Boom

Boom.  It was like lightning.  I knew I needed to write.  That happens to me occasionally.  I'll be reading, thinking, dreaming, and then all of a sudden, I have to write.

Sometimes it's a thought, an extraordinary thought that will never reoccur, that I must write down.  Sometimes it is a feeling that I must describe.  Other times it is something that has no category.  Whatever it is, I always drop what I am doing, grab my pen and journal, and write.

This time it is a series of words.  They do not really make sense.

'Anyone can write about anywhere, but it is a rare man who can write about air.'

How To Write a Last Minute Essay

It's finals week in the world of college, and that means tests, essays, studying, and lots and lots of coffee. Oh, and stress. Lots and lots of stress. This semester, several of my finals include essays, and unfortunately, I am not one of those students who sits down the week before and writes her essays ahead of time. I am a procrastinator (darn YouTube!), and I now am having write several essays in just a day or two. This isn't the first time it's happened to me, and I have developed a method of researching and writing an essay in a short period of time.

Photo Credit

We were all taught how to write outlines when we were in middle school. They were such a pain the the butt then, but I have realized how invaluable they have become. Now, it can be time consuming to fully write out an outline, so I have re-vamped the way I use my outlines. Basically what I do is I start  with a numbered list on my computer and write out all the main points I want to make. Instead of just writing the topic, I write a full sentence that will work as the start of a paragraph. Then I add information to each of the points until I'm happy with the amount of information I have. After each section is done, I reformat the whole thing into essay form, throw in a few connecting sentences, and check it for grammar and punctuation mistakes. BOOM, you have an essay.

It's also good to set goals for yourself and then reward yourself when you accomplish them. For example, tell yourself you will go eat dinner after the rough draft is finished. You should also find a way to unclutter your mind. I get distracted very easily while I'm writing, so I've learned to just write down things that keep popping up in my head. doing that helps me save the thought for latter and also gives my mind the permission to stop stressing about that question.

In addition to all of this, learn to know yourself and your limits. Push yourself to get the work done, but don't push yourself so far that you will become a nervous wreck. Know when you can't handle it anymore and just stop. Come back to it a half hour or so latter and finish the job. Nothing is worth a panic attack.

To all of you who are in college and are taking finals in the next few weeks, good luck! I hope you do really well on your papers; I know you can do it! Enjoy your break and have a great time with you family.

Feel

Close your eyes and simply feel.

Feel the moist spring air and all the potential it holds,
the air heavy with the smell of earth, grass,
and the fragrance of flowers.
Feel the humidity pressing its damp fingers on your skin,
still gentle in the cool temperatures.

Feel the air of summer, the humidity now oppressive.
Its fingers have now multiplied and hold down your limbs,
drenching your body in sweat.
Feel that elusive breath of air,
the oh so rare gust of wind. Feel it lift the hair off your neck.

Feel the first crisp in the air, signaling the arrival of autumn.
Smell the decomposing leaves
which will bring life to the hungry ground.
Feel the cold tweak your nose and ears
making them glow red.

Feel the sharp cold race through your throat and lungs
as the icy fingers of winter burn their way inside you,
Feel yourself lost to wonder
as your breath mingles with the winter air
in enchanted dances.

Open your eyes.
How did that feel?

An Apology

I would like to apologize to you, our readers, for being lousy at writing posts recently.  Over Thanksgiving we did not post much, we haven't posted much this week.

To compensate for our lack or writing.  I would like to suggest a double writing challenge.  Meaning, we would both write a response to the prompt given.

For the prompt I am going to use one of my own design.  You may object to me choosing the prompt, but I think is fair seeing that I wrote this prompt as soon as I woke up.  I could not even focus my eyes yet.  My hand writing was terrible.

Here is the prompt:
     Anyone can write a poem about anywhere, but it is a rare man who can write about air.

Lindy, I expect you response tomorrow! 

Ps. Have a wonderful week of finals.

The Unwanted Wedding Part V

The dragon did not pause to introduce itself or give a wordy description of who he was.  He simply walked across the hall scattering screaming puff balls of fabric each time he took a step, and grasped the awestruck princess in one of its enormous clawed talons.

The claws squeezed so tightly around her waste, she could not scream or give vent to the feeling piling up inside of her.  She was horrified at the thought of being this terrifying beasts dinner, but she was also rejoicing because the dragon had done what she could not do.  It had found a way to keep her from marrying the ugly prince.

The dragon launched itself off the ground, and rocketed through the ceiling, creating another hole in the middle of the hall.  The King grabbed the princess's train in a futile attempt to save her, but the thin fabric just ripped off of her dress.  Turned to the queen, and started to yell at her for making the dress out of such flimsy fabric and other foolish stuff.

——————————————————————————————————

The dragon raced over mountains, valleys, and fields.  The dragon had relaxed its grip on the Princess allowing her to breath more easily.  As the time passed, the princess found that she was enjoying the trip.  She had never flown, and, therefore, had had no chance to see her kingdom from a bird's view.  She thought it was simply magnificent.

They flew for hours and hours.  Eventually, the princess fell asleep with the wind running through her hair and stinging her cheeks.

Why Winter Is Really the Best

Winter has already moved in to stay here in Northern Pennsylvania. Unlike much of the population of the United States, I like winter. And not just the snow like a lot of people. I actually like the cold too. It wakes me up and makes me feel alive.

I want to share a few of my favorite things about winter with you, so below is a list of my favorite things about winter (in no particular order.)

1. Four words: kids in snow gear
2. Christmas lights
3. The excuse to drink hot chocolate
4. Snow hikes
5. Christmas gift exchanges 
6. Sledding 
7. Snow days! (Unfortunately, my school has only had two snow days in the past thirty years.)
8. CHRISTMAS
9. Our coal stove
10. Christmas parties
11. No one can put their arms all the way at their sides because their winter coats are so darn puffy!
12. Beautiful scenery
13. Little kids with red cheeks and noses
14. Scarves
15. It looks like Narnia (thank you C.S. Lewis)
16. Time with friends
17. Photo shoots, because pictures are always better with snow.
18. Family events where you see people you only see a few times a year, or even just at Christmas
19. Sweaters
20. Really good food
21. Special church services 
22. Lots of smiles :)

Ballet is Intense

It was ten O'clock.  The ballet dancer gladly untied the straps to her shimmering ballet shoes.  She put them on at nine O'clock, and had rarely taken them off since then.  Her feet ached.
When she decided to be a ballerina at the age of eight, she had had no idea it was going to be this hard.  Hours of rehersals, minutes of anxiety at auditions, and thrilling moments of performing.
Her feet always seemed to hurt, but it was a good hurt; a hurt of which she was proud.  It told her that she was doing what she loved and living in her dream.  This hurt reminded her she could do a grand jete and a series of lightning fast pequae turns.
This hurt is what motivated her to do better and strengthen her body, and push herself to new levels.  This hurt meant strength.  It is quite amazing how often those to coincide. 
The ballerina put her shoes in her bag, and went home.  She was ready to do it all over again the next day.

Four Reasons to Love Lindsey Stirling

I spend a lot of time on the internet; especially on social media and YouTube. Through YouTube, I have discovered some creative and ingenious people who are sharing their gifts with the world. One of them is Lindsey Stirling. Stirling is a hip-hop violinist who combines classical-sounding violin melodies with hip-hop and dub-step backed music. Just watching a few of her videos can cheer me up on a down day, and I have come up with four reasons why you should join her fan base.

1. She marvels at the world around her. She is always amazed at what she discovers. In her vlogs, she is often seen being amazed at what she sees. She gets excited about the big things like the cities she visits, but she also gets excited about the little things like gifts from her fans or a hat from a street vendor. I think child-like wonder is something that adults should feel free to do, and she is a great example.
2. She practices her faith. Despite the fact that I don't believe the same way she does, I respect and admire the fact that she is open about her practices. She is Mormon, and in several of her videos she and her crew are seen praying before a show. Not many people have the gumption to talking about their faith, and she makes it clear that that is who she is.
3. She rocks her own unique style. It's expected for someone of her job to have a very individual style. I mean, she is a hip-hop violinist. She rocks her style. From every concert to music video to vlog, she looks great. To see the range of her costumes check out her music video to "Minimal Beat" which was filmed when she was on her world tour. It's a fun music video, and it's all Lindsey
4. She oozes happiness. Like I said in the introduction, just watching a few of her videos cheers me up. She's always smiling. I love to see someone enjoying life and doing what they love.

Below are a few of my favorite videos from her:

Stars Align

Radioactive, This is a collaboration she did with Pentatonix, an a capella group that is another one of my favorite artists.

Shatter Me

A Day in the Life

There are so many more of her videos that I love. Keep making music Lindsey!

You Know You're a Writer When

As you know, I am writing major. As I immerse myself in the program, I have come to realize that I have developed certain traits and have had certain experiences that quite clearly label me a writer.

You know you're a writer when...

1. You proofread a paper that has already proofread by four other people and find five mistakes.
2. You get into passionate discussions with other writers over weather a certain grammatical error is truly a mistake or just a stylistic choice. 
3. You have strong feelings about certain grammar uses.
4. MLA vs. APA: the bane of the writing world.
5. British vs. American: who knew that two countries who use the same language could have so many variations!?
6. Using an exclamation mark can give you stress. 
7. You are a beast when it comes to Scattergories.
8. You are continually faced with the question, "Am I writing enough?"
9. Journaling is the best way to vent your feelings.
10. You continually have to tell people that you are a Writing major, not an English major. (Yes, some people have the audacity to tell you they are the same thing.)
11. You use different writing styles to tell which multiple-choice answer your professor just copied and pasted to the test. This can be a very helpful hint as to which one is correct.

I know a lot of these are probably just me ranting, but, hey. The more you know!

Content

What makes me most content is making somebody smile.  Not a fake smile, and certainly not a grimace.  A smile that comes from instilled confidence, assured peace, or unexplainable, bubbling joy.

I think I feel happiest making other people smile like that because making them smile like that, makes me smile like that.

The Unwanted Wedding Part IV

The the grand hall was dripping with streamers, coated in flower, and stuffed to capacity.  There were hundreds of guests all robed in ridiculous finery.  One lady was wearing a hoop skirt so large, she took up five seats, and her husband was looking miserable in a floor length velvet jacket with fur trimming.

The organist started to play the bridal march, and the Princess began to walk slowly down the aisle.  She had to hold her breath to keep from laughing at all of the ridiculous outfits.

Her father met her half way down the aisle to lead her to the alter.  When she was five feet away from him, a low moaning started.  The bride paused and looked around, trying to see what was making the noise.  It started to rise in pitch and strength.  It was soon apparent that it was coming from outside the wedding hall.

All of the guests on the right side of the room rushed to the huge windows, looked out, and tried to discern where the noise was coming from.  The Princess stood on her tip toes trying to see over the many heads.

The noise was almost unbearable now.  The everyone was clutching at their ears trying to block the noise.

Suddenly, there was an ear-shattering crack, and the ceiling of the hall in the right front corner collapsed.  In through the hole came a giant golden beast.

"It's a dragon!" Screamed a guest.

God Provides

I'm going to take a break from, "The Unwanted Wedding", and share a God moment from my life.

Every other Wednesday, I attend Hillside Christian Fellowship for youth group.  Every fall they have a weekend long retreat where, basically, we leave home for the weekend to listen to amazing speakers, grow closer with God, and have a blast.

So announcements were made, and my anticipation was mounting as I looked forward to the retreat.  There was only one downside.  The retreat cost money.

My family is not poor, but we are not rich either.  So as the deadline for payment was quickly approaching, I had no idea where the money was going to come from.  The funny thing is, I wasn't worried, and neither were my parents.  We all knew that God was going to provide the money someway or another.

A week before the money was due, there was a missionary speaker at our church.  At the end of every missions service, our church takes an offering for the missionary who was speaking.  My dad went to write a check, and as he was writing the check, he realized that the money that he was giving to the missionary was the money he was going to use to pay for my retreat, but God was telling him to give the money to the missionary, so he did.

Five days before the money is due, we get a check in the mail reimbursing us for dental work.  That money was enough to send me to the retreat plus to have a little left over! 

Wow, God provides.

What is more amazing is that neither mom, dad, nor I were nervous or stressed about the money coming in.  I felt like I should have been nervous, but I wasn't.  We knew God would provide.

God is good all the time.  All the time, God is good.

YouTube Mania!

Today's blog is going to be rather lazy. I have a hard test tomorrow and I need to study and therefore have no time to write a good blog. Instead I will give you a few of my favorite YouTube videos that always make me happy.

But first! Anna, you did not write at all this week, so your writing prompt is to write about what makes you feel most content. Is it a thing, a person, or a place? Tell me about it.

Now, YouTube! Enjoy!

(I know you're not a huge fan of Vlog Brothers, but you should really watch this one!)

SNOW!

Here in northern Pennsylvania, we have had our first snow fall. None of it will stay because the ground is still too warm, but there is something magical about walking home through falling snow.  I know that many people hate the snow, but I love it and always have. I feel invigorated and alive when there is snow on the ground. I love hiking through it and coming home to hot chocolate and a good book. I love the feeling of being bone-tired after coming in from the snow. I love the way it nips at my nose, ears, and cheeks. There is something very special to me about the snow.

Since winter is quite long here where I live now, I hope to try some new things this year. I would love to try cross country skiing. Downhill skiing makes me nervous, but I think cross country is more like hiking, which is one of my favorite things to do in the snow. I can remember my mom getting a used pair of cross country skis and giving them a try in our back yard. She was so excited. Unfortunately, that pair of skis broke and her fun was cut short. Until now, I didn't really give cross country skiing much of a thought, but now that I live in an area with a good amount of snow, I would like to give it a try.

I also want to try snowshoeing. I remember reading "Brighty of the Grand Canyon" by Marguerite Henry when I was little. Toward the end of the book, several of the main characters are snowed into a cabin. One of the characters (I forget which one) makes a pair of snowshoes to help in their escape from the desolate cabin. Ever since reading about that, I've always wanted to try making a pair of my own. Even though I probably won't have a chance to make my own pair, I would like to give snowshoeing a try.

Snow makes me feel very nostalgic (if you didn't figure that out already). I would choose the snow over a beach any day. The snow makes me feel connected with nature, and reminds me of some fond childhood memories.

Anna, I am terribly sorry for missing all of my blogging days this week. Your wedding story is coming along great, but I'm itching for it to get some action. Give me something exciting with the next installment.

The Unwanted Wedding Part III

The Queen then came to the suite to look her daughter over and approve of her appearance.
"Oh, Sweety!  You look fabulous.  That dress is amazing." She chattered on.  "My wedding was a blissful day.  As you know, my marriage was arranged, and I hardly knew your father, but he was dreadfully handsome."

The Princess sighed.  As stated earlier, she had had no such luck, and her betrothed was only attractive if you closed your eyes and plugged your ears because even his voice was ugly.

"...nervous, my gown was too tight, and my mother chatted on and on.  Looking back, I think she was just as nervous as I was.  I mean, her only daughter was getting married, and such.  Are you following me, Darling?"

She stopped her chatting long enough for the Princess to nod her head, and then continued her monologue.

"As you know, my dear sister Gardensia had already died of the plague, so I was the only daughter left for my mother to dress up and marry off. Marcus, my bro..."

The Princess noticed a page enter the room, and whisper something to one of her ladies in waiting.  The lady gave a quick nod, and shooed the page out of the room.

"...ther married, but my mother didn't get to dress his wife up because she wasn't her daught..."  The lady in waiting cleared her throat, and the queen turned to look at her.

"Your Highness,"  she said with a sweeping bow, "the ceremony is ready, and the king requests that you and the royal Princess come down so that the ceremony might begin."

"Oh!  Hurry up, Darling, this is one thing you don't want to be late for."

The Unwanted Wedding Part II

The princess had looked forward to this day with dread and hatred.  Her mind had wondered on many tracks trying to discover a way to flee her horrid fate, but, to her dismay, her father seemed to be able to read the inner-workings of her mind, and would not let her out of his sight during the day, and at night placed a guard to watch over her room.

The day after the day before the wedding arrived, and the princess was whisked away to special suite to prepare for her unwanted wedding. 

In the suite she found a ridiculous gown with huge sleeves, a mile long train, and enough bows to tie back the hair of all the little lasses in the kingdom.  The princess's ladies in waiting half helped, half forced her into this cumbersome confection.  They put on layers and layers of under-garments, pantaloons, corsets, slips, hoops, camisoles, etc., and then finally the gown was slipped over her head.

When they were finished with her - they had also piled and powdered her hair - she looked like a huge walking marshmallow with arms.

To be continued
~Anna

The Unwanted Wedding

This story shall begin with a, "Once upon a time," fore, as you know, every good story must.  In this tale that I am about to spin, I shall tell of a princess who undergoes a series of bizarre events.

It all begins with a wedding.  The wedding was to take place on the day after the day before the wedding, and on the day after the day before the wedding, the aforementioned princess was to wed a knight.

Now this knight was not a pleasant knight.  Actually, to be honest, this knight was plain old rotten.  He had a horrible temperament, sagging jowls, and a rather disgusting smile.

For obvious reasons, the princess did not choose to marry the knight, but was forced by her father, the king, to marry the knight for some absurd reason having to do with international relations. 

This story shall be continued in later posts.
~Anna

I Challenge Thee: Part 4

Dear Anna,

For not blogging yesterday, your challenge is to write a story from the writing prompt below. The post must be at least five paragraphs long and include some dialog apart from the paragraphs. Good luck! 

~Lindy

 

Halfway

Dear Anna,

I'm assuming that since you didn't blog yesterday that you still don't have internet. Assuming this, I will suspend your writing challenge for missing a day, but don't expect this kind of treatment again.

One word that I can think of that describes my life right now is halfway. It seems to be coming up a good bit. First, October is halfway done. How did that happen!? Next month is November, then December, then the holidays, and then it is 2015! Time flies when you're having fun. However, I think I'm starting to experience that thing that happens to old people when time just flies no matter what you're doing.

Second, I am halfway through this semester. Again, how did that happen! I feel like I just got here two weeks ago. I got the email today telling me to meet with my adviser to talk about next-semester's classes. I always get a rush of nerd-excitement around this time of year. This is the season of textbook purchases, Rate My Professors, and all sorts of nerdiness.

In honor of the halfway theme, here is a wonderful music video from Bon Jovi: Livin' On A Prayer.

On top of all that, it's fall, and fall is beautiful.
Have a wonderful day, my sweet Anna
~Lindy

I'm Off The Grid!!!

Dear Lindy,

I am writing this from the library because our internet is down at home.  Even the 4G on my phone is weak.  We don't know why.  It has been very windy and rainy here so my theory is that something fell on the power tower (That rhymed.  I'm a poet and I didn't know it.) and is blocking our internet.

Needless to say, I have found how much my school depends on internet.  I can not do Chemistry or American Literature.  It is very frustrating because I am already behind in Chemistry, and I was hoping to get caught up this week.

One upside to this down is that I see how little I need the internet for socialization.  I have been able to  keep in touch with all my close friends through texting, phone calls, and - Heaven forbid! - seeing them in person.  It's been a nice break.

Well, since our internet is down, I do not know if I will be able to blog on Friday.  I really, really, REALLY hope our internet is up by then.  But just in case I do go off the grid, don't worry, I just don't have internet.

                                                                                                              ~Anna

My Weekend

This past weekend, I had my apartment to myself. It was glorious!

Now I'm not saying that I don't like my housemates, in fact they are the people who keep me from becoming an internet-obsessed hermit, but there are certain benefits that come with having a place all to yourself. I have compiled a list:

1. You can play your music and movies however loudly you want.
2. You can leave your stuff laying around and no one will get annoyed. 
3. You get some time to yourself, which is nice when you live in a rather small section of land with at least one thousand other people. (It's scary when you see it in writing, and I go to a small school!)

Another thing that made my weekend so amazing was that we had Monday off and I had virtually no homework. How lucky was that! That meant that I got to spend all day Saturday with my dad, and all day Sunday fund-raising at a fall festival with my friends so we can go to Pittsburgh in February. Having Monday off meant sleeping in until almost noon. It was sublime!

One would think that having such an empty weekend would energize someone, but for me it made me tired. Whenever my sleep schedule is messed with (by, like, sleeping in till noon) I become tired. Needless to day, classes today were a struggle, but one that I was happy to bear for the great weekend I had.

By the way, if you are looking for a good band to listen to, check out Twenty One Pilots. They are a cool mix of rap, alternative rock, scream, folk-ish feels, electronic, and thought-provoking lyrics. 

Time Managing Tips From the Least Qualified Person EVER!

Dear Anna,

I am probably not the best qualified person to give advice about time management skills. I am a terrible procrastinator. I almost always put assignments or studying off till the last possible moment. (But let's be real, the internet is usually more interesting than homework anyways.)

However, right now school is a full-time job for both of us. On many forms I have filled out, they have a "Student" option when they ask for your occupation. It is literally considered a job, and one must get the job done. Here are a few things that I have learned that may help you schedule your time.

1. Planners: A planner just might save your life. In there you can make a sort of to-do list for yourself. Write down everything from homework to hangouts, from tests to social engagements. I've been using a little one that Mom won for me in a bingo game last summer, and it is great! It has gotten so beat up from how much I use it. Planners are often pretty cute, too! Mine has motivating little saying in it.
    
   I am hoping to get an hourly planner for 2015, that way I can block out when I have classes, and then fill in the rest of the time with homework sessions, club meetings, and relaxation times.
   
2. Calenders: We have these really cool things now called Smart Phones. I don't know if you've heard of them. They're pretty sweet. I think every single one of them has a calender built in. I use my phone's calender to mark down when things are due, when I'm going away, and when people are coming to visit. It's a good visual and you can even set up alerts so your phone tells you when something is up! (Note: Do not let this device control your life! No matter how wonderful it seems, use your own brain. There is so much more to life than that!)
   
3. Get to know yourself: In all of this, know how you work. You are not going to do yourself any favors by stressing your body and mind out. Learn when you are most alert and motivated and do homework then. Know when you need to take a break. My philosophy is that a well-rested mind with just a little bit of knowledge will do much better than a exhausted mind crammed full with every fact under the sun.

I hope this helped you a little bit. Good luck!

~Lindy

Help!

Hey Lindy,
Sorry I've been such a horrible blogger this week.  I've been pretty busy, and have lacked good time management skills.  Any tips on time management?  I'm having a hard time balancing work, rest, and social time.

We'll Figure It Out Eventually

One of my favorite songs is "Farther Along" by Josh Garrels.

The song talks about how even when we don't know what's going on and we can't understand it, we can take peace in the fact that we'll understand the importance of things latter on. I don't know if that "latter on" is just a few days or years from now. It may even be heaven. 

This song gives me peace. It is comforting and relieving to not need to know everything that is going on. It gives you freedom to say, "I don't know," and to be okay with that. It's a promise that even if we don't figure it out right now, we'll figure it out eventually. ~Lindy

PS. Anna, I think your blog from yesterday was cheating a little bit. I can't do anything about you using one of your papers from school as a blog, but I think it was cheating.

A Healthy Dose of Humility

The large rock stands ominously in front of me.  I put my helmet on, and tie myself into the belay rope.

   “Are you ready?” My belayer, Johanna, asks.

   “Yes,” I respond in a strained voice. I'm really nervous about this climb.

   “Climb on.”  She states.  

    Each year I attend a summer camp.  This summer, the summer of 2013, I am at a local camp's Rock Climbing week.  Right now my group is at a rock called Poles Steeple, and it is the highest climb we have done so far.

    I walk up to the rock wall and inspected it for hand holds and foot holds. I tried climbing this part earlier when no one was watching, and I was not even able to get onto the wall.  Now that everyone is watching, the pressure is even heavier.

    I take a deep breath, and shake my hands out.  I carefully place them on the rock wall and get ready to climb.

    About three feet off the ground there is a substantial foothold, but I cannot stretch far enough to step on it.  I try to position my arms and legs to allow my right foot to reach it.  I can almost get my foot on it.  I try a little a hop, but fall away from the wall.

    My face flushes.  I was afraid this was going to happen.  Everyone else has been able to climb this rock easily, and now I cannot even get off the ground.  

    Focus, Anna, focus  I tell myself.

    I refocus, and try the same move again.  Silly me; if it did not work the first time, why would it work the second time?  Needless to say, It did not work, and I fell away from the wall again.

    “Ugh,” I whisper in frustration.  “What is this?”

    “Why don’t you try leaning off to the side instead of going straight up?”  Zach suggests. I try but leaning off to the side does not help at all.  My frustration is mounting.

    Okay, I thought, I can’t climb here, so I’ll try another spot.

   “I’m going to try over here,” I say.  I walk over to a spot that I know is harder than the first.  I hope I will be able to climb at this spot because it would be confounding to be the only person to not climb this rock.

    I look at the wall in despair.  There are no good footholds or handholds.  I place my hands on the little ledges of rock, and try to put my feet on non-existent footholds.  Once again I slip off.  I back away from the wall, and glare at it.

    Way off the the right of the wall is a section that appears easy to climb.  I turn to Zach and say,

    “I’m going to climb there.”  

    “...Okay,” He says hesitantly.

    I walk over the the spot, and then, without pausing to think, start to climb.  My mind is so flustered with my previous failure that I climb recklessly.  I know I’m safe.  If I fall, the rope will catch me.  Because of this, I do not even worry about falling.

    What I do not realize until later is that I am far to the right of the carabiner at the top of the rock face.  So if I slip - A very likely possibility - I will swing across the face of the rock like a pendulum, possibly scraping my whole body against the rock.

    Thankfully, Zach saw it coming.  While I was climbing, he positioned himself at the foot of the rock so that he could stop me if I fell.  

     In my mindless hurry, I do slip.  

     As I fall, I somehow turn so that my back is facing him.  He puts his hands on my back to slow me down, and my momentum drives us back ten feet.  We end up sitting on the ground, me in front of him.  

    “Oh my word, I’m so sorry.” I mumble as I stand up.  Now not only am I frustrated, I am mortified.  I just swung like a pendulum into my leader.  

    “It’s okay,” He assured me.  “Are you alright?”

    “Yeah,” I mumble as I struggle to detach myself from the rope.  

    “Maybe you should take a break,” he said.  I just nod my head and continue to try to get the rope untied.  I can feel tears stinging around the rims of my eyes.  The knot has gotten very tight.  Finally, I get it untied.  I quickly walk away and take a seat.

    I am upset.  Not only am I upset, I am upset because I am upset.  It bothers me that I got so stressed out about a simple climb.  I should not be fighting away tears simply because I could not climb a rock.

    All of that happened a year ago.  It was hard and stressful, but in retrospect, I learned an important lesson.  I’m not going to be able to do everything.  For the longest time, I thought I was, “The Best”, but I was not.

    Without even knowing it, I was pressuring myself to be better than others, and in my struggle to be better, I started to be prideful.  That pride caused me to look down on others, and to consider myself smarter, stronger, and wiser than I actually was.  That pride did not allow me to learn from my mistakes.  Instead it caused me to look at mistakes as failure.

    After God showed me that pride was getting in the way of greater things, I have been able to work at removing pride from my life.  Do not misunderstand me.  I’m far from being completely humble, but I am now on my way.  God has taken an awful experience, and used it to teach me an important lesson.

    

It's Good to "Struggle"

For some reason humans feel the need to be in control all the time. I don't know why, but we all do it. We want to be on top of what's going on, and it's not okay for anyone to see us struggling. It is viewed as weakness to have a hard time with a situation. 

Now watch this video from Tenth Avenue North; pay special attention to the chorus:

This song tells us that it's okay to have a hard time with something. It's okay to need help. God says, "I got you, and I will never let you go." God will lead us through the hard times, He will give us peace even when the world seems to be falling apart, 

For me, this applies to my walk with God. I grew up in a knowledge-based church. I felt that if I ever had a hard time working something out with God or questioned my faith I was a bad Christian. I felt like I didn't have enough faith for God to accept me. 

That's absolute crap. "[Nothing] can ever separate us from God's love" (Romans 8:38). This song by Tenth Avenue North assures us that struggling is not a bad thing. It is actually a good thing for Christians. Check out Romans 5:3-5:

"3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

For Christians, struggles are what help us to grow, and we should therefore embrace them. We can embrace them because we know that God is with us. He holds, guides, and loves each and every one of us. We just need to accept His grace and forgiveness. When we do that, we can fully experience the freedom that comes with struggle.

Dear Couch

Dear Couch,

You need to take better care of yourself.  You are sagging horribly.  You need to straighten-up.  Your inability to take care of yourself is embarrassing our house.  Sitting there in our living room with your raggedy upholstery and your old fashioned flower print you make the house look sad.

Your center is caving in terribly.  Tall gentlemen and elderly people cannot sit on you because you are so low they can hardly stand up.

In light of all I have said, I suggest that you get a complete makeover; new upholstery, new frame, maybe some plastic surgery.  Until you have found a way to make yourself a respectable part of our living room, you are going to have to leave.

Without Love,

Anna

Dear Anna, II

Dear Anna,

We have both been bad bloggers so far this week. As your punishment, Anna, you must do the challenge that I issued you Saturday, September 27.

It is midterm season for me. That is why this is one of the shortest blogs ever.

For the month of October, I and some of my friends have decided to go vegetarian. It's always been something I was curious in, so I decided to give it a try. So far it hasn't been too hard, but then again I'm only two days in. We'll see how it goes

Sorry for the shortness of the blog, but it is time for me to get back to studying.
Love you bunches!
~Lindy

Growing Pains

Have ever known you are passionate, but you do not know what you are passionate about?  I do.  I feel this readiness and eagerness to do something, but I do not know what that something is yet.

I love so many things, dance, cooking, art, office work (yes, I know that is weird.), singing, teaching,  serving, etc.  I can't choose just one thing to be passionate about.

For passion to be useful, it needs direction.  I need to channel it into something.  I need a worthy cause for which to fight tooth and nail.

Where will I find that cause?  I do not know.  It is out there somewhere.  When I find it, I'm going throw myself into it with all my heart. 

Passion is confounding when not applied to something.  Oh, growing up, why must you be confusing?

Dear Anna,

Dear Anna,

This may sound strange (but you're used to that by now), but I was going through your old profile pictures the other day. While browsing, I realized that I have an awesome sister for several reasons:

1. You are beautiful.
2. You are smart.
3. More importantly, you are wise. There have been several times in our relationship that I have been freaking out about something and you have looked at me and said, "Lindy, are you really going to make a big deal out of this?" Then I realize that what I'm saying is absolutely stupid. You've probably saved me several headaches in my lifetime in this way.
4. You are a beast! You are a dancer, and that takes dedication and guts. You also like to rock climb which is one of the most beast-like hobbies anyone can think of.
5. You are so sweet. The compassion you show to everyone is so admirable.
6. You are passionate for God. Don't ever stop!
7. I love you, and that makes anyone cool!

Now, all that said and done, you failed to blog yesterday. Here is your challenge: write this letter and post it for the world to see!

Love you bunches!

~Lindy

Be an Activist

Last night I went to a viewing of a documentary looking at water as a human rights issue; a discussion panel followed. As an audience, we asked questions about the film and about the panel member's thoughts and opinions. Not too long into the discussion time, an older gentleman from the community stood up and gave us students a pep-talk. He told us that the future is in our hands. He said that as young people, our job is to speak out for what we believe in. He encouraged us to peaceful protests.

I felt empowered. Not because a sixty-year-old man told me that I should make a difference but because I felt like my opinion mattered. I can make a difference; you can make a difference. We all can make a difference.

I encourage you to find something you are passionate about and do what you can to support it. As God to show you what your passions are. Become an activist for God and the passions He has given you.

Hide

Beth stood high in the sky.
She was a star.
At least, everyone told her she was.
They said, "You glitter and shine.  You must be a star."
Beth did not feel like a star.
She felt like a rock.
She had lots of dents and holes.
She was good at hiding them.
Nobody else ever saw them.
At the end of the day, she would stand in the sky and think about her dents and holes.
She would cry.
She would wipe those tears away quickly.
She could hide them from everyone else,
But Beth could not hide them from herself.

A Few Favorites

Words and the thoughts behind words have deep meaning to me.  Over my short life, several sets of words have stuck out to me.  I will share a few with you.

• "She believed she could, so she did."
• "It's a good feeling, you know, a good feeling to glow."
• "Don't worry so much about what you are going to do, Henry.  Concentrate on who you are going to be."  ~"Bluffton" by Matt Phelan
• "Love the unloved."
• "A sea of instability"
• "The shadows prove the sunshine." ~Switchfoot
• "The truth lies undiscovered in a world full of lies"
• "I wanna be in the light."  ~"In the Light" by DC Talk
• "Seizing the light!"

*Those not specifically quoted are either of unknown origin or are of my own creation.
    

It Rained That Day

It rained that day.

That day it rained.

At first it was soft.

Lilting.

Then slowly it became a torrent, thundering and banging.

The rain slammed in sheets against the window.

Hard.

Shoving.

It swirled in a vortex.

Then it's harsh pangs transitioned to soft.

Slowly, it backed off.

It again became a gentle rocking.

Back and forth.

Forth and back.

I Challenge Thee: Part 3

Anna,
For not blogging yesterday, you must write an essay, story or poem based off this picture.

You can write anything you want, but it has to be based off this phrase.

Good luck!

Backgrounds

Something that I find interesting about life is that you always learn something. For many years of our lives we go to school to learn. That is school's purpose, but I think the world and the experiences it holds are the best teachers. As I look back over the past few weeks I have been here, the things that stick out in my mind as things that have been learned are not academic.

I think what I've learned most is that people, no matter how similar they or their situations may be now, come from vastly different life experiences. I often take having similar backgrounds for granted. Most of the people I grew up knowing and spending time with have life-stories similar to mine: Christian, middle class, white, and often home schooled.

But moving to college threw me into the vast whirl-wind of people: people of all nationalities, life experiences, hopes, dreams, and desires. Each of these factors brings something to a group or a friendship that is clearly unique to them and them alone. I'm a firm believer that where you came from has a direct impact on the person you become. Getting to know some people's stories helps you to know who they are now.

Our life stories are meant to be shared. They can be powerful leveling mechanisms, and I believe God uses them to share Him with others. Don't be afraid of your past. It makes you who you are.

Christian Rap?

Many Christians are opposed to upbeat Christian music.  This I do not understand.  I understand that certain genres of music like rap, metal, and rock had negative beginnings, but that does not mean it can not be used to glorify God's name.

Some would say that there is so much evil in that music, that it could never be used for good.  Would you say there us so much evil in painting that it could never be used to honor God? No, there are many amazing paintings depicting the holiness of God.  Yes, there is evil in music, but I believe God can overcome evil.

In our day and age, a Christian music culture is extremely beneficial.  There is so much horrible, degrading music that we need good music.  Christian music is like an oasis in a desert.  Bad music so pervades our culture that we need good music to counter and push it back.

Christian music can also be wonderful way to introduce others to Christ.  Introduce them to Lecrae, Tobymac, DC Talk, etc.  These artists have an amazing sound and meaningful lyrics. 

Music of all types is useful for Christians.  Let us not judge music based on genre, but on content.

Challenge Accepted

I survey the mess that is my creativity headquarters. Golden light filters in through the large windows and illuminate the ever present dust in the atmosphere. I sneeze painfully, and the action racks through my small frame: careless of the pain it causes. An old bed sheet is nailed across one corner of the room as a privacy screen. The floor under my feet is just plywood. No carpet has ever been installed.

I duck behind the bed sheet and sit down at my makeshift desk: packaging crates with a few misshapen boards laid across them. I stop to listen for the nosy people who so often intrude on these precious moments on my own. I pull from my bag an old package of flimsy paper and lay it out before me. I rub my pen in my hands to warm the ink and let the magic begin.

I Challenge Thee II

Tsk, tsk, tsk.  You missed your day!  This time I will not be so kind with my challenge for you.

Your scene must involve a sheet of plywood, a sheet of paper, and a sheet for a bed.  Second, you must use the words painful, flimsy, careless, and nosy.  Third, it may only be two paragraphs long.

Get ready. Get set. GO!

You do not need to know.

When I entered ninth grade, everybody kept asking questions like this:
"Where are you going to college?"
"What are you going to do with your life?"
"What job do you want?"

Little thirteen year old me was scared.  I did not know.  Am I supposed to know what to do with my life?

Those questions have been sitting in the back if my mind for the past two years.  I always felt a little inadequate because I did not know what I wanted to do with my life.

I went to Creation music festival this past summer, and met a woman named Susan.  She was running a booth for an art gallery.  We started talking, and somehow we got onto the topic of what I wanted to do with my life.

She kept talking, and every single thing that came out her mouth struck a deep chord in me.  She talked about how she never thought she was going to be an art curator when she was young.  She did not know where life was going to take her.

She did not know, but God knew.  He used all of her experiences to prepare her for this job. 

This gave me comfort and joy.  Comfort because, I do not need to know what to do with my life.  Joy because, God, the one who created Nelson Mandela, William Shakespear, and Billy Gram, knows what he is going to do with my life. 

I do not need to know because he does.

(Ps.  I will answer your question about predestination and free will, Lindy.  I just need some time to think about it.)

Predestination vs. Free Will

I have discovered a pretty awesome new BBC TV show called "Merlin." It's a take on the story of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin. A very interesting subject is the debate of the predestination theory versus the f

"Merlin" Cast

ree will. In the show, the young Merlin often goes to seek advice from the Great Dragon. The Dragon tells him what he should do based on his destiny to save Arthur and the kingdom (predestination). However, many of the things that the Dragon asks Merlin to do go against Merlin's personal beliefs and morals (free will). 

Now this isn't a perfect comparison by far, but it reminds me of the discussion of predestination and free will in Christian circles. Predestination is the belief that God has already chosen who will be saved and go to Heaven. Free will is the belief that it is the individual person's choice as to weather or not they will come into Heaven. Both have Biblical backing which makes the discussion even more complicated. 

What are your thoughts Anna? Would you veer more towards predestination or free will? (Also, I can't wait to introduce you to "Merlin.")

The Giver of Gifts

The cavalcade of balloons jostled behind Edna as she walked home.  On her way back from the office, she had noticed the vendor selling balloons and could not resist buying them.

You see, she lived on a street full of children.  Children as you may know, love balloons, and Edna happened to love children.  She has bought one for each of them.

The red one was for Jase, who loved sausage and noodles.  Little Maggie a few doors down was going to have the purple one.  Sonny, who always carried a stuffed llama and a stuffed beaver, was going to have the dark green one.

Now for Essie, well, that is a different story.  Essie loved gifts.  She loved them of every shape and size.  But Essie was blind, so she could not see and enjoy gifts like other children.

Because of this, every time Edna brought her a gift she made sure it had an interesting texture.  One time she brought Essie a kiwi so that she could feel it's rough skin.  Essie had laughed with delight.  Edna hoped the smooth, sticky balloon would give her the same joy.

She walked up to a Nile green house to make the first of her deliveries.

I Challenge Thee!!!

Dear Anna,

Since you failed to blog yesterday, your challenge is to write a story based off the picture below. The story must be at least four paragraphs long and must include the words Nile, noodles, sausage, llama, beaver, and kiwi.

Best of luck!
~Lindy

PS. I don't know if you knew this, Anna, but there is a wonderful person from Poland who has been following our blog. Shout out to our Polish follower! You're awesome!

Black and White

I am a very black and white thinker. I like to know the rules, what's right, and what's wrong. Without thinking, I often label activities, ideas, products, and theories. I like to know the boundary and generally stay clear of it. I don't like blurred lines between different behaviors, and grey areas drive me nuts.

However, I'm starting to see that black and white thinking isn't always the best method.

As much as I would like it to be, the world is not black and white. It is made of varying shades of grey, and I think I need to learn to live with that. I'm not going to give up my convictions and beliefs, but I am going to accept that many people don't see the world as I do. I think at the end of it all, I'll
be a better person for it.

Life's Tough

Recently, life has been pretty tough.  Two of my good friends were in a really bad accident that resulted in horrific injuries.  I've been praying and I know others have been too.  I have found a few thing that have helped me focus on God and his plan.

First, Jeremiah 29: 11 has been playing itself through the back of my mind over and over again.

Psalms 34: 4-8 has helped me to pray.  It is also helping to banish my fear.

Lastly, the song, "Your Not Alone" by Marie Miller has been my battle song.

Covers: "Demons" by Imagine Dragons

Anna,

As you know, I am in love with the song "Demons" by Imagine Dragons (you can view the original music video here). As you also know, I love finding well-done covers by independent artists of popular songs. The following is a list of some of my favorite covers of "Demons." Hope you enjoy!

Anthem Lights' Version

Kurt Schneider, Sam Tsui, and Max's Version

Tyler Ward and Kina Grannis' Version

The Harvard Callbacks' Version (The quality on this one isn't the best, but the vocals are amazing)

Simply Three's Version

Roomie & Friends' Version (this one is pretty funny)