in-progress, I've been able to finish some exhaustive editing and am adding piece by piece to a new chapter. It takes self-control to jump on the laptop and work on my novel instead of rushing onto Pinterest or 700 other websites at my fingertips - it's so easy to run out of time in a day by wasting it on useless games. I don't like having hardly accomplished anything useful by the end of a day. When I procrastinate, I'm reminded of a favorite quote from Princess Academy:

No wolf falters before the bite

So strike

No hawk wavers before the dive

Just strike

When struggling with the desire to do something else besides writing, I say 'no' to my distractions and command myself, 'just do it, just work on it, and you'll be so, so glad you did'. (Which is pretty much what I had to do to get myself to read my Bible, even on such a beautiful, motivating day.)

I bought a new purse from Thirty-One, a cross-body, just large enough for a notepad, a smallish book, my mp3, a pen, various re-charger cords, my keys, my glasses case, travel toothbrush, flashlight, travel Bath & Body lotion, and my library card. Now, that probably sounds like a lot, but I usually carry all that plus two or three MORE books, a small journal, an extra one or two pens and a pencil, a camera or yarn and knitting needles, and sometimes a thermal tote besides all of that if I'm babysitting and need to pack food.

    So, yeah... I decided to downsize a bit, and although I love having a variety of things to read and no small amount of trinkets I probably won't end up using with me wherever I go, it has been nice to not have too much extra weight on my shoulders (literally). Besides, the new little purse is a cute style, and in a favorite teal/mint color that seems REALLY popular right now.

Tea. Thesaurus. Cashews. Books. Novel. Music. Blue dusk. Spring. God's Word. Life.

It has been a lovely day, full of much more than I mentioned to the brim of what a mostly-relaxing day can contain, including errands to the grocery store, bank, JoAnne Fabrics & Crafts (my little sister is making a Steampunk 1880's dress for her drama class performance next month), a visit to one of my best friends (the library; I now have four more books I've never read before), and naturally frequent trips to my imagination - but if I went into detail, you'd never reach the end of this post, or worse, be bored stiff before you came close. ;)
 

Thank you for reading this, even if only a tiny bit; the number of page-views I get encourage me to keep blogging, more than you know! God bless,

the Hobbit

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Yesterday I went to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected journey for the third time in theater. (Which is a first. I don't know if I've seen any other movie even just two times in theater before.) I started knitting a hat during the trailers and was about half-way through by the end of the movie (and that's mostly by feel, not by sight). My mom and sister, Emily, were with me --- I think we all agreed that The Hobbit gets better every time. (They were seeing it for only their second time because we all went to the midnight showing, and I went again the next day with a group of friends from church.) But seriously; I've started being able to quote it, memorized the dwarves' names (and faces!), and am determined to read The Hobbit again before the next two parts are released.

Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins, an actor whom I was first introduced to watching Wild Target, a comedy starring Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, and Rupert Grint; then one night my sisters and I began watching the BBC television series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch (who actually plays the dragon Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit). It was shortly after that when we learned Martin Freeman was going to play the part of Bilbo, so naturally we were... well, ecstatic, really. He portrays Bilbo perfectly. He's the number one thing I like about The Hobbit, but believe me, not the only thing --- I like every detail. ;)

 

It's fascinating to look at the behind-the-scenes videos (such as the one above) which explain a good chunk of the work that goes into the making of The Hobbit. It really does take so much to make a movie worth watching, and I believe Peter Jackson and his capable crew did a fabulous job! I've heard people complain about The Hobbit 'not being as good as Lord of the Rings' or 'too silly' and suchlike. Well, truth is, The Hobbit is NOT as serious at the Lord of the Rings. I've heard that J.R.R. Tolkien actually wrote it to be a children's book. And The Lord of the Rings trilogy is frankly pretty dark. I appreciated the humor of The Hobbit because the end of the "LotR" (Lord of the Rings) trilogy when Frodo sails away just breaks my heart. I needed a little cheering-up, and An Unexpected Journey did just that for me.

And I know a lot of people thought it was a little stretched out, but seriously: what true fan can complain about having three whole movies made about a favorite novel, especially if they star Martin Freeman? There were actually aspects of the book I didn't fully understand, and other parts I couldn't really picture in my own imagination. An Unexpected Journey answered a lot of questions I had. And how often do we have the chance to see a fantastic book like this from another person's perspective, anyway? I can't help thinking that if J.R.R. Tolkien could see his books from Peter Jackson's perspective, he would be very well-pleased.

For those of you who loved The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey even half as much as I did (which is still saying a lot!), don't worry; The Desolation of Smaug comes out on December 13th of this year, and There and Back Again, on July 18th of 2014 (and that's only about half a year after part two!) We don't have that much of a wait ahead of us. And I plan on watching An Unexpected Journey several mores times when it finally comes out on DVD.

For those of you who didn't really like the movie all that much, think about the reasons for that. We geeks will allow you to be more interested in other movies --- everyone has their own tastes and is entitled to their own opinion --- but if your only excuse for disliking The Hobbit is because they're splitting it into three parts, just know that The Lord of the Rings was originally one book as well, but was separated into three parts because of its length! Length is a problem for you? *Chuckling ensues* Well, my friend, because I'm a true geek at heart, I'm hoping for more extended versions --- love those --- to put up on the shelf, next to The Avengers, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Star Trek, and every other 'geeky' movie or TV series I have on my rather extensive wishlist. Length is good.

Lastly, I want to ask everyone to do one thing concerning movies based on books; to give the movie an honest chance. Allow yourself to not be prejudiced, but see its quality in and of itself, even if you still like the book more. You really are seeing the book from someone else's perspective, seeing their very imagination, which is FASCINATING! Allow yourself to look over any quirks you don't care for and simply enjoy the movie. And please don't make judgments until you've seen a bit of all the work everyone put in to making that movie. (Particularly The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.) Could YOU have done a better job? Let's give Peter Jackson some major kudos for bringing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to life!

morning star

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For my graduation, a handful of friends gave me various books, mostly devotionals (which I love! Thank you, everyone!) One of these is 'Wonderful Names of Our Wonderful Lord' by Charles Hurlburt & T.C. Horton
    One is supposed to read a single page every day for a complete year (well, three-hundred and sixty-five days).

Anyway, one of the devotions (Day 8) was so beautiful, I just have to share it with you all!

A Star

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him,

but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob.

Numbers 24:17

What could be more beautiful or more fitting than God calling our Lord "a star"? Those who know Him best may say, "One day I will see him, but not now. I will behold him, but not from here." Far beyond our world of trouble and care and change, He shines with undimmed light, a radiant, guiding Star to all who will follow Him --- a morning Star, promise of a better day.

I at first thought it best to let the words speak for themselves, but I want to tell you what I gathered from this special devotional: Firstly, it is such a treasured thought among genuine Christians, that is the knowledge that one day we shall finally see our Savior and Lord! And not just for a moment (although that would be more than enough to suffice for all of the troubles on earth), but for the rest of eternity. Blessed thought indeed!

    And what good thinking was another word placed along with 'trouble' and 'care' --- the important word 'change'. God is righteous, holy holy holy, and unchangeable. This world is ever-changing, ever-worsening, ever-darkening, so that Christ shines still brighter daily through this darkness.

Beautiful words, and how true that we can scarcely wait to meet our Lord at long last, our Morning Star!

camera

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I have only posted on my blog one or two times since I got my new camera, and that was exactly one month ago. Weird... I can hardly believe that anything could crowd-out writing in my life, but I guess the novelty of a DSLR of my very own takes more time to wear off than I thought! To help balance this out, I have been taking a long break from editing photos the past several nights to finish writing letters to some friends, keep "plugging away" at my grad party thank-you notes, and baby-step my way to the end of my novel.

Even though I've graduated from High School, responsibilities and various forms of learning do not end. I'm taking piano lessons again (just started up for the season on Tuesday), and dappling in a few other subjects which interest me. I'm also starting to pick up my driver's manual so that I can hopefully earn my permit soon. I know it would be convenient for my mom to have another licensed driver in the family who can help run errands and suchlike.

I'm never quite sure just how to answer when people ask me about college or my plans for the future. The truth is, I don't really have any big plans yet --- I'm living life as it comes, continuing to stay at home unless and until God presents me to my own prince charming. I'm waiting for God to show me His own plans for my life. In the meantime, I may very well end up schooling myself in the areas of photography, writing, and useful homemaking skills --- all outside of college. Life seems filled to the rim even without college classes and a full-time job, and I'm content to wait on God's will for my life.

Having read a couple Medieval fantasies in a row, now, I plan to dig back into the Hunger Games trilogy. 'Catching Fire' is waiting for me on my desk, and I'm itching to open it! I have only a chapter or two of 'Dragon's Breath' by E.D. Baker to finish; so much reading, so little time!

My writing, as I have alluded to, has been mostly put on the back-burner of late, but I hope to put an end to this pattern. I'll try to return here often, now that summer chaos is beginning to subside.
    Along those lines, I also want to work on this one tough area in my novel; this sticky place that I've written and re-written more than once. I want that enormous section of the story fixed and behind me so that I can once again pour my heart into the more exciting parts of my work-in-progress.

Although my camera has crowded-out a lot of other activities in my life recently, it hasn't exactly been all in vain.

It may not seem very interesting, but I have to tell you... I took this photo out the dirty window of my moving car from the back seat. The fact that there is no blur, no sign of dirt, no anything bad is the reason why I love my new camera to death! ;)

I guess I have a 'thing' for leaf and sunshine photos. I can't help myself, though. The first photo is of a leaf I found in the public library parking lot. Nothing special, just your regular green. But the sunlight was perfect. My other leaf photo (directly above) is of a crunchy brown leaf, and the place at which I found it now escapes me. But the texture of it reminded me of a dragon's wing --- naturally I found the very idea irresistible.

This darling young lady is my younger sister, Emily. She was sweet enough to let me force her up into a tree and smile down at me. You professionals can tell I don't have much experience with portraits as yet, but don't worry; I'm learning. Em's just naturally a beautiful girl, so pictures of her, however poor the quality, are always lovely. ♥

As I have said, I shall try to be more faithful in writing on Thirst For Purity. After such a long an eventful summer, there is now much to be said! Ta ta for now!

speak of the beast...

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I finally finished reading Melanie Dickerson's beautiful rendition of Beauty and the Beast, The Merchant's Daughter! By now I think I've mentioned it on my blog several times, but I can't help myself; it was... oh, how can I sum it all up in one word?... Victorious. Dickerson writes so well, her characters practically come to life from the pages, and the way she tantalizes you that there may not be a happy ending after all... I fall for it every time!

    The very best part of Dickerson's writing is that she always centers it around the Gospel of Christ. Her protagonists are Christians, seeking God more than the desires of their fleshly heart. But they end up receiving what they desire anyway because of their faith in God's will.

Somewhere, somehow, my mom learned that the same author is coming out with another book this December, Fairest Beauty, which is a retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Let's just say I'm REALLY excited about that! I want to own all of Dickerson's works; she's definitely a favorite author!

Now that I'm done with The Merchant's Daughter, I'm going to finish Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh, and have several other books moving up on the list.

What are YOU reading?

June . . . come and gone

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I have finished Stepping Heavenward! What a beautiful book... Really not what I had expected at all, but truly a blessing. I confess, at some points I had to stop and read over a few sentences because I'm not accustomed to the language (that is, the old-fashioned form of English) in which it was written, but the book was full of wisdom and insight, and I found it extremely easy to relate to the protagonist's struggles, feelings, and desires. I would certainly recommend it to anyone in an instant, even to men because I believe it gives a better insight into a woman's heart; and then, of course, great encouragement to any wife, mother, or daughter who loves the Lord or is just learning to.

    Now that Stepping Heavenward is on my 'completed books' list, I have begun something new. The Merchant's Daughter, which I have expressed an interest in before, is in my possession temporarily form my library, and I'm devouring at least one chapter almost daily. (Truly, this is an accomplishment for me; I am a very distracted and slow reader!) I'm already intrigued by it; oh, how I've missed adventurous, eloquent literature rooted in imagination and well-watered with the talent of an experienced and talented author. Melanie Dickerson is certainly a favorite of mine; her style suits me well, and she is a Christian so her writing is for the glory of God. I can hardly wait to sit down with it and read more!

    My mom received a free bag from thirty-one for going to a party of someone who booked a party off of hers, and she sweetly gave it to me! I had it embroidered with the words 'purity girl' on it in blue, contrasting with grey. Normally I would have chosen some flamboyant, colorful pattern to match my personality, but I wanted the words to stand out. Plus, I really do love grey. Someday, I want to paint my room grey to make my lime-green bedspread, pink pillowcases, rainbow butterfly posters, and five-headed rainbow lamp all stand out distinctly (to put it lightly). The bag is the perfect size for carrying around all of my little 'necessities' and a few extra books (a writer-reader always needs a sufficient supply of books at her disposal at all times of the day).

    My neighborhood roads have been being worked on these past few weeks. It was strange to see the ground beneath the asphalt for a while, and to watch the machines going past, digging, drilling, spreading, rolling and whatnot day in and day out. They've laid down some new sod off the sides of the road and have watered them a couple of times, but what a season for it! It's so hot out presently, we may need to water the sod a few times ourselves just to keep it alive! Our mailboxes have been uprooted since before the construction began, so our neighborhood makeshift mailboxes are at the end of the road, all lined up in a pretty little row. The good news is that if we walk to get the mail, we get some good exercise in!
    I don't know when the construction is expected to be over, but for the time being, it's kind of nice to have some excitement just outside the front door!

    It's been a unique month, June has. I like the summer because even without school (although I am doing a little school this summer), there is always something happening, and I like keeping busy. Not too busy, of course; it's nice to be able to relax. But last year, when my older sister was away at camp, most of the excitement went with her which made for lots of movies and other dull hours for the rest of us at home. We didn't have our usual summer planting job then, or hardly any graduation parties to go to, so we mostly stayed indoors, savoring the air-conditioning.
    Yes, this June has been a good month, full of God's precious blessings (thank You Lord!) and all varieties of adventures. I'm looking forward to whatever July has to offer!

writer's block ... why?

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I don't know what to write about anymore.

I feel like I should try to find something interesting in my life to share with everyone, but how can anything in my life be very interesting to anyone else? It's all so . . . normal.

It's like I'm just waiting for something to happen, and until it does, there will be nothing but normal life to drone-on about. Maybe I'm waiting for my opportunity to buy that new camera and begin an entirely new chapter of my photography adventure.

Maybe I'm waiting for that next vacation which always is a source of new and beautiful memories.

Maybe I'm just restless in general, so it's hard to sit down and push buttons once a day as lead by my brain.

Or maybe it's just the weather.

Honestly, the weather affects me greatly. I am usually most inspired to write when the season change. Winter always makes me want to cuddle up and read The Goose Girl, or Princess Academy. Summer makes me want to dig out my old dragon stories I wrote as a child and grimace and laugh at my inexperience. And I never know what inspiration to expect in autumn or spring --- they are pleasant surprises.

Maybe it's because I'm not going to bed before midnight very often.

There's always some sort of excuse for why this occurs; last night it was that I was in the mood to clean the house, and so I kept going until after midnight and I could hardly keep my eyes open anymore!

Probably, the answer to my restless trouble is a combination of many things.

Anyway, I hope you'll forgive me for not writing many things of interest. I'll just have to remind myself that if my writing is for the Lord, that's all I will need. I just want to please Him.

life is busy

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Reading. Writing. Weeding. Cleaning. Babysitting. Organizing. Planting. Trying. Failing.

Isn't life just beautiful? I suppose that statement deserves an explanation: God blesses us in so many ways. I can't count on my fingers, toes, and even hairs exactly how many blessings God has given us. Every leaf, every blade of grass, every cloud, every ray of sun or moonlight, every breath, every beat of our hearts . . . life is a gift, a miracle. Oh, that we could learn to not take its many and beautiful facets for granted!

I haven't been writing on my blog very faithfully, and I apologize for that. I have been busy with life. (Wow, where to begin?!)

 My church is amazing, and I'm growing closer to everyone there and loving them more and more deeply as the Sundays pass by, one after the other.

I've been inching my way through the Hunger Games book, and am almost to the end. My sister, Emily, owns the book, so I've been trying to respect her wishes about not bringing it around while we travel. This makes it a little harder to finish (I spend a LOT of time in the car), but it's nice to sit down on my bed and delve into the action.

I'm finishing school at a snail's pace. Math is my most prominent issue, (I'm done with Literature, am nearly done with science, and am flying steadily through history because I just LOVE it). The prospect of finally graduating is a light at the end of the tunnel. A lot of my friends are graduating this year as well, and their open houses are getting me that much more excited!

My novel is coming along slowly. I'm the kind of writer who has a beginning and an end already planned out, but needs to work on filling in the middle. And that's what I'm doing right now, trying to fill in those spaces to get from A to B. I'm feeling a little restless, but it's a great learning process. My hope is to have chapter three completed by the first of June.

    The more I get into the story, though, the more my excitement grows. After all, I've been working on the general idea for this novel for almost seven years. (Mid-July was when it all started.) I had to crawl through a lot of drafts over the years that just weren't . . . right yet. But I'm confident that the draft I have now is the one I've been looking for all this time. I'm going through it one piece at a time, chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph. Now, I have a lot of great ideas in store --- it's just getting there!

My older sister, Lilly has begun selling Thirty-One bags. (You can find her here.)When I first went to a party my sister-in-law was hosting for these bags, I wasn't really sure to expect, and honestly, I didn't really like them. Now? I LOVE THEM! Perhaps I just needed a little nudge, but after purchase one, it's hard to stop! They're extremely practical, as well as cute. I just purchased a special cosmetic bag that I'm going to use to carry my Bible in for church on Sundays. I have two of these adorable notebook-cover-thingies called a Fold-and-Go Organizer; it's my favorite product from Thirty-One, and I use it daily to write down story-notes. It keeps them in one neat little place (who likes scraps of paper flying around in all directions?), and besides, they're CUTE!

    I'm also expecting another bag (the All In One Organizer) and a Pinch-Top Eyeglass Case in the mail in a couple of weeks. (Yeah, I have my own librarian-style specs; I'm a little near-sighted. Probably from reading so many books!)

    Anyway, if you're a girl, you won't be sorry you checked this out! You can visit the website here.

I once started reading Jerry Bridges' book Respectable Sins, but never finished it, so I'm picking it up again and am loving it! It points out those sins we look at as 'small' or 'acceptable' --- sins like pride, or greed --- things that don't show as much as murder or adultery, but are equally evil in God's eyes. This won't be the last time I mention this book, and I'll be sure to quote from it a lot in the near future because Bridges says it all so well, so much better than I do. Really, if you ever have an opportunity to get your hands on it, this is definitely a book worth owning!

Ah, and back to the subject of math, I've discovered an interesting technique that helps me get through it stress-free, and in a slightly shorter amount of time. You may call me crazy, but all I can say is that it's great to be home-educated.

    The past three days, I've sat down to math, and once I've completed between five and ten problems, I play one of my Spyro the Dragon games for a few minutes. 

 . . .

See? I told you that you'd think it was crazy.

This is why it works:

Honestly, I can only tolerate math for a very little while. About twenty to thirty problems involving fractions is enough to give me a whopping headache, and it has been known to take me a lot more than an hour to get through just one of my math lessons. If I get stressed (and too much math definitely makes me stressed!), I begin to have a harder time thinking logically about how to solve a problem; I start blanking.

    Now, when I pause every-so-often to get my mind off of math (by playing a little bit of my Spyro game), it takes away that stress (or prevents it) and actually ends up taking me approximately half an hour to finish a lesson, instead of almost TWO hours! It really does help. And you know what? I've started looking forward to doing math. ;)

Life is busy. And that's the way I like it.

reading and remodeling

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My house is all messed up. Our kitchen is in the living room, our dining room table is in our library, and a couple of days ago, half of my bedroom was in my parents' room while my dad was putting up new trim . . . Yeah, it's been pretty crazy these past couple of weeks! A guy came to install new counter-tops in our kitchen, and until this morning (when we could relax a little), it's just been weird.

    And as we were moving all of my things back from my parents' room and into mine, I rearranged everything. Now, my bed is directly under my window, my dresser is nearest my door, and my desks are on opposite ends of the room from each other. I rather like it.

And yesterday, I finally finished reading 'Forest Born' by Shannon Hale. That's a check off my extensive book-reading list! I'm going to be charging through 'The Hunger Games' (as mentioned before) as soon as possible, and I'm also interested in giving 'The Unwanteds' by Lisa McMann a try. I came across it accidentally at the library in audio version, and immediately requested it after I read the description:

In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, identical twins Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly Eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths hone their abilities and learn magic.

And that wasn't even the first thing that caught my attention about it. Not only was the cover illustration intriguing, but on the top of the book cover, it said "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter". Naturally, having fallen in love with both of those stories, I couldn't resist this one. And I'm always searching for good books that will "hone my abilities" in writing. ;)

Photo-Editing Quest ... etc....

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Dear Reader,
I set myself on a quest recently to discover different photo-editing websites that could be used for free. As yet, I've only found a grand total of three that I like, the latest being Pixlr.com. These three photos you see below were edited there but a few days ago.

I plan on finding some other suchlike sites if I can, but for now I have so many irons in the fire and various plans that it may be awhile before I do. What I have in mind is writing, starting my math up early, learning how to make homemade rock candy, pressing flowers before they're out of season, reading books like crazy, and knitting; scarves, hats, socks... I've done a little knitting in the past, but I want to move ahead and make my family things they'll actually enjoy. ;)
Also, I finally finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone two days ago. I have to say, the movie was extremely excellent, but I think I might just like the book better. (It had more action with my favorite characters, particularly Severus Snape and Neville.) Yet, quite like the movie, the end had me teary-eyed as ever. I was really excited, and I can't wait to start Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!

In the meantime, I'm reading a book my younger sister and mother have insisted I go through by Elizabeth Prentiss: Stepping Heavenward. I'm not very far yet, but I think it's safe to say that I'm really going to like it.

Thank you very much for reading this.
I'm so grateful that God made me a writer, and so thankful for my blog and all of my dear followers!
God bless!

Respectable Sins ... Part One

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Dear Reader,
Herein is the official beginning of this series of 'Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate'. I will be writing about and adding select quotes from the first chapter of the book, titled, 'Ordinary Saints'. (My apologies for not posting it as planned, this past Sunday.)

{May God bless this series and awaken our hearts so that we might gain from it. It is for His glory and honor. Amen.}

And so, we begin.

 {beginning of quote}

The church at Corinth was all messed up, both theologically and morally. They were proud and fractious; they tolerated gross immorality, sued each other in court, flaunted their freedom in Christ, abused the observance of the Lord's Supper, misunderstood the purpose of spiritual gifts, and were confused about the future resurrection of believers. Yet when writing to them, Paul addressed them as "saints" (2 Corinthians 1:1) or as those "called to be saints" (1 Corinthians 1:2).

    The popular meaning of words often changes over time, based on their common usage. So today we wouldn't think of those messed-up Corinthians as saints. We might call them worldly, carnal, or immature, but certainly not saints. In the Romans Catholic tradition, sainthood is conferred posthumously on Christians of exceptionally outstanding character and achievement. I write these words a few months after the death of the greatly admired Pope John Paul II, and already there is a widespread popular sentiment to canonize him as a saint.
    Apparently, over the course of church history, most of the original apostles, including Paul, came to be called saints. My grandfather was a member of St. Paul's Methodist Church. In our city we have St. John's Baptist Church. A Presbyterian friend of mine pastors St. Andrew's Chapel. I have preached in St. Thomas's Anglican Church. Even Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas, gets into the act with with St. Matthias's Church in Sydney, Australia. And, of course, standing above them all in eminence is St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
    Today, outside the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the word saint is seldom used. But when it is, it is most often used to describe a person (usually elderly) of unusually godly character. Someone might say, "If there ever was a saint, it is my grandmother." Upon hearing such a statement, we immediately picture a kind, gracious woman who regularly reads her Bible and prays and who is known for her good deeds toward others.
    How then could the apostle Paul address the messed-up believers at Corinth as saints? In fact, this form of address seems to be a favorite of Paul's. He uses it in several of his letters and frequently refers to believers as saints (see, for example, Romans 1:7; 16:15; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; 4:21-22; and Colossians 1:2). How could Paul refer to ordinary believers, even the problem-plagued ones at Corinth, as saints?
    The answer lies in the meaning of the word as it is used in the Bible. The Greek word for saint is hagios, and it refers not to one's character but to a state of being. Its literal meaning is "one who is separated unto God." In this sense, ever believer --- even the most ordinary and the most immature --- is a saint. The actual wording of Paul's address in 1 Corinthians is to "those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (1:2). Here again, we may be surprised with Paul's use of the word sanctified, a word we usually associate with holy living. But the words sanctified and saint both come from the same Greek word family. A saint is simply someone who is sanctified. Although it sounds awkward in English, we could literally rewrite Paul's words as "to those separated in Christ Jesus, called to be separated ones."
    Separated for what? A better question is, Separated for whom? And the answer is, "for God." Every true believer has been separated or set apart by God for God. Paul, in one place, described our Lord Jesus Christ as the One who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works (see Titus 2:14). And in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul says to us, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price." Together, these two passages help us understand the biblical meaning of saint. It is someone whom Christ bought with His own blood on the cross and has separated unto Himself to be His own possession.

{end of quote}

You catch all that? EVERYONE who belongs to Christ is a saint, separated unto God for His glory, regardless of what they have done. Weird, huh? I would have never thought of myself as a saint before I read that!

{beginning of quote}

    What does it mean to be separated, or set apart? A good analogy is to be found at the U.S. Air Force Academy near our home. Entering first-year cadets are treated vastly different from the way [freshmen] entering public or private universities are treated. From the time they get off the bus at the Academy grounds and throughout their first year, they are subjected to extremely rigorous discipline designed to transform them from easygoing American teenagers into well-disciplined cadets preparing to become military officers. Although this discipline is progressively relaxed as the cadets pass through their fours years, it is never completely removed. Even as seniors, they are still subjected to demanding academic and behavioral requirements.

    Why is there this difference between the Academy and a typical university? These young men and women have been in a real sense "set apart" by the U.S. government to become Air Force officers. It costs out government over $300,000 to educate and train each cadet over a four-year period. So the Academy doesn't exist to prepare young people to be schoolteachers or Wall Street bankers. It exists for one purpose: to prepare officers for the U.S. Air Force. And the cadets are "set apart" for that purpose.

    In a way similar to a young person entering the Air Force Academy, every new believer has been set apart by God, separated unto God to be transformed into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. In this sense, every believer is a saint --- a person separated from his old sinful way of life and set apart by God to increasingly glorify God as his life is transformed.
    ... We don't become saints by our action. We are made saints by the immediate supernatural action of the Holy Spirit alone who works this change deep within our inner being so that we do, in fact, become new creations in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). This change of state is described prophetically in Ezekiel 36:26: "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone [a dead, unresponsive heart] from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh [a living, responsive heart]."
    It would be nice if we could end the story here, because the last two paragraphs might suggest a saint is someone who no longer sins. Alas, we all know that is not true. Rather, if we are honest with ourselves, we know that nearly ever waking hour, we sin in thought, word, or deed. Even our best deeds are stained with impure (mixed) motives and imperfect performance. And who of us can ever begin to say, "I have loved my neighbor as myself"? And of course, the messed-up Corinthian church stands as Exhibit A that we saints can be quite sinful in our attitudes and actions.
    Why is this true? Why is there a disconnect between what God has seemingly promised and what we experience in our daily lives? The answer is found in such Scriptures as Galatians 5:17, which says, "The desires of the flash are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
    The guerrilla warfare between the flesh and the Spirit described in Galatians 5:17 is fought daily in the heart of every Christian. That is why, for instance, Peter urges us "to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11). So although 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ezekiel 36:26 speak of a decisive change that always occurs in the heart of every new believer, the outworking of that change is not instantaneous and absolute. Instead it is progressive over time and never complete in this life. However, the awareness of this internal struggle with sin should never be used as an excuse for sinful behavior. Rather, we should always keep in mind that we are saints called to live a life that is set apart for God.
    ... When I was serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy some fifty years ago, there was an expression: "conduct unbecoming an officer." That expression covered anything from minor offenses resulting in a reprimand to major ones requiring a court martial. But the expression was more than a description of aberrant behavior; it was a statement that the conduct  was inconsistent with that expected of a military officer. The officer so described had failed to live up to his responsibility to act as an officer should act.
    Perhaps we might do well to adopt a similar expression for believers: "conduct unbecoming a saint." ... When we gossip or become impatient or get angry, we could remind ourselves that our conduct is unbecoming a saint. We are, in principle, if not in degree, acting like the Corinthians. We are living inconsistently with our calling.
    The Bible has a word for conduct unbecoming a saint. It is sin. And just as "conduct unbecoming and officer" covers a wide range of misconduct, so the word sin covers a wide range of misbehavior. It covers everything from gossip to adultery, from impatience to murder. Obviously, there are degrees of seriousness of sin. But in the final analysis, sin is sin. It is conduct unbecoming a saint.
    One of our problems, however, is that we neither think of ourselves as saints --- with our new state's concurrent responsibility to live as saints --- nor so we think of such actions as our gossip and impatience as sin. Sin is what people outside our Christian communities do. We can readily identify sin in the immoral or unethical conduct of people in society at large. But we often fail to see it in what I call the "acceptable sins of the saints." In effect, we, like society at large, live in denial of our sin."

{end of quote}

So it is left, then, for us to examine ourselves and turn to Christ. There isn't a day that goes by when we do not sin. But though we are weak, God is Almighty. Though we cannot clear away the sin in our lives, He can.

I expected that I would write more and quote less, but I forgot how well Jerry Bridges puts his meaning. {And it is good to have the truth laid out plainly, for then we cannot be confused.} I hope that this has spoken to you immensely. It is truly an eye-opening chapter!

Father, Almighty,

Please do not let what we learned from this to be only added knowledge, but truth that we act on for Your glory. Let it impact our lives and thereby impact others for Your sake. Help us to overcome the sin in our lives --- please sanctify us and make us grow more like Christ. Please give us not just a feeling of obligation to obey You, but the desire. Please be our only source of joy, hope, and satisfaction. May we not stand before You to be awarded meagerly for meagerly serving You, but may our lives truly be poured out for You in faithfulness, love, and long-suffering.

May all things be to Your honor and glory, forever --- and Your will alone be done.

In Jesus Christ's precious name,

Amen.

Burning and Sinking

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Dear Readers,

To both boost my inspiration for writing, and simply receive pleasure, I have been reading and just last night finished a book by Shannon Hale called 'Enna Burning'. I found much of it agonizingly predictable --- you know, when you know almost everything that is going to happen before it does --- but every once in awhile, the story did take me pleasantly by surprise, and it had the same brilliant, magical flavor of The Goose Girl (also written by Shannon and the book preceding Enna Burning in the series).

The Goose Girl is a favorite of mine; the metaphors and similes and overall beautiful way it is written captivate me as much as the intricate story itself. I have officially read it four times, and my mother sweetly bought it for me some years ago so I can enjoy it as often as I like. Since I loved it so much, I was determined to try the following book, Enna Burning, and see if it was just as enchanting. I must admit, although it was extremely predictable, it was beautiful, and the way Shannon made something as impossible as mentally controlling fire so perfectly believable definitely intrigued me.

I found that while I was reading my Bible yesterday I came across a verse that seemed to fit perfectly with the tale of Enna Burning. It was Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."

(I still am often fascinated and delighted by how the Bible applies to every single part of life!) Although some of the choices the main character made were indeed aggravating, I remembered that I have not made every choice that I know was right --- that I, too, gave in to the temptation that haunted me... more than once.

I believe I owe it to my dear teacher of  Literature Class for giving me the ability to read even secular novels  with a guarded heart (I am very selective and cautious about the kinds of things I let enter my mind) to gain shards of wisdom; to take the mysteries of fiction and learn from them. 

What I learned from Enna Burning is to listen to good advice from others, especially when you are beginning to think that no one else understands how you feel. And I learned that thinking too much about oneself leads to making grave mistakes, but considering others first --- and of course, considering all of the consequences of our choices before making any rash decisions, and then also seeking wise counsel  from others --- is the best way to go about every action. 

Also, I learned that thinking that because you have seen others make mistakes, it means you will not also fall into temptation, is very poor thinking indeed; relying on your own strength and your strength alone is foolish. 

And of course, as a Christian, I have learned that forgetting to look to the Lord for all my needs and instead looking at my weak self in my helpless estate will cause me to sink, as did Peter the moment he looked away from Christ. This is why my favorite song is In Christ Alone, because He is all I need and desire. And why my favorite encouraging devotion by Spurgeon is 'Looking unto Jesus', which is in fact, today's morning devotion!

'Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, 

I am pure from my sin”?'

Proverbs 20:9

Personally, I think it is precious and beautiful to know that I cannot find even one thing in and of myself to be made whole and complete, but only Christ's love can fill up mine emptiness, and only He can grant me the purity I thirst for. 

May you, also, find Christ to be your All-in-All, and only trust Him.

God bless ♥

The Violet Anthology

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Dear Readers,
I have just finished posting in my second blog, The Violet Anthology --- a blog I made specifically for my written works. I have as yet posted only two different poems there, but I have much more in store for the future.

However, my main reason for calling your attention to it is because of a poll I posted only moments ago. It is to learn what kinds of books people most often read. There are 14 answers to choose from, and you may select multiple answers. If you will, please go to my second blog now and put in your answer or answers. It ends in early July, so make haste!


God bless! ♥