Hush and hark!

My harvest withers. Health, my means to live—

All things seem rushing straight into the dark.

But the dark still is God. I would not give

The smallest silver-piece to turn the rush

Backward or sideways. Am I not a spark

Of him who is the light?—Fair hope doth flush

My east.—Divine success—Oh, hush and hark!

- George MacDonald, from Diary of an Old Soul -

Autumn Has Come!

Hey, good people! I've neglected this poor blog lately, so here is an update sort of post. I have been working part-time at the non-profit organization which shall remain anonymous, and enjoying that.  I've also been busy with AWANA, youth group, and Bible Study.  And still, thankfully, I have some time to spend with some friends and my dear family.  Though we're all getting so busy, I may need to fight for family meals and make sure they happen.

The fall weather is here!  Cooler air brings lovely reprieve from West Texas summer heat.  People were decked out in sweaters at church yesterday, and hot chocolate, snickerdoodles, and fall decorations are making appearances.

On a more somber note - Lately I have been finally learning who I am.  I long knew I held certain core values, like homeschooling and openness to many children - not as law for others, but as things I see supported by Scripture, things I believe passionately to be good and beautiful blessings.   But it took a painful experience to help me realize, not just in theory but in fact, just how important these things are to me.  When it comes to relationships, I cannot ignore or quiet that part of who I am or think I can easily change it.  And I think if God gave those dreams to me, He did so for a reason, and He will show me what that is in His good time. 
 
So I'm praying boldly to the God who invented Romance to lead me where He will, and to bring good wives to all my dear brothers in Christ, wives who will perfectly complement them and follow them anywhere.  I know we still have choices, but He is also totally sovereign.  Oh the beautiful frustrating mystery of it!

And while I pray, I'm running into the Strong Tower, which is always serene and safe in the midst of battle.      

In summary: God is good, relationships are hard and wonderful... and fall is here!  Three nice categories for my list of blessings, which I have not been counting for several weeks. 

~ Fall ~

141. Sunday nap under a quilt - restful and cozy!
142. Fellowship with sweet friends in a coffee shop after church
143. Brighter stars (I think cold air makes them sharper, don't you?
144. A plaid wool skirt and shawl - heather grey, lovely, warm, and Scottish.
145. Spiced Chai
146. Cassette tapes of The Hobbit in the car- wonderfully dramatized, but with the most horrid Renaissance musical interludes. ;-)
147. Simmering homemade chicken and vegetable stock on the stove
148. Fall flowers from the garden - a sweet bouquet in a white pitcher
149. Chickens the size of doves (they're growing fast!)
150. October - the Birthday Month in our family!

~ People ~

151. Two-year-old people.  I kept a little girl this weekend so her mommy and daddy could go on a date.  I forget how disturbing it can be to have a stranger show up for the day instead of your parent.  I don't blame her for crying, and ordering me from her room, and sobbing "No Tankyou!" when I begged her to come eat dinner.  Sometimes I just need to crawl back in bed and take a nap, too.  Sometimes I don't want to be around anyone.  And sometimes I forget what patience mothers must have, and God infinitely more!
152. My dear co-worker, T.  She makes me laugh so much.  Not many people will break out in musical numbers with you while editing documents, or discuss the pointless aspects of Facebook, or commiserate over the lack of commas in AP style.  And she has the coolest hair, which she cuts herself.

one of my glorious occupations ;-)

153. Absolutely superfluous screaming during silly games.  Not that I do it.  But when others do, I'm learning to laugh instead of get annoyed.
154. Gentlemen who make sure ladies find their way to cars in the dark
155. Grandparents and Rosa's Cafe for Sunday lunch
156. Exuberant hugs from M.
157. The cellist and guitarist, lovingly lending their talent during Communion to remind us of Christ's beautiful sacrifice.
158. Hearing a mom complain about the infant-hood of her child, how exhausting it was, glad she was older now.  I was sad, because I've never had even one child, but I have heard other moms treasure those fleeting months.  I hope if I am ever blessed with one or more children that I can enjoy every moment of that beautiful sacrifice.  I'm thankful for the reminder that it will not be easy, but sad to hear complaints about motherhood.  And I think  - What am I complaining about that someone else longs for?  Am I enjoying my freedom to serve as an unmarried lady as God's current gift, fleeting as it may be too?
159. Compassion and forgiveness when I am weak, fearful, and unintentionally hurt others.
160. Abundant opportunities to minister to my little sisters in Christ, and grow myself from spending time with them!

~ God ~

161. Strong Tower
162. Everlasting Love
163. Shield
164. The Tender One who tends my soul
165. Love better than mine
166. Ancient of days
167. Fighter of Guilt Monsters
168. Coming King
169. The Prairie Maker

170. The Dream Giver

Happy Monday to you!  I still owe you a post on letter-writing. Hopefully that will come soon. Anything else particularly you'd like me to blog on?

Study, Random, and a Goose Egg

When was the last time I challenged myself to find out if a long-held belief or way of doing things was actually Scriptural?

When was the last time I dove into some serious Bible study, taking notes, making lots of observations, seeing what is there instead of what I want to see?

When was the last time I was able to flip open a Bible and humbly explain a concept or principle, without fear of having taken anything out of context or of making it say what it didn't?

Too long ago, that's when.

Well, I plan on doing some deep digging in the following days.  I might even post some of my findings here as part of the process.  And hopefully at the end I'll be able to explain with Scripture, clear thinking, and personal conviction why I believe some of the "odd" things I do. :-)  And if my views change in the process, so much the better!  What better to change me than Scripture?  

In other news, I've been:

• spending time with my dear dad, who visited this weekend - I love you Daddy!
• lunch at my grandparents after church
• good conversations with my friend Erik :-)
• drinking some lovely white and herbal tea I got for Christmas
• writing book reviews 
• learning to write press releases 
• picking early flowers from our garden and putting them in a teacup
• eating chocolate 
• cooking 
• watching Arsenic and Old Lace with two sweet friends (I hope I didn't scar them for life, hehe!)
• admiring my brother Zach's muscles (he's getting ready for the Marines)
• listening to barbershop quartets while my mom cuts Bob's hair
• thinking about the blessing of children, homeschooling, and media discernment
• helping my mom carry little seedlings inside every night, and outside in the morning
• taking my Puppy to AWANA for Stuffed Animal Night
• listening to Adventures in Odyssey
• fiddling with piano and irish whistle
• not wanting to buy anything else from China
• pondering the amazing beginning of the sentence "But God..."
• walking with a mom, her little girl, and their dog
• drinking in wisdom from an elder
• chatting with my Thinkling friends on Google chat
• getting on Blogger too often without actually posting anything ;-)
• looking at my goose egg I painted and scribbled on 
• taking too many pictures with my webcam

Well, I don't have anything else to say, and it's getting late, so adios from the West Texas hobbit hole!

"Even though You take him..."

I'm still thinking about my last post.  Here's a song by Andrew Peterson about Abraham and Isaac that exemplifies the faith I want.    I'm not even a parent yet - I need help imagining this!

Holy is the Lord

Like I said, I'm not a parent yet, but the time to practice this faith is always now.

What am I still clinging to tightly, which God may be asking to hold?  Long-held convictions which (though I hate to admit it) may not be true?  Old ruts which I thought were right for so long, but which may need to be filled so I can live a more Christlike life, moment-to-moment, choice by choice?  Little moments of self-gratification?  Assumptions which keep me "safe," but which could be hindering truth from coming out, and real relating from happening?

Big things?  Little thing?

Some things He asks us to give are sinful.  Others are good.

It is all of me He wants, not just the parts I think need changing.  Am I willing to give all?  Do I trust my God? 

Holy is the Lord, Holy is the Lord

And the Lord I will obey

Lord, help me, I don't know the way

Am I too comfortable?

Disturb us, Lord, when 

We are too well pleased with ourselves, 
 

When our dreams have come true 

Because we have dreamed too little, 
 

When we arrive safely 

Because we sailed too close to the shore. 


Disturb us, Lord, when 

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life, 

We have ceased to dream of eternity
,

And in our efforts to build a new earth, 
 

We have allowed our vision 

Of the new Heaven to dim. 


Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, 

To venture on wider seas 


Where storms will show your mastery; 


Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. 


 

We ask You to push back 

The horizon of our hopes; 

And to push us into the future 

in strength, courage, hope, and love. 


 

This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. 

 

Sir Francis Drake, 1577 

 

 

*"The Hostage" was painted by Edmund Blair Leighton.

If I did it, so can you!

I tend to be a broken record. I get one idea in my head, and can't seem to lose it. The idea, that is. My mind I tend to misplace quite often... ;-)

But for those of you who want to know more about my NaNoWriMo experience and thoughts, here you go.


I tried NaNoWriMo two years ago, but only reached about 12,000 words, I think, and then go so far behind that I decided to give up. But I had a glorious taste of its joys that first time.

This last year, I tried again and actually won! The feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration at the end was simply indescribable. Of course my story was corny and often very predictable, but when you're writing furiously, when your inner editor is banished for the month (on pain of purposely mispelling every word to torture it untill it leaves), things start to happen that you could never have planned. Weird characters come out of nowhere. Dull characters start to say and do the funniest things. Long and twisty slides just happen to appear as perfectly handy escape routes.

Yes, that actually happened in mine.

The whole thing was definitely worth while, even if my wild tale never ends up going anywhere beyond my own editing. Some NaNoWriMo novels have been published, so it is possible. But it's not the main goal.

If you can get your hands on a No Plot? No Problem! book (the "official" NaNoWriMo guide), it's a great encourager. It does have a bit of crude language, so beware. But even if you just flipped through it at a library or bookstore, it's highly motivating and quite hilarious. And it mentions ninja monkeys.

Last year I posted my story on a private blog and sent invites to family and friends who I thought might be amused and/or interested. That was actually quite motivating for me. They were constantly commenting and wanting more, urging me to not leave my characters in dire situations, and I had more fun torturing readers (and myself) with horrible cliff-hanging chapter endings and corny mysterious lines left dangling.

Another thing that helped was having a good friend of mine in another state do it with me. She and I sent each other chapters as we finished them, and even though we didn't always have time to read them, it was a extra nudge to write my own story when I saw she'd just written a new bit. This technique might only work with one other person, and the best thing would be if it was someone you knew wouldn't mind typos or corniness or plot holes, because of course they will abound. Taking time to edit in the middle will kill your creative impulse. Find someone else craz- er, creative, and do it together!

As to times, try to figure out a good time to write. Away from sight of beds or comfy couches, if possible! If your days are very flexible (mine were last year, since I stay at home a lot and help my family and do all sorts of random and odd tasks every week), then it might actually be harder than, say, writing mainly in mornings or at night. But make yourself do it.

When you're in your novel, in "the zone", watching the story unfold before your very mind's eye, time is no more. You become a pioneer, going where no man or woman or kid or squirrel has ever dared to stick a toe before. And I think you get a wee, tinsy tiny glimps of the joys of creating which God had when He spoke the world into being.

I might be saying more about NaNoWriMo in future blog posts... The bug to write has really bitten me early this year, and I want other people to share in the joys of NaNo! ;-) If you decide to do it, please let me know, and I would love to encourage and urge you on! If you live nearby (you know who you are), we might even organize some writing days to meet at a bookstore and type together furiously for a few hours of literary silence. With coffee. Lots and lots of tea, chocolate, and coffee. :-)

Why write a novel in a month?

"The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work."

~ the NaNoWriMo website ~



Come along with me on the adventure of NaNoWriMo! It's a dangerous business, taking up the challenge. You start writing, and if you don't keep your sanity (which in some cases is overrated), you never know where you'll be swept off to.

:-)

Money and Thoughts From the Kitchen

Nope, I haven't started a entrepreneurial baking business. Though, I very much like that idea. One of these day I'd love to have a bakery and tea shop. Oh, with a vintage bookstore in the adjoining room, and a garden and chickens out back, and quaint little living quarters upstairs. With my own eccentric writing nook in a window overlooking mountains.

Yep, I'm rather an unrealistic romantic when I get started on my "One day"s. :-)

But at the moment I'm quite pleased with my current situation. What I meant by my title is that I've been sitting in our cluttered but pleasant kitchen, typing away for my new writing job.

For those who don't know, I recently accepted a part-time job writing for our church. At the moment, I'm helping turn a study on biblical relationships (which is currently in note-form, PowerPoint, and audio recordings) into a book. I confess the idea intimidated me at first, but really, all I'm doing is soaking up this great biblical teaching and helping get it into the clearest and easiest form to pass on to more people. How exciting is that?

A huge reason this job is a blessing is that I can do most of it at home! I've committed to working 10 hours a week, which doesn't sound like much. But it's more than I had thought! Of course I like writing, but I also find it easier to flutter around doing house jobs, making fresh bread, even doing dishes, than sitting myself down to write.

My piddling distractions are becoming painfully bothersome. I may have to fast from reading fictional and blogs, painful as it would be. Would I survive, do you think? ;)

In other news, we had a glorious weekend. I was able to meditate on the deep sorrow and endless joy of Christ's death and resurrection, and read a lot of John. We visited my dear "college family" on the farm Friday night, and Saturday morning went to mow my grandparents' loooong driveway. That night we drove back home, though we had to take shelter at a Sonic during a rain-and-hail storm. Sunday after church we had lunch with my other grandparents, and then a quiet evening in our own cozy house.

The kitchen is quiet now, and my espresso is beginning to wear off. Plenty to do tomorrow, as always! If I ever thought my life at home after college would be dull, how very wrong I was! How did the Proverbs 31 lady do it all?

"NaNo what O?"

"What have you been up to, Rael?"

"Well, I'm doing this thing called NaNoWriMo..." Thus I begin, and is it any wonder I'm met with confused stares?

National Novel Writing Month is an event, a challenge, a crazy and frantic month of scribbling or typing, wherein the participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in November.

That's approximately 1,667 words a day, roughly 2 and 1/2 pages (single spaced, 12pt font).

I attempted it last year.

Here's the official site explaining it.

Though this year I don't have a school work load, I do have my family and various responsibilities to think about. As much fun and as useful an excercise as NaNo can be, I'll need to be careful not to put sacrifice more important things on its alter. But handled carefully, it could be a monkey barrels of fun. Muhahahaha!

Three days in, I am on track so far, wondering if this will be the year of a completed NaNo novel. If anyone is interested in reading what I've done thus far, I am posting it on a private blog, but can send you an invitation to read it if you promise you won't steal all my clever plot ideas and stunning prose. ;)

This year my story is about a boy who has been a slave nearly all his life, but must set out on a quest to find and rescue his father, who has been turned into a monster. It is very deffinitly fantasy, and I'm sure will at some point contain all the stereotypical and overused elements of that genre. But maybe some original stuff will show its face now and then.

That's rather one of the points of NaNoWriMo. You just focus on writing lots, and once your inner editor stops hyperventilating about all the hokey things you actually let stay on the page, the stage is set for refreshing and surprising things to begin happening.

And if anyone wants to do this with me next year, or jump in now (you'd only need to write about 5000 words today to catch up), let me know, and I'll do all I can to badger- excuse me, that is, encourage you to join the madness- er, I mean fun. ;-)

A Burden That Overcomes Fear

To hold back is to accept defeat. To push on eventually brings sweet victory. So writing requires a burden and a commitment to speak in love the fullness of that experienced truth uniquely given to us, a burden that overcomes all fear for self."

~Blair Adams, from Right Words~

Bye bye, birdies

(Written this summer)

I have a sad tale to tell. Don't worry, it is not quite a tragedy, and no one dies. Yet, it involved saying farewell to some dear feathered friends and our hopes of our own fresh eggs.

The birds had seemed happy in their newly moved coop and run. They were nearly six months old, the golden age when chickens usually start producing their little treasures for their fond owners to eat. We were all fond of them, and still thrilled with our counter-cultural experiment that seemed so obviously practical. "Why doesn't everyone have chickens in their backyard?" I kept asking. Though we were still a bit anxious that neighbors not become bothered by our fowl, their quiet clucking was never anything so loud as some dogs' racket.

Our story started one fine morning around 6:15. It was fine, that is, until we were awakened to a horribly croaking squawk from the back yard. First I thought maybe a neighborhood cat had found it's way into the coop and was killing my birds. But on investigation, there seemed nothing wrong with them at all. They took turns making the dreadful noise. I tried talking with them, pleading with them, distracting them with fresh food and water. But in vain.

Then I found an egg.

It was cracked, as the first ones are generally weak-shelled. And I remembered that of course, this is what they do when they begin their egg laying. They have no clue what's going on! Later when they figure out they aren't dying, they just make very loud pleased sounds. A couple things

I should mention about this neighborhood. It is not wealthy or extravagant, but tidy and neat and well-trimmed, like a middle-aged business woman who likes people to be predictable and respectable. It is not the country, not does it seem to show any signs of encouraging farm-like, country-ish endeavors. The houses are rather close together, too. People there, especially in summer, are most likely not eagerly getting up at 6 a.m. to listen with pleasure to what sounds like a chicken's dying shrieks.

I can't say I would blame them. I could have enjoyed just a bit more sleep myself.

Well, we could not just let the dear old things croak away until we had an angry mob at the back gate. I could see that happening any minute. We hastily constructed cages out of crates and boxes and put the noisy things in the garage, which thankfully muffled some of the noise. Then it was a somber time in the house, a time of facing the facts.

We decided that, as good an idea as it had been, we had to say farewell to the feathered ladies. For the sake of peace and tranquility.

Then there was the question of what to do with them. No, I was not ready for chicken soup...not quite. Their noise was maddening, but they were my friends. And am not yet a tough enough country girl to learn to wring or slit necks. Thankfully, after a few phone calls, we found them a good home out in the country, with a sweet former homeschooling family, amongst other birds of their own feather.

Besides coming home to an empty, dejected coop, the saddest moment was after Mrs. L and I put the chickens in their new home. She reached into a few nesting boxes and gave me seven lovely eggs to take home. White, brown, and a beautiful blue-green. The colors of eggs I would have bean gathering every day, if it were not for

The Noisiness of Croaking Hens and the Nearness of Cityfolk Houses.

(Could be a book, hu? Or maybe a 50s-style sci-fi film, with creepy music and corny special effects?)

Things gained from the Chicken Experience:

1 - Before starting any such crazy project as backyard chicken raising, one should do extensive research! It would have saved lots of time, supplies, chicken feed, and emotions to have remembered or known how loud they would be. Sounding louder, of course, because they were so near neighboring houses. With some things, I'm sure it works just fine to jump in and learn as you go. But that didn't work for us and chickens.

2 - Even though the Chicken enterprise didn't work the way we hoped, I learned a lot, and hopefully can someday have a chance to try again. Perhaps I might live in the country again. In the meanwhile, I am firmly resolved to keep my hand striving after ways to live frugally, creatively, and to be a homemaker and farm-girl in all the ways I can that don't endanger any chance of friendships with the folks next door or across the alley.

3 - Because of getting in touch with the L. family again, I've since been buying their eggs at an extremely reasonable rate. which is a blessing. At least I do get to enjoy "my" chickens' eggs, even if I can't see their perky selves each day. We've even enjoyed a few guinea eggs now and then, too! I've been encouraged by this opportunity to buy locally, to have such a connection to what I'm feeding my family, not to mention a deepening relationship with a godly Christian farm lady who won't hesitate to step into the chicken coop in heels and a skirt. :)

Painting

More painting today. We are still not moved into the new house, because there are so many walls and ceilings with cigarette smoke stains, and hideously dark-brown cabinets, and I begin to wonder if there's any point in scrubbing paint off myself when I'm only going to get another coat. ;) We're getting it done, but probably won't be seriously moving stuff over there until school's out.

Things to be thankful for:

• millions (so it seems to me, their painter) of kitchen cabinets
• the fresh, clean look of what we've done so far
• a mother of incredible indefatigable energy, patience, and hope
• being able to listen to lots of exciting audio books from the library
• manual labor that, in moments of quiet, provides great opportunity for story-plotting!
• a tangible metaphor*

*I realized last night, in the midst of a grumpy attitude and desperate slopping-on of paint, that a Christian's sanctification is a little like a house being painted. It seems to take forever, needing several more coats at least, and still there are bad brush strokes and sloppy drips, but we mustn't stop seeking perfection because we can't get there all at once. Persevere! Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! And oh the glory when the dingy, dark, and dirty is covered slowly in glorious white! I couldn't keep being quite so grumpy after all those thoughts came rushing in. :-)

Excellence

It can be challenging to set our sights on excellence, particularly when we're hearing that we're already there. One of life's great lessons, which we all must learn, could be expressed in the phrase, "That was nothing. Watch this." Challenge yourself and others to call the normal things normal and save that word excellent for things that really are.

~From a letter quoted in Do Hard Things~

A Misty-Morninged Tuesday

This morning was misty, softened in wet fog that moistened branches, gathering, to fall in a whispering rumor of rain. The air was not cold, just cool enough to be crisp and refreshing.

Now the sun's come out and the mist is vanished. Soon I'll be off on my weekly grocery shopping, but first I must say something about yet another book.

This abundance of good books I've lately been in should make me wary- what if I'm soon to run out? ;) I suppose then I'd just have to work harder at writing my own, and/or begin re-reading old favorites.

Anyway, I just finished reading the The Little White Horse, and I'm left with a joyous satisfaction. It was lovely, a cozy sort of beautifully written tale, almost a modern-day fairy tale...except it's set in the 1800's, and written before the Chronicles of Narnia, so it's not quite modern, especially not in a bad way. It had bits of mystery and danger, though some might not like the overflowing cozy sweetness of it. Some also might not like the suggestions that lots of children are a blessing, pride and curiosity can be a curse, and one of a woman's high duties is to love and honor her man. I loved it especially for those reasons! It had a few strange parts to it, I admit, and I'm not sure about all the author's theology, but for the most part I highly recommend this one, especially if you like the works of L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and George MacDonald.

My only other recent news is that yesterday I successfully made two Good Shepherd Pies! As my mother said, it is very hearty, simple food, and doesn't really take special ingredients but it takes either a lot of time or plenty of hands. Because I've never made it before, and because it to so long, I count it a good challenge that I took on, though it gave me sore feet from running about the kitchen so much! ;) But I think I could go faster next time. Everyone ate it, and there was still plenty for left-overs, so I count that meal a definite success!

(I know I must learn to take better pictures, but at least we're getting one here!)

P.S. I was excited to use freshly-ground pastry whole wheat for the crust. Though it could have been flakier, and I'll have to work on it, it was definitely lighter and less tough than crust made with regular whole wheat.

Do Hard Things - book review

This is what we call the Rebelution: throwing off the shackles of lies and low expectations and returning our generation to a true and very exciting understanding of the teen years—not as a vacation from responsibility but as a launching pad for the rest of our lives.

~Alex and Brett Harris, from their new book Do Hard Things~

I pre-ordered several copies of this book, knowing it would be above average. It finally came, and indeed, it’s not your everyday book written by teens. (Um, there aren’t many of those, are there? Let’s say it’s not your everyday book, period.)

In the book, the Harris twins offer an expanded, in-depth look at the rebelutionary concept of doing hard things. They talk about the myth of adolescence and the potential the teen years hold. They detail five kinds of Hard Things. And they show practical ways they can be accomplished. Much of the content is familiar to me since it’s similar to articles on their blog, but it’s great to have a book-length look at Doing Hard Things.

It’s challenging. Maybe especially to those of us already past our teen years who know we could be doing more, striving for bigger and better things, and we don’t even have the excuse of being teenagers anymore. Of course, part of the whole point of the book is that being a teen is no excuse, and that they should and can rebel against low expectations. But the Do Hard Things mindset is something all Christians should have. It’s just incredibly sensible, useful, fulfilling, and possible to do so at an early age.

The stories are probably the most challenging parts of the book, since they are real-life (historical and modern) examples of teens doing real-life hard things from overcoming sickliness, buying and learning to use recording equipment, running political campaigns, beating procrastination (ouch!), designing top-quality survey programs, captaining ships, and more. Alex and Brett also do a consistent, thoughtful job of backing their points with Scripture, making their message all the more powerful.

I’m not quite finished with the book. It’s a good length. The cover design is really cool. It has an intro by Chuck Norris, if that interests anyone. (Half a year ago, I had no clue who this cool guy was who got all the jokes made about him…”You don’t know who Chuck Norris is?!?!?” was usually followed by uninformative silence. Now I know he’s a real person, not some mythical character, and I chiefly think he’s cool because he’s a Christian and admires the Harris twin’s character and message.)

I may put up more quotes from the book later, or talk about some hard things I’m attempting. For now, I recommend buying the book (or here's a cheaper autographed one) and/or reading the blog. These guys have a message that is changing lives because of its grounding in truth. I think God is using it to change mine, and only time and effort will tell where He’ll take me next.

Upcoming: Do Hard Things

Do you like challenging books? Like ordering things online? See my new sidebar banner?

This to let you all know about the revelutionary, eherm, Rebelutionary book coming out soon that specifially encourages and challenges teens to rebel against low expectations by doing hard things. I'm not a teenager anymore, technically, but have been very challenged by the Harris twins' message. I actually ordered the book from Barnes and Noble, since I had a gift card to use, but pre-ordering from Amazon will do loads to drive up the publicity. People need to know about this book. So, think about buying it.

(More about my life later. I am doing more than reading and ordering books. ;)

Laundry: fighting a long defeat?

Today I fought the laundry beast, and for today I think I've nearly won! For today. Of course it shall rise again, in all its filth, wrinkles, and smelliness. But this, and other things, such as the ever-returning dirty dish, must be met with relentless courage down the years, knowing still they will come back.

This makes me think of what the elven lady Galadriel said about Celeborn her husband:

'He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn, and I have dwelt with him years uncounted; for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains, and together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.'

The long defeat. They were fighting and resisting evil for thousands of years, knowing they could not defeat it wholy, and yet they counted it not done in vain.


I suppose their sacrifice makes a few loads of laundry seem rather small.

Thoughts on Coming Home

As I mentioned before in teeny tiny letters, I have officially graduated from college with a B.A. in English. Yay! :-)

How does it feel? Well, I'm thrilled! Ecstatic. Thankfully relieved. And terribly nervous, in a mostly good sort of way.

Ever since I was little I have wanted to follow in my dear mother's footsteps and be a homemaker. Over the years this desire has grown. Many of the decisions I have made, and hopefully many more to follow, have been practical ways of preparing for my future calling. Choosing English as a major, which is a useful area of study for anyone, any time or position in life, and not simply a degree only justified by a following career. Attending a university only 2 and 1/2 hours away from home, so I could visit frequently. Living with a close-knit, God-centered homeschooling family for my last three semesters who gave me unending encouragement, ideas, delight, and vision. Only taking small part-time summer jobs to leave room for time with family, at home or abroad. And finally, despite many confident assertions from professors that I was "graduate school material," returning home to live with and serve my mother and brothers.

I think it will be the best way to prepare for what I'll likely be doing the rest of my life once I get married (being a helpmeet and mother), but even if that never happens, I believe it will be the most sensible and fulfilling and God-honoring place for me to be.

It's going to be an adventure quite unlike my last big quest for a college diploma. Actually, it might be very similar to my old days of homeschooling! Here are some similarities:

1. I'll be home a lot, working on self-motivation for lifelong learning.
   
2. I'll have lots of chances to waste time, or redeem it amazingly.
   
3. I'll be able to spend more time with my family and friends, to more freely serve the Church and the needy.

A big difference between now and my "official" homeschool days: I am done with Saxon Math! Um, that is until I have my own kids... hopefully they can get assistance from their father or a math-minded uncle. ;)

Another difference will be the new responsibilities I want to take on seriously (cooking), new habits to form (regular hours of writing each day*), and the challenge of sticking to my own schedule while still being flexible to allow for the bending wind-breath of the Still Small Voice. . .

Tomorrow will be the first day my family goes back to school, and my first official day of not being in school or working. Oh, wait, I shall be working! My job will begin around 5:15, because three days a week, Whit has basketball practice at 6:30 A.M.! I shall try to feed him, but he knows it won't be wise to eat much before a tough workout. Then I have the rest of my day divided up... I might post tomorrow on what my plan's specifics, and how things turn out. :-)

If anyone has advice, thoughts, or words of wisdom, I would more than welcome it!

*Because of course I still intend to write books. Long ones, and many, muhahahah! ;-)

The glory of glorifying the Glorious One

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."
~Polonius, from Hamlet~

This is my last week of regular classes. Next week is finals, and finally a week from tomorrow I shall graduate with my English degree. It has been wild, but it's already exciting to get to see small glimpses of the God's mighty plan behind and under and through it all. To Him be all the glory, for my grades, sanity, and so so much more!

I did not finish my NaNoWriMo novel. 15,000 out of 50,000 words was not bad for a first try, I think. I am definitely planning to try again next year. I refuse to be depressed and gloomy about my budding pages. The characters I met are alive and vibrant (to me, anyways), and the place they live is only frozen in time until I can get back there and finish writing their story. I intend to do it, and many more stories besides! Thanks to all who were encouraging me last month. The only reason I keep writing is because of you. And, of course, God. :-)

He's been working on me these last few days.

Monday was a horrid day. I woke up grumpy because I hadn't finished all my homework, so I rushed through an assignment, left a messy room, and was late to my first class. Then I found I had left my book at home and could only pretend to work on an in-class activity. By my next class, I felt ready to burst into tears, so I skipped it, which made me feel guilty on top of everything else.

It was not even any one thing that had me depressed. Maybe my pile of four papers, a creative project, and studying for a test for next week was a huge part of it. Maybe it was the ice on my windshield. Maybe it was the fact that I missed my morning cup of coffee. Anyway, I ended up with a headache, and after supper took a nap, which is usually the most effective medicine for me.

Around midnight I woke up. Headache was gone and replaced with such a comfortable cozy and relaxed feeling that I gave into it and went back to sleep. But I got up around 4:45 a.m., did my Bible reading, journaled, and finally cleaned my room while listening to the MP3 of Raising Dragons. The rest of the day (besides class time) I spent finding addresses, agonizing over proper forms of address, and carefully writing both on my graduation announcements.

After I finished late that night, it was such a satisfying feeling.

And then I watched the Prince Caspian trailer that was just released. :-) Not as thrilling and satisfying as watching the first one, and I might say something about my Puddleglum-ish complaints on it later. There are several weighty ones. But it was a small taste of what still might be a wonderful Narnia film, and I went to bed content.

That morning when I woke up I realized a small part of what God had done. He had used a headache, a messy room, and my act of writing announcements to remind me that I am not Him. I get too upset when I realize I can't do everything perfect, when I should remember that only He has that job covered. Papers too will pass away. Only His Word and people will endure (not that people are immortal on earth, but they will never cease to exist wherever they end up). What a relief to remember that! And it wasn't just remembering factually, in my brain: it was a huge perspective change.

I think doing the announcements was a huge part. I sometimes wonder if I am more encouraged when I send things to other people than they will be to get them. :) In this case it was just a plain announcement. But it made me think about other people, and my smallness, and my joy overflowed with the thought of God's hand.

God is bigger than the boogy man... and bigger than scary papers. All glory be to Him!

Not quite Paul Bunyun...

How odd, and beautiful to have snow the day before Easter! The only thing is, I wish I was better at splitting wood.

I did a bit of practice this morning, trying to get some for the woodburning stove, but I mainly learned that the effort

1. warms one up wonderfully,
   
2. produces blisters on unpracticed hands,
3. is much trickier than it looks, and
4. takes muscles I seem to have neglected.

I felt a bit like Eustace attacking the Sea Serpent, and breaking Caspian's second best sword in the process. Silly, but at least I was doing- er, attempting something hard I generally don't do. ;-) I am glad for strong men! But to be a good helpmeet some day, and a good servant wherever I am, I must practice "girding my arms with strength" like the Proverbs 31 woman. I'll bet most pioneer women knew how to split wood. One never knows what life skills will come in handy some day!


Partial inspiration for this post comes from the challenging "Do Hard Things" articles on the Harris twins' blog, such as this one.