Dare To Live

Bye!

2011-12-15T16:06:00.000-06:00

Well, kind of.

Side note: Yes, I'm still alive. Yes, I neglected this blog.

Anyways, I was just posting to say that I started a new blog that I may or may not keep up with. But I'll try. And hopefully it'll turn out better than this one has.
The first post is up, and I have two books that I need to review, three more on my desk to read and likely review, and a post on Harry Potter that I'm planning for after I finish the seventh book. So if nothing else, lots of book reviews coming soon! =P

269-277

2011-10-30T21:24:00.001-05:00

269. sunsets in the rearview mirror

270. bonfire weather

271. the smell of fire

272. books with good quotes on every page

273. variety in a week

274. visitors

275. big hills covered in golden and copper trees

276. a hunger for learning

277. foreign languages

In which I feel bad that I never post anything good here, and resolve to fix that, starting with this:

2011-10-26T22:34:00.001-05:00

So, there's this link-up called Beautiful People, and I participated once on my short-lived writing blog. Awesomely (yes, that's a word; spellcheck says so) enough, the challenge this month is to answer all of the questions in the archives in preparation for NaNoWriMo.

NaNo prep? Heck yeah.
And yeah, I totally made up half of this as I went along.

Seeing as I've only bothered with one major character (Rowena is going to stay a mystery until I get that far... the other characters aren't developed because I haven't gotten around to working on them. Fail, I know.), that's the one I'm using. After I work on the others I'll see about doing another post about them.

March 2011
What is their full name? Aidan. If he has a last name, I haven't the foggiest idea what it is.
Does his or her name have a special meaning? Nope.
Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality? Yes. =P Methodical to the point of disorganization.
Does he or she think inside themselves more than they talk out loud to their friends? (more importantly, does he or she actually have friends?) Friends? What friends? He talks out loud to himself, you mean.
Is there something he or she is afraid of? People dying and not being able to do anything about it.
Does he or she write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph? He flies a sky-ship by himself and keeps the world from falling apart. That's plenty to keep him from getting bored, don't you think?
What is his or her favorite book? (or genre of books) Nonfiction.
Who is his or her favorite author and/or someone that inspires him or her? I don't have a clue.
Favorite flavor of ice cream? chocolate brownie something-or-other
Favorite season of the year? autumn

April 2011
How old is he/she? I'm still trying to figure out that part.
What does he/she do with his/her spare time? Travels. Ancient Rome and Victorian-era England are a couple favorites.
Does he/she see the big picture or live in the moment? You don't really get to live in the moment when you time-travel.
Is he/she a perfectionist? Not by any stretch of the imagination.
What does her handwriting look like? (round, slanted, curly, skinny, sloppy, neat, decorative, etc.) Digital. I'm sure if he ever writes something, it looks elegant, but he'd rather use a computer.
Favorite animal? Sea slugs. War elephants.
Does he/she have any pets? I wouldn't call it a pet, really... more of a little metal bug that he talks to. A little walking external hard drive that he uses to record his thoughts and to keep himself from going insane.
Does he/she have any siblings? How many? Where does he/she fit in? Apparently he has a younger brother somewhere that I wasn't previously aware of.
Does he/she have a 'life verse' and if so what is it? Can't say that he does. Still working on that part too.
Favorite writing utensil? recorded voice

May 2011
What type of laugh does he/she have? Like a mad hatter. Loud and maniacal. Not that he even finds something funny; he just likes freaking people out.
Who is his/her best friend? that little metal bug, sad enough
What is his/her family like? He lives with his aunt and uncle. His immediate family all disappeared, so he really doesn't know.
Is he/she a Christian, or will he/she eventually find Jesus? Still working out how that'll all tie in...
Does he/she believe in fairies? Do they threaten to take over the world or some other such cliche? If not, he probably could care less.
Does he/she like hedgehogs? They're creepy. Like ferrets.
Favorite kind of weather? Nice sailing weather. A warm breeze that threatens to lull you to sleep. Sunshine. Color.
Does he/she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? (Slapstick, wit, sarcasm, etc.?) Sarcasm, heavily. Interesting ways of seeings things.
How did he/she do in school, or any kind of education they might have had. Typical education; went to time-traveler school later on. Or something weird like that.
Any strange hobbies? Bounty hunting counts, right?

June 2011
What kind of music does he/she like? whatever happens to fit
Does he/she like to go outside? Indubitably.
Is he/she naturally curious? Observant, more.
Right, or left handed? Left. For no particular reason other than I felt like it.
Favorite color? Green. No idea why.
Where is he/she from? Another crucial detail that I need to figure out. For plot purposes, I would think it's somewhere on Earth, but I've yet to figure out where exactly.
Any enemies? Yep. If you were told to go after someone who was breaking time-laws, you'd have a few enemies too.
What are his/her quirks? Where shall I even begin...
What kinds of things get on his/her nerves? People who are too worried about themselves, and the here and now, to worry about other people or times. People who care nothing for history, who don't understand that we don't live in a little glass bubble. And various other odd habits that people used to have way back when.
Is he/she independent, or needs others to help out? Highly independent.

July 2011
What is his/her biggest secret? He walks around singing loudly, off-key, when no one is around. O.o
Has he/she ever been in love? He'd never allow it.
What is his/her comfort food? It's food; anything works. Except odd things, like animals that should never be considered edible by a human being.
Does he/she play a musical instrument? If so, what? I've just decided he plays piano. (You heard that, right, Aidan? Get over there and get started. I may decide to give you a reason to use it.)
What colour are his/her eyes? Hair? grey eyes; I want to say blond hair, but I may make him a redhead for no reason at all.
Does he/she have any pets? I definitely already answered this one.
What is his/her favorite place to be? In the sky, where no other human being is around. In the middle of a crowd, where he doesn't feel alone.
What are some of his/her dreams or goals? Find his parents and brother. Keep the world from unraveling. Typical little details as such.
Does he/she enjoy sports? nope
What is his/her favorite flower or plant? a white rose

August 2011

What is their biggest accomplishment? bringing in rogue time-travelers
What is one of their strongest childhood memories? that faint memory he has from long ago of his parents smiling down at him (yeah, I said faint... but even then it never goes away)
What is their favorite food? whatever is edible
Do they believe in love at first sight? definitely not.
What kind of home do they live in? a pirate ship
What do they like to wear? something comfortable and practical; and something that doesn't stand out is also helpful
What would they do if they discovered they were dying? probably laugh and not believe it
What kind of holidays, or traditions do they celebrate? haven't a clue
What do your other characters have to say about them? He's insane. Dead. Cunning. Intriguing.
If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be? He'd figure out what happened to his family.

September 2011
Do they have any habits, annoying or otherwise? Talking with his mouth full is pretty typical, I would think. Singing loudly and obnoxiously. Pacing up and down the deck of his ship out of boredom (how he gets bored I'll never know).
What is their backstory and how does it affect them now? I think I've repeated the whole "family is gone" thing about a hundred times now, right? But anyhow, he doesn't believe what he was told about his parents being dead and his younger brother joining some kind of rebellion (wait, when did that happen?). Along with looking for them, he's afraid anyone else he trusts will leave him too. Or they'll die right in front of him.
How do they show love? By running them off so they don't get hurt.
How competitive are they? You get that way, hunting fugitives.
What do they think about when nothing else is going on? Why bother? People will tear the world apart with their silliness someday anyway.
Do they have an accent? Yep, but I dunno what.
What is their station in life? Time-traveling sky pirate bounty hunter. =P
What do others expect from them? Don't die.
Where were they born, and when? Somewhere, at some point in time.
How do they feel about people in general? They're fragile. And kind of stupid.

And last but not least, one-and-a-half hours later, this month's questions:

Sum up your novel in five words or less. "I really have no idea."
Novel title? I'm currently working on that too. (wow... there's a lot I need to work on O.o)
Sum up your main character(s) in one word each. Awesome.
Advice for newbies in three words? "Just keep swimming."
Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story? What secondary characters? :S
Do you plan to stay up till midnight on the 31st? I'd stay up whether it was NaNo or not, but yes of course.
How many years have you done NaNo? This'll be mah third.
What came first, characters, or plot idea? Characters. Specifically, this awesome dude that I've over-thought about for the last 90 minutes.
How much prep do you do before November? Enough that I have a general idea of what need to happen in the story, but not so much that I can't go off and do something random and crazy.
Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo? "Let's do this thing!"

Whose idea was it for me to go to the library?!

2011-10-19T14:38:00.004-05:00

...oh wait, that was me.
And we're going to ignore the fact that I have 3 more books on my desk waiting to be read now, all from the "children's" section.

See, my siblings claim they don't like reading, because there are no good books.
I fixed that problem. XD

Even in our tiny library we ended up with 15 books total, and I didn't even look past the children's section because I knew that number could get way too big, and I still have the Left Behind series to read.

I think Melissa and Jason have just been converted to the bookworm side. Granted, some of those books were comic books, but I think I have dragged them over into this reading thing just the same. ;D

261-268

2011-10-15T07:19:00.000-05:00

261. staring out the window before Sunday school, listening to Casting Crowns and watching the trees dance

262. soft wind blowing through the window at just the right temperature

263. learning something new about something you've read multiple times

264. hearing/playing country songs that I haven't heard in years

265. the black silhouette of trees against a sunrise

266. listening to country music really early in the morning

267. thick, warm jackets

268. slip-on shoes

Project 365, take 2. (Day 48)

2011-10-14T20:55:00.001-05:00

Resale stores FTW =D

Today I filled out more job applications... and at this point I don't even remember how many I'm up to now.

Thankfully at least a few places are for sure hiring *right now* so I hope one of 'em will call me soon.

Other than that, I found a Pokemon blanket at one store, and O Brother, Where Art Thou (which I haven't seen in forever) at another when I brought some books there on consignment.

Kind of sad, though... finally found a decent bookstore (where I found the Spanish book), but of course they're getting ready to close.

Project 365, take 2. (Days 46 and 47)

2011-10-13T20:30:00.001-05:00

Confession: No... this isn't actually from yesterday. I don't remember which day this week it's from.

Ikindaforgottotakepicturesyesterdayeveningalright?

And now I'm just sitting here on the computer. Typical evening.

Just, y'know... getting ready for NaNoWriMo, thinking about watching a movie...

Being stalker-ish...

y'know. ;D

Anyone else doing NaNoWriMo?

(username, please! :D I need to add people once the writing buddies thing is working again)

Also, I need some new movies to watch.

So suggestions, please? :D

Etsy

2011-10-13T16:12:00.002-05:00

Last week, I listed a few things on Etsy. I mentioned it on Twitter, but posting about it here slipped my mind. So, here you go: Point35Studio. Hopefully if things go well, I'll add a few more things later. I guess we'll see how it goes :D

Project 365, take 2. (Day 45)

2011-10-11T14:17:00.002-05:00

You're never too old to be amused by the toy section in Walmart.

If you are you need to grab a couple friends and go play Frisbee in the middle of the aisle.

Or toss a ball down an aisle and yell "Go Pikachu!"

just sayin'.

Project 365, take 2. (Days 43 and 44)

2011-10-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

Um, yeah. I missed a couple days.

Relient K! ♥

(and a random O.o smiley in there...)

I could get much better pictures if the fence wasn't in the way XD

2011-10-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

After adding some more songs to my folder today, I now have 52 songs saved on my computer.

(How many do I have memorized? None of them =P)

Green Day, Rascal Flatts, Anberlin, Tenth Avenue North, Chris Tomlin, Switchfoot, Relient K, Nickelback, Thousand Foot Krutch, Owl City, Skillet, Kutless, Hawk Nelson, Lonestar, JJ Heller, Sanctus Real, RED, Daughtry, Keith Urban, and Echoing Angels.

My goal being to actually be able to play all of those (some have odd chords, or I have to tune my guitar differently... doesn't happen often), and have them memorized.

This isn't even counting the Third Day, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, etc. music that isn't on my computer.

It makes me happy. :)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 41 and 42)

2011-10-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

Yes. Yes I do write my name in large sloppy letters across the front of my notebooks (and AWANA books).

And spent at least a half hour playing some new songs on guitar. ♥

242-260

2011-10-05T22:22:00.002-05:00

242. throwing acorns into the night sky and watching bats chase them

243. Kit-Kats

244. knowing others think the same things as yourself

245. playing electric guitar until my left arm hurts from my fingertips to the crook of my elbow

246. reading my Bible in the middle of the night

247. poetry.

248. spilling my guts, whether writing or speaking

249. writing Scripture references on my arm in black Sharpie

250. 1 Timothy 4:12

251. Anberlin

252. my Dr. Seuss jacket

253. red high-top shoes

254. Pacman drawn in chalk in front of church where the Cubbies were playing

255. good ol' country. music or otherwise.

256. straightening my hair

257. laughing so hard my stomach hurts

258. my speech book for school. even though I hate it.

259. libraries

260. singing even when my voice doesn't cooperate

2011-10-04T21:38:00.001-05:00

Currently playing: Whatever happens to be on the radio. Unless it's commercials or Taylor Swift.

I'm multitasking. Blogging, reading part of 250-some posts in Google Reader, tweeting obsessively, and wishing facebook would stop notifying me of pokes.
And I swear I'll not let this end up like my Twitter is at the moment. Maybe.

NaNoWriMo.org re-launches in one week! =D I'm really excited to start writing. I pretty much have no choice but to write. I already love this character, and I've barely developed him or the story.

[via pinterest]

"Of course no one knows time travel is possible. You know what would happen if they did? I hate traffic enough without everyone and their brother clogging up the highways of time as well, just because they want to deliver that smart aleck comment they came up with two days after an argument. Everybody thinks they can change time, but you really can't. There's one reality, and that's what you have to live, whether you like it or not."
"So why do you bother going back [in time]?"
"I enjoy the sheer horror of watching helplessly as thousands die and knowing you can't do a thing. It helps your perspective."

[via pinterest]

Or this bit:
"Respect? Of course I respect people of high standing! I treat them just like I do everyone else. What they don't tell you, even if they've realized it, is that it's very lonely to be treated like you're different from everyone else."

I really should get back to outlining.

I've also been reading, as usual, and I'm nearly up to 70 books so far this year (see my Reading 2011 page for a list). Finally started on the Left Behind series since I have most of the books now, and I have the last three books of the Percy Jackson series from the library that I need to read as soon as I go pick up books 3 and 4 --because wouldn't you know it, book 5 came in before they did. Then I want to read Sherlock Holmes.

Speaking of Sherlock Holmes.... =DDD

[via pinterest]

So excited!

And because I got most of my randomness out of my system for the time being, I should go before this post gets any worse =P I need to work on my dear time-traveling sky pirate's story anyway.

Anyone else doing NaNo this year? Let me know if you are so I can add you as a writing buddy! =D

Project 365, take 2. (Day 40)

2011-10-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

I'm not at all opposed to the fact that it's October and yet warm enough today to go outside barefoot.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 39)

2011-10-03T21:10:00.002-05:00

It came in the mail today! =D

Project 365, take 2. (Days 37 and 38)

2011-10-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

Went costume shopping yesterday.

And got to wear my awesome jacket and shoes =D

reading + candy corn = nice, relaxing Sunday afternoon

Movies! =D (proof I'm always late to watch things)

2011-09-30T13:24:00.001-05:00

Time for an actual post, no?

Out of the three movies I've recently watched for the first time, Thor is the only one that came out in 2011.Meh. Maybe I'm just biased against most Marvel movies --except X-men 1-3-- but I really wasn't too impressed with this one. It was... flat, for lack of a better word.

Thor seemed to have no feelings besides "Hey, let's pick fights with the Frost Giants and smash things with my hammer, because I am the Mighty Thor!" Yeah, there's a romance in there... and it's just as flat as the rest of the movie. The smashing the Bifrost Bridge is supposed to be dramatic, but who really cares that he'll never see the girl again? It's way too stereotypical for my tastes.

And Loki. I liked Loki. But I never could figure out what in the world was going on with him. I spent half the movie trying to figure out which side he was on, and although the easy answer might be that he's just on his own side, I didn't even notice that much. And then he just dies? Whatever then...

One of the free preview channels we had for a couple weeks was HBO, so I got a chance to watch Yogi Bear. Unlike Thor, I had veeeeeery low expectations for this one, and also unlike Thor, this movie lived up to them. I am so glad I watched The Voyage of the Dawn Treader last time we went to the movie theater, instead of Yogi Bear.

I'm not into the conservationist stuff that this movie had the air of, and there really isn't much else to the movie. "We have to save the park!" There were also several shots that added nothing to the movie, except to waste time and show how "awesome" 3D is. Watching the movie in 2D, I was wishing they'd hurry up and get to the next scene.

The mayor was just something else. I'm not even going to go there. I said "Well that was dumb" about fifteen times, minimum. Not worth the time it took to sit and watch the thing.

Thank goodness, this last movie I watched was much better than the others.

Much. And I have a tad more hope for movies based off Nicholas Sparks novels, because A Walk To Remember is far better than The Notebook (and if you haven't seen the latter, don't bother, IMO).

Aaaaaand I really don't have a lot to say about this one, aside from the fact that even though I don't typically like chick fliks, this movie was awesome, and I freaking cried. And I'd watch it and cry again. That right there should tell you something. =P

I've also watched Alice in Wonderland and How To Train Your Dragon (both of which my siblings now like. Whoo!), but I've probably already mentioned that I love those about a hundred times each.

Project 365, take 2. (Days 35 and 36)

2011-09-30T08:48:00.003-05:00

New knitting project! =D

Breakfast this morning.

COFFEE. ♥

(and a bagel)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 34)

2011-09-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

Large blank spaces in our AWANA books.

Good for taking notes.

Also very likely for other people to attack my book with pen like last year.

I love them.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 33)

2011-09-27T21:46:00.002-05:00

This is what I did with part of my afternoon =D (the clay ones; the amigurumi are older)

Still gotta fix the propeller on that one...

Project 365, take 2. (Day 32)

2011-09-26T21:16:00.001-05:00

When you have no other ideas... take random pictures that have no correlation with anything else in your day.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 31)

2011-09-25T21:00:00.002-05:00

Roasted hotdogs today for the first time in forever =DDD

Project 365, take 2. (Day 30)

2011-09-24T21:15:00.001-05:00

I love yard sales =D

I have books 1-4, and didn't know which these were in the series before looking them up on Amazon.com, but hey, they're only a dollar each! =P

And I must note that no, I do not entirely agree with the author(s?), from what I've heard of their writings.
Why am I reading the books? I don't guess I can offer a specific explanation.
I don't agree with Harry Potter either, but I've read part of those.
I have a reason, I'm just not sure how to actually type it out.
Typical problem. *headdesk*

2011-09-24T18:11:00.000-05:00

So, I don't exactly like fall.

Stuff dies. Those leaves that are turning colors? They're pretty now, but they'll be brown pretty soon. Because they're dead. Like the grass in the yard. Run on that stuff barefoot and it just crunches, unlike the lovely green stuff that feels amazing on your feet. Besides, go outside barefoot in this weather and you'll freeze your toes off.

Have I mentioned that I hate cold?

But I'm not here to be a pessimist. Fall has it's upsides (quite a few, actually). School, for one. I'm actually liking school okay so far. Probably because I like knowing I'll be done before I know it. Then there's all the food (is it just me, or do I blog/tweet about food too much?)... pumpkin especially. The muffin I had the other day was amazing, and I want to try this recipe and this recipe soon. And I haven't had pumpkin mousse in forever.
Oi. It's a wonder I'm no more out of shape than I am. But anyway...
I'm also enjoying being able to wear pretty much whatever, without having to worry about sweating to death. And the sunrise this morning, over that foggy field we passed at 7AM on our way to yard sales? "Beautiful" doesn't do it justice.

So despite the fact it's too chilly outside for my tastes, and I'm not a fan of the color brown, I think I just might have to learn to like fall ;)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 28 and 29)

2011-09-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

this turned out to be breakfast yesterday^

No. That's not all mine. Just the pumpkin muffin. Which was flipping amazing.

*nod* That IS the best I could come up with.

Fitting, however, seeing as most of my 499 other posts were junk too.

2011-09-23T12:15:00.000-05:00

I'm going to pretend I didn't forget yesterday, and simply say...

Happy Birthday Frodo and Bilbo Baggins! :D

There. That is a sufficient last-minute 500th post for me.

Because I should really plan ahead when these things about about to happen.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 27)

2011-09-21T21:24:00.001-05:00

Chocolate cupcake. *nodnod*

also tomorrow's breakfast.

Mega post of randomness.

2011-09-21T12:42:00.000-05:00

...because I'm listening to Relient K.

...because yesterday, Holy Worlds turned 2.

...because I'm wearing yellow in reflection of my Marcher Lord status on said forum, and glitter on my yellow nails in celebration.

...because AWANA is tonight.

...because today, I am in a better mood than I have been in all week.

...because I'm (hopefully) baking cupcakes to bring to class later.

...because there's a brand new fence around the neighboring field.

...because I actually woke up earlier this morning, and convinced myself to get up and memorize more verses in Romans 4.

...because I dislike the new facebook layout.

...because today I taught my youngest brother a new word: "cowering"

...because I wanted to let you know that there are actually three sides to a coin:

...and because I really need no reason to post random things.

2011-09-20T16:11:00.001-05:00

Today, as of this post, I am 3 posts away from 500.

Whoo!

And I feel like I should be doing something.

Hmm... *thinks*

Project 365, take 2. (Day 26)

2011-09-20T16:10:00.000-05:00

I had no idea it was that hard to get a picture of your own head. Especially when it's too hot outside to be wearing a knit hat in the first place.

But hopefully you get the idea.

(It is entirely coincidence that my shirt is KH too. I swear I just picked a shirt from the floor this morning. XD)

It's kind of one of those "I love it! Now am I really going to wear this thing in public?"

But it's warm and comfy. I think it'll work nicely with my black sweater when it gets cold.

And it makes me want to make a mushroom hat. Apparently I'm going to be wearing lots of hats this winter.

2011-09-19T22:16:00.001-05:00

Because everyone loves pirates and Relient K before they covered a Bieber song.

Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Project 365, take 2. (Day 25)

2011-09-19T20:18:00.000-05:00

This is what you call the most boring picture EVER.

This is also what you call "I think I've figured out the basics of knitting ;) I will post a picture later on when the extra stuff is added to the hat."

Project 365, take 2. (Day 24)

2011-09-18T14:42:00.001-05:00

Yeah, so there's two pictures today... I couldn't pick one.

Yep. I gave up on dressing up for church (not that it takes much to change my mind =P). Airwalks and skinny jeans instead.

Usually I'd say "rain, rain, go away...". But I must say, it actually feels pretty nice outside. Believe it or not, I kind of like the rain today.

Did I really just say that? O.o

The college group had a fundraiser pasta lunch after church.

So I ate rabbit alfredo (which is in fact a word, spellcheck) and BBQ pulled pork spaghetti for lunch. And some cake type thing that I didn't bother asking identification for.

Yummy stuff.

I love those people. And serving people with my friends.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 23)

2011-09-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

This is "I've run out of photo ideas already because I fail like that" combined with "I hate trying to find something to wear to church so I think I'll just wear jeans and a T-shirt in the morning."

I am enjoying Twitter this evening, however. :)

2011-09-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

I see these facebook page things about how people can't clean their rooms because they find too many awesome things they forgot they had.
My problem, I realized yesterday, is that I try to do too much at once. I was folding towels in the living room, and as I was headed back in there after putting some stuff away, I got distracted by the chairs that weren't pushed in, and noticed the dishes needed washed.
I noticed that I do the same thing with hobbies. I'm working on something and see something else that I want to learn or try.
And in both situations, nothing gets done until I focus on one thing, and on getting things finished one thing at a time.

So I'm thinking I shouldn't plan on doing NaNoWriMo this year. I already say I don't have time to write very often (although at the moment I'm looking for something to do, so I think it's a good time to get the two essays I need to write out of the way).
But then again, I never do learn... =P I'll just work on my scheduling better.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 22)

2011-09-16T20:37:00.000-05:00

Because it's getting colder outside, and everyone loves new, bright crayons.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 21)

2011-09-15T21:32:00.003-05:00

"Where is da bookmarker?" Logan kept asking me as I stood washing dishes and he carried the book around.

That kid is way too much like me. XD

Book Review -- Has God Spoken?

2011-09-15T13:45:00.001-05:00

Thelast time I heard someone try to give a reason why we should believe that theBible is God’s word, he used 2 Timothy 3:16. Well, that’s all well and good,since I already believe the Bible is true. I believe the Bible is God’s word. Buthow can you use a single verse from the Bible to prove it’s true, unless you alreadybelieve it’s all true? I can say I’m telling the truth, but that doesn’t makewhat I’m saying true just because I told you it is.
This book is different.

In hisbook Has God Spoken?, Hank Hanegraaffuses information both from the Bible and other sources. He starts with disprovingthe argument that the Bible has been distorted over the years by faulty copyingpractices and therefore cannot be true. He also notes archaeological finds thatprove the Biblical events really did happen, and compares what the Bible saysto what has been noted in history. He also compares the Old Testament to theNew, to show that the Bible does not contradict itself. The last section ofthis book address misconceptions about what the Bible says, and how to correctly interpret Scripture.
No book is perfect, of course. This one has repetitive spots and a lot of acronyms, and I'm sure there are plenty of problem spots that people wiser than myself could point out, but for someone wanting a clear answer to the question "has God spoken?", there you have it.

AlthoughI do believe the Bible is God’s Word, I want to be able to explain why Ibelieve that to someone else. Using a verse from the book I’m trying to provetrue isn’t going to cut it. And although proving that requires reading of theBible for oneself (which the author encourages), Has God Spoken? shows that the Bible is in fact God’s word.

I received this book for free from Booksneeze for its review. I was not required to write a positive review.

this review can also be found at Into The Book.

2011-09-15T11:43:00.001-05:00

"We aren't better, but we are called to be different."

Oh, the interesting things you might learn at any moment. One simple line from yesterday.

What are we trying to be as Christians? Better or different?
We're not better. We still sin after we're saved. We're still human.
We're supposed to be different.

Thoughts?
*points to comment box*

Project 365, take 2. (Day 20)

2011-09-14T21:04:00.000-05:00

Started AWANA today :D

(I actually did take pictures while I was there, I'm just too lazy to make sure no one cares to have their picture here, at the moment =P)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 19)

2011-09-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

Being unskilled in this and seeing how my left hand turned out, I stuck with painting the nails on my right hand white.

Weirdest looking Pac-man game I've ever seen...

Drawings 7/19/11 - 9/12/11

2011-09-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

Seeing as dA likes to try to spam me, I'll just post my drawings here instead.

Alice in Wonderland ♥

Drew this for a friend of mine.

Mario! =D

Just a bit of shading practice... copied from the book I was using.

More copying. It'll be awesome when I can actually draw like this =D

Project 365, take 2. (Day 18)

2011-09-12T21:09:00.001-05:00

I decided to pull out a drawing book Mom bought me quite a while ago now and work on drawing more realistically. Not too bad. I'm just not sure how well actually applying what I've tried so far is going to work.

(Don't be fooled... I can't draw that well yet. =P That's just copying the book and working along with it.)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 17)

2011-09-11T21:04:00.003-05:00

PIEEEEEEE! =DDDD

Happy Birthday Pie of the Apple Variety, to be exact.

Yesterday was my little bro's birthday.

I don't care that he probably would kick my rear for calling him that. He doesn't read my blog =P

September 11.

2011-09-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

Just watched a video of the news the day the planes hit.

It brought a fresh wave of emotion.

That unique feeling of anger mixed with tears that only this day brings about.

There's a country song that asks "Have You Forgotten?"

I listen to it from time to time.

I certainly haven't forgotten.

Watching that video...

I don't remember much about that day, because I was younger,

but I understood what happened.

Maybe not at first (I don't remember for certain),

but as far back as I can remember

I knew something bad had happened.

Tears came to my eyes as I saw that second plane hit in that video.

It's unbelievable.

But it's terribly real.

I felt angry at people who thought they could just come in and kill us.

Finally had to leave because my interjecting comments during the videos weren't helping =P

It was a good opportunity for Mom to teach my younger siblings what happened and why we should remember.

It was a good opportunity for me to be freshly reminded.

And I'll just leave it at that before I launch into another round of comments.

We can't just forget about what happened.

People died that day.

Some sacrificed their lives.

Their families will never forget that.

We can't either.

Currently Playing

2011-09-10T20:37:00.001-05:00

Enough said.

Definitely want to learn to play this song. Just, y'know, less headbanging =P

Project 365, take 2. (Day 16)

2011-09-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

Had Starbucks for the first time in forever today. Good thing I shared with my mom and sister XD

Salted caramel mocha something or other... Freaking amazing.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 15)

2011-09-09T13:49:00.000-05:00

"Does dis say slap?"

Every single tile he picks up.

Adorable little goober. :)

100 Theme Challenge (2)

2011-09-08T21:01:00.002-05:00

Short, not near enough setting or description, but... yes. I leave you to decide which random nameless person to side with.

------

Theme 2: Complicated

------

"Where isshe?"

"She'sgone..." He choked on the sorrow he never knew existed until now.

"You just lefther there to die? How could you? This whole thing never really stood a chance,but why did you just run off? You were told to protect her at all costs,and--"

"Shut up, willyou? It was either me or her. I had to."

"Oh, right,because that totally makes sense. Of all the selfish things to do! "

"Selfish? Imake the single hardest decision of my life, and all you have to say inconsolation is that it was selfish. I can't believe you!"

"Oh, quit yourcrying. Last I checked, it's pretty selfish to run off and leave a woman todie."

"And last Ichecked it was selfish to choose death and leave a woman alive to cry herselfto sleep every night. Then she'd wake up in the morning and go through the daylike the living dead, and wish it had been her so that she wouldn't have to bethe one alive to live without the one person she loved." He took a deepbreath. Looked at his companion with determination. "No. The only selfishthing I did was to leave that place, and not die there with her. I saved my ownsorry life. And for what? To live with this?" He laughed half-heartedly."I hardly call this selfish."

Project 365, take 2. (Day 14)

2011-09-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

I've actually done this for two weeks? Shocker.

Anyhow, yeah, I spent this afternoon with Dad and my brothers, working on Dad's old Ford.

100 Theme Challenge (1)

2011-09-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

I was hesitant to post this, as it is entirely unedited ramblings of myself at 10 PM when I need to write something and don't know what. Apparently it's better than I thought, so without further ado....

-----

Theme 1: Introduction

-----

Welcome to the Middle of Nowhere. Population, 7.42. Don't ask how you end up with .42 of a person. Carson doesn't like it when people ask questions.
Actually, it wasn't always so quiet around here. Last week we were almost up to 20 people. It seems people don't like living out here, though, what with all the crazies running around. Edith took off like the Headless Horseman was after her, last time some strangers came through. I can't for the life of me figure out what scared her so bad. We haven't seen him around these parts in years.
Really it's not so bad around here. There's the occasional monster running around the lake, but they're perfectly harmless. Anyone who can shoot a gun has a pretty good chance of surviving, assuming the monster is alive. Those undead do cause problems though. They took out a good 6 or 7 people last week. Poor guys. I told 'em not to go fishing on Friday, but they just had to. Some people get too excited about the chance to see a zombie. What's so interesting about a half-rotted former human, though?
But I shouldn't be scaring you with stories like that. Those were just what you call "freak accidents". It's pretty quiet around here for the most part. Too quiet, sometimes. When you've only got 7 people running around, and Carson hobbling around like a faun wearing high-heels, there's not much in the way of entertainment. 'Cause no matter how many times Carson falls in the lake, do not laugh. That might very well be the worst idea you ever have.
We tried putting on a play once, back when the population was up a bit. 'Cept the only stuff we could find was Shakespeare. Ever heard a backwoods hick recite Hamlet? Not good, I tell you. I knew we should have gave his part to Trent, but he had an unfortunate accident the week before practices started.
Nobody would have showed up anyway. Who visits the Middle of Nowhere? I've seen a few people around, of course, but I didn't stick around to find out what they were doing. Never talk to strangers. The Middle of Nowhere is a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there.
Well, it's nice to see you. I hope you enjoy your stay! I'll have to go chance the numbers on the sign out by the road, if'n you're planning on being here a while. Make yourself at home. There's some abandoned houses over in that direction, just mind you watch for the varmints. Sarah found a copperhead in there a month ago. Like to never have killed that thing. You won't want that house. I never got around to patching up the holes the shotgun left in the walls. I'll see you around!

Project 365, take 2. (Day 13)

2011-09-07T21:26:00.003-05:00

Okay, fine, so fall does have it's advantages. Caramel apples rank up there somewhere with chipotle sandwiches from Arby's; beans and cornbread; and BBQ chicken pizza.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 12)

2011-09-06T20:27:00.001-05:00

Currently playing: Paper Lung, by Underoath

I'm knitting! =D

Otherwise known as awkwardly wrapping yarn around knitting needles while listening to music from Tooth and Nail/Solid State, and periodically drumming on my knees with the needles.

2011-09-06T15:24:00.000-05:00

Today I wore white, memorized Scripture, learned how to properly pronounce "wanton", played a Kutless song, read part of another book, browsed Bookfessions on Tumblr, ordered Red Rain, read this week's Sunday school lesson... and school started.

For a school day it was rather enjoyable =P

bounces around yelling like a 2-year-old

2011-09-06T13:06:00.001-05:00

Hey. You.

Guess what.

Aubrey Hansen's book Red Rain has been released! =D

I stink at posting such things (although I wanted to tell you anyway), so just watch the trailer. ;P

Project 365, take 2. (Day 11)

2011-09-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

I'm a monkey? ;D

ramblings of a terribly tired teenager (a lowercase post).

2011-09-04T15:17:00.001-05:00

i've said a hundred times that i hate journaling.

i don't want people to read what i write because i'm self-conscious like that

and people are extremely nosy.

so i ask myself often why i have a blog.

why share with the world a bunch of stuff about a person they don't know?

but y'know, it hit me.

i guess there are some things i want to share.

not meaningless little things.

but stuff that will make a difference in the end.

maybe by sharing thoughts,

something i typically hate doing,

i might somehow be used to help someone else.

or, at least give some poor bored person-who-likes-to-read-this-stuff something to do.

because i really do need to get it out,

even if i don't like it.

anyhow, i've been kind of tired this weekend. yesterday was fun, but i'm exhausted now.

as a result, i'm even more self-conscious than normal.

"why the heck did i say that? "

"why did i treat that person that way?"

"why am i so odd?"

whether it happened an minute ago or a year ago.

all those little things bug me.

church this morning was exactly what i needed.

my youth pastor said things in sunday school that i needed to hear.

it's okay to be the quirky one.

i have my purpose.

this is just life, i don't have to sweat these little things.

i'm grateful that i'm allowed to go to the second service at church.

the words of those songs...

i'm no good at describing feelings.

i needed them.

and i may be the odd one, but i have potential.

so even if i am self-conscious, i'll still keep writing.

maybe it'll reach someone.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 10)

2011-09-04T14:50:00.001-05:00

I'm also unhappy about the dead, mangled, half-eaten, unidentified rodent that the dog left in the yard for me to nearly step on barefoot, but I'll be nice and not take a picture of that ;)

237-241

2011-09-03T20:21:00.002-05:00

237. geocaching

238. air conditioning

239. walking

240. sleep

241. getting mail

Project 365, take 2. (Days 8 and 9)

2011-09-03T20:14:00.001-05:00

I've had this pink shirt for 2 or 3 years now (I think?), and although I wore it when I got it, I no longer wear it. However, I love the picture, so I bought a black shirt at Michael's and sewed the picture on it yesterday.

Wrote in my journal for the first time in just over a month.

For the record, I hate journaling. I don't know why I continue to journal anyway.

2011-09-03T15:46:00.001-05:00

"'Stories never really end, Meggie,' he had once told her, 'even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page.'"

~Inkspell

2011-09-03T14:46:00.000-05:00

noun

Seeing a billboard that says "don't move firewood", then turning and looking out your window to see a truck hauling wood.
realizing you started reading The Prisoner of Azkaban on September 1
facebook status messages
walking past a "snow route" sign in 100* weather
saying you hate a certain type of music, and a few years later having it on your Mp3 player

Project 365, take 2. (Day 7)

2011-09-01T15:16:00.003-05:00

Finally almost almost done. Finally.

I'm terribly slow.

Yes, I should get a bit more creative with photos. I'm trying. >.>

Also, there's a poll over in this general direction --->

Please click the little white boxes please? =)

(does anyone else dislike the new blogger interface?)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 6)

2011-08-31T21:37:00.001-05:00

Actually did this week's lesson for Sunday school. I should make a habit of this.

Project 365, take 2. (Days 4 and 5)

2011-08-30T20:27:00.000-05:00

I didn't get yesterday's picture posted yesterday because this was pretty much my mental state yesterday afternoon.

And this? No particular reason. ;)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 3)

2011-08-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

Breakfast.

Hot or cold, BBQ chicken pizza from Domino's is probably the best dang pizza ever.

And of course you have to had soda with pizza. Mt. Dew is totally an appropriate breakfast drink. ;)

(somebody tell me I'm not crazy... I swear, I can taste the difference between caffeine free and normal soda)

Today.

2011-08-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

Amazing weather for the drive to church.

Sunday school.

Children's church.

"I want to be a Musketeer. But I can't because I have to be born in a kingdom."

A little kid wanting me to help him color his coloring page.

Upbeat music on the way home.

Shopping with Mom and Melissa.

An awesome shirt and epic shoes.

Spicy sandwich from Arby's.

Church again.

Reciting Romans 1 for my family.

Computer.

Reading.

I love Sundays.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 2)

2011-08-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

Library books! :D

231-236

2011-08-26T21:20:00.000-05:00

231. conveniently placed outlets

232. coloring books

233. fireflies

234.Copics

235. free books (yep... probably already used that XD)

236. summer evenings

This song. 'nuff said.

2011-08-26T13:05:00.001-05:00

Project 365, take 2. (Day 1)

2011-08-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

Yep, I totally just (re)started this with an over-used "sit in front of a mirror with a camera in front of your face". But do you see my face? Exactly. ;)

I mean, come on, it could be worse... there's a guitar in the background instead of a toilet. I could have just taken the picture in a bathroom while I was being tacky.

218-230

2011-08-25T14:18:00.000-05:00

218. sun-warmed Nutter Butter cookies

219. piano

220. doing random things on a whim, like dipping a Hershey's kiss in Caesar salad dressing (and if it hadn't picked up some vinegar from the salad too it wouldn't have been too bad)

221. memorizing Romans

222. writing (I feel I've used that before?)

223. filling out job applications

224. and some of those being on paper

225. and the fact that all but one of the online applications was nice enough to not make me use Internet Explorer

226. Google Chrome

227. colour

228. wearing neon socks and Airwalks with my dress (yep... surprisingly enough I wore one yesterday)

229. getting ready for school

230. memverse.com

2011-08-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

"You may never have to face the decision of whether or not to die for your faith, but everyday you face the decision of whether or not you will live for it."

2011-08-23T18:41:00.000-05:00

August 21, 2011. I posted on Twitter:

Arias_Myles Ashley

Alright. I'm prayerfully determined to memorize Romans. One week or less per chapter, hopefully. *nods* I'm going to.

21 Aug Favorite Reply Delete

Actually I said months ago on the Rebelution forums that I was going to. You see, it was a challenge someone posted. I thought "Hey, sounds fun!"
I've been doing AWANA since 3rd grade. (Yes, I am in high school. Yes, I still do AWANA. =P) I've memorized several verses over the years, finishing a book every year save 9th grade. It didn't sound too difficult. Yeah, that's a ton of verses, but I was up to it.
I believe I even posted about it. February of last year. And how far did I get? Oh, about halfway through chapter ONE. Shameful, no? Yep, I fail.

I don't want this time to be like the last. This time I'm serious. I don't want to look back at this in a year and a half and wonder why I didn't do it. I don't want to have to ask myself why I couldn't step up and memorize some Scripture.
There's a difference this time, though. See that one word in that tweet? Nope, not "determined". I thought I was determined last time, but you see where that got me. A little bit of determination during a random spiritual high doesn't mean anything.
The word I mean is "prayerfully". See, that's the not-so-little detail that I left out last time.

I hope and PRAY. This time will be different.

2011-08-16T15:00:00.002-05:00

209-217

2011-08-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

209. free time

210. Jason doing the dishes so I don't have to

211. school doesn't start for 2 1/2 weeks

212. Netflix

213. Robin Hood

214. the ridiculous amount of books in the world

215. slowly getting in better shape

216. frozen coffee

217. random facebook conversations

2011-08-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

"live"

–verb

1. to have life

2. to continue to have life; remain alive

"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." --Matthew 10:39

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." --Mark 8:35

"And He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.'" --Luke 12:15

"Then He said to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing." --Luke 12:22-23

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." --John 1:4

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." --John 3:16

"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." --John 4:14

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." --John 5:24

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." --John 6:51

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." --John 6:63

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." --John 8:12

"And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." --John 10:28

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. he who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." --John 11:25

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." --John 17:3

~Dare to Live.

201-208

2011-08-14T21:22:00.000-05:00

201. driving to church with the windows down

202. cool air coming through said open windows

203. country music

204. Kutless

205. listening to music with my window open

206. slip-on shoes

207. children's church

208. drinking Dr. Pepper from a Mickey Mouse glass with a silly straw

Book Review -- The Canary List

2011-08-07T15:13:00.001-05:00

The Canary List is about a young girl, named Jaimie Piper, who can sense when a person is demon possessed. Along with a teacher named Crockett Grey and a psychiatrist named Madelyne Mackenzie she is brought to Vatican City to expose cardinals who are believed to be possessed by demons.

Crockett was mourning the anniversary of his daughter’s death when Jaimie Piper came to him asking for help. To keep him from interfering, evidence was planted so he would be falsely accused of pedophilia. However, that backfired, so Crockett was brought to Rome with the others to find out what was happening.

O’Hare is the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist, and when Mackenzie told him about Jaimie’s strange behavior and abilities, he saw the opportunity to manipulate the appointment of the new pope.

The idea of the book, as I understand it, is to show how people do not often suspect there is another world besides our own. Jaimie Piper is well aware of the “Evil”, as she calls it, that is around her. A minor character in the book, who was hired to kill Jaimie, lives with a demon named Abez. But there are some, like Crockett, who doubt there is a spiritual world.
Because of some content, The Canary List is not for younger readers. Exorcism is presented as a placebo for those who want to blame mental illnesses on something or someone else, but there was still mention of it from time to time. It is mentioned that some in the papacy are pedophiles. Abez tries to convince Nathan to kill Crockett’s neighbor, an elderly woman whose testimony would prove his innocence (and it is mentioned that Nathan killed his mother at Abez’s bidding).

Actually, I wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone. I was skeptical in the first place about the book, but I thought I’d try it since I enjoyed another of the author’s books. I certainly understand book is simply trying to confront an issue. However, I didn’t like The Canary List, for various reasons. It was not graphic, but the beliefs that showed in the book do nothing to help a Christian’s growth.

(also, the book was horribly in need of proofreading, but as I received an advance reading copy that is said to be an uncorrected proof, I will try to overlook it)

I received this book for free from the publisher for its review; I was not required to write a positive review.

2011-08-07T12:37:00.002-05:00

Saw this today... quite amazing, you should watch it.

Social Networks.

2011-07-30T13:14:00.000-05:00

Or whatever you call them =P

Quite often I ask myself what the point of Twitter and facebook and Blogger is. Why should I post random little things for the world to see? Who cares what I'm eating, or that I'm annoyed at something? Especially people who don't know me (the ones who do know me probably overlook me, seeing as I've always been the weird one).

And Twitter is fun, but I barely have anything to say on my blog most days, and facebook is just a source of drama. So why do I put up with it? Why do I waste time with these things when I have plenty of other things I could be doing?

I have cut back slightly, but something hit me the other day.
I don't have to just be the weird, random chick who tweets about food too much.
Social networks are used by a lot of people. I alone have 52 people who read my blog, 64 on Twitter, and 141 on facebook. That's an itty bitty little fraction of the world, especially considering some of those people are on multiple sites, but you know what? That's still a couple hundred people, give or take a dozen, that I can be a witness to. My prayer since camp has been that I will be the person that God wants me to be... and that I will be a light to the world.
I think the internet is a perfectly fine place to start, no? But not so I can hide behind some false picture of myself that I create. But because of the possibilities. Of the ways I can glorify God through something I use every day.

If I'm going to spend my time on these websites, I want them to be something I can use to share my faith. I mean really, who cares whether or not I ate Chinese food for lunch? I mean, I'm still going to tell you, I just think I should add something worth reading in there as well ;)

I'm in love with this song right now.

2011-07-25T14:42:00.000-05:00

It's falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It's ringing in the sky
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

Singing, You are holy, great and mighty
The moon and the stars, declare who you are
I'm so unworthy, but still you love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great you are

Beautiful and free
The song of galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the Milky Way
Let's join in with the sound
Come on let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

All glory, honor, power is yours amen
All glory, honor, power is yours amen
All glory, honor, power is yours forever amen

2011-07-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

Just going to let y'all know... Into The Book is having their first giveaway! :D You can find it HERE.

2011-07-23T15:23:00.000-05:00

183. vitaminwater

184. wind

185. fans

186. Bible quiz

187. church camp

188. bowling

189. swimming

190. large amounts of Dr. Pepper

191. worn-out church vans

192. oats n' dark chocolate crunchy granola bars

193. frisbee

194. pastors

195. the freedom to worship God

196. pulled pork

197. sunsets

198. playing ninja

199. goofing off in Wal-mart

200. rest

2011-07-14T21:27:00.002-05:00

Nearly 40 books! =D Finished books now include The Brethren; Catching Fire; Mockingjay; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; The Magician's Nephew; and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The Hunger Games (mild spoilers)

2011-07-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

The Hunger Games is a trilogy quite unlike anything else I've read. It's written in first person, present tense, so I really found myself catching the emotion of each of the books.

The first book, The Hunger Games, makes you see the way the Capitol is controlling Panem. The Hunger Games are an annual competition between the districts; a reminder that the Capitol is in full control. Two teens, one boy and one girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen are chosen from each district through a mandatory drawing, and are forced to fight to the death. Out of the twenty-four that go into the arena, only one can return home alive.
The story is told through the eyes of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who steps up to take her sister Prim's place in the Hunger Games. She has pretty much accepted that she will die as she leaves, but is fully unprepared for what awaits her.
Seeing the Hunger Games through Katniss's eyes was really interesting. I really appreciated the way the author was able to portray the injustice of a government with such control, and of the way they reminded the districts of it.

In Catching Fire, the power of the Capitol becomes more personal. Katniss survived the Hunger Games along with the tribute from her district, Peeta Mellark, in the previous book, and now she has to face the consequences. President Snow personally has it out for her, and because this is the 75th Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell, he announces that this year's competitors will be chosen from previous tributes. Being the only female tribute from her district, Katniss is forced to return to the arena.
The Capitol doesn't seem to be a distant force in Catching Fire. It asserts it's power even more, showing the people of Panem that "not even the strongest are safe".

Mockingjay completes the story, as Katniss defies the Capitol in an attempt to save the people of Panem from tyranny. District 13, which was annihilated before the Hunger Games began, is alive and well, and there Katniss is forced to go. While there, she is told she will be the face of the rebellion; the rebellion she started when she first defied the Capitol during her first Hunger Games, and continued by escaping the second.
The deaths in Mockingjay were so portrayed that they were almost too much. Not that they were described in detail, but in that the author did an excellent job in showing how Katniss feels about it all. After characters grow on you, then die, it's extremely sad. Through this viewpoint it's amazing what you feel about mere words.

I'm having a terrible time writing this, having to try to describe exactly how the viewpoint affects the story, but I did thoroughly enjoy this trilogy. It's a sad tale, but one I would definitely be willing to read over again.

Eragon, Eldest

2011-07-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to read Eragon for a while, because I was curious if it was any good. It seemed to be one of those books that, if you ask someone about it, you could get any number of opinions. I've heard it's great, and I've heard there's too much magic. In such cases (another example is Harry Potter), I like to read the book for myself.

I found Eragon to be very well-written, and I loved the characters. Christopher Paolini did an excellent job, in my humble opinion. The story wasn't rushed, which in turn meant the characters didn't seem shallow. I loved the story line as well. I liked seeing how Eragon changed throughout the story, and even with Saphira being a dragon (I'm not a fan of animal stories), she was likable.

Content-wise, I didn't have too many problems with Eragon. The communication between Eragon and Saphira is done through thought, since Saphira cannot speak as people do. In this context it actually didn't feel out-of-place, or odd. There was magic, of course, but it wasn't over-the-top weird, though the barriers in Saphira's mind and around his trying to use magic were unusual. The main thing that made me uneasy was the witch Angela and her werecat Solembum. Thankfully she was only mentioned in a chapter or so that I remember.

Eragon actually seemed to have a nice ending, and didn't leave anything *too* open, but I still wanted to find out what happened in Eldest. I began reading it as soon as I finished with Eragon.

I really liked how Eldest focused on Eragon's cousin Roran as well as continuing Eragon's story. However, Eldest has more issues content-wise.

In this book, Eragon is with the elves learning to use magic, and training as a Dragon Rider, in preparation for an inevitable battle with the King Galbatorix. His training bothered me in that he was pretty much told to be one with nature. The idea was to try to focus on the minds of all the animals around him, so he could learn to be aware of people around him and know their intentions, in order to avoid being attacked. There was something else about his training that bothered me, but I don't remember what it was. Regardless, I highly disliked the magic and the amount of it in Eldest. Angela also played a much larger part in the story.

There was also a child that Eragon blessed in the ancient tongue, but because of a mistake in grammar, the blessing had a different effect than he had intended. That whole thing was weird to me... the child apparently making herself older so she could talk; I don't remember what else, but I didn't like it.

Overall, I liked Roran's part of the story in Eldest, but I didn't care much for most of the rest. However, I did like the ending, and it makes me want to continue. There's an interesting plot twist, and I would love to see how that turns out.

Bucket Lists.

2011-07-09T10:01:00.001-05:00

Yeah. I just said not too long ago that I don't have a bucket list. But I thought I'd try to make my jumble of thoughts into something coherent (which I'm not good at; bear with me).

...learn to surf.
...visit every US state at least once.
...finish writing at least one story.
...share the gospel. Over and over again.
...be able to play at least 5 musical instruments.

...play in a band.

...go on a mission trip.

...visit New Zealand.
...and Japan.
...learn to shoot a bow.
...buy a sword.
...memorize all of Psalms.
...go to see a movie at midnight.
...meet people from HW.
...see Relient K in concert.
...inhale helium.
...skateboard. Awesomely. Preferably without breaking something.
...learn parkour.
...read 100 books in a single year. (I'm working on it!)
...beat every Legend of Zelda game.
...learn to draw so well I drool over my *own* work.
...learn a new language. Or three.

Notice I go from 0-crazy in a split second. Oh well, you know you love me ;)
Also, giveaway and link up here:

Congrats Polka Dot! =D

2011-07-08T17:29:00.000-05:00

One thing I love about life, no matter how annoying it gets, is that there's always new things to learn. Ignore the fact that I now sound like I'm talking about a 2-year-old.
Yeah. I'm in highschool. Obviously I'm still learning things academically. I still have the rest of highschool and all of college ahead of me. But other than that, there are all kinds of hobbies I've been exploring.
I enjoy crocheting (especially amigurumi :D), and I've started to learn to knit and sew this week. I read large amounts of books (I've read more than thirty books so far this year; several of them over 400 pages long). I play piano and guitar, write songs, and have a long list of instruments to learn eventually. I write, both fiction and nonfiction. I draw. I have an extensive list of things to learn (most of which I will probably forget about 50% of the time =P).

One thing that I've been eager to do this year is learn as much as possible from the Bible. I want to grow closer to God... to be more like Christ. I was thinking a few minutes ago, and it hit me. This isn't a spiritual high, like the feeling you have after camp or a youth conference. It's probably been nearly four months since it happened, and I still feel different. I came home from a friend's sleepover, and sat down in my chair. I was disgusted at some of the conversation I had heard the evening before. And it was then that I thought "I don't want to be like that." Romans 12:2 comes to mind now, where it says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
My AWANA book was lying somewhere out of sight (I don't even remember where exactly), but I dug it out and sat back down. Actually, it was the book from the year before. I had had no desire to finish it; I had various reasons, but I hadn't finished it, or even used this year's book aside from in class. But somehow all my excuses suddenly seemed silly. I finished both books within a few weeks; they were done by the end of the year. And it didn't stop there. I've never been good at reading my Bible every day, and I still haven't managed to get in the habit, I will admit, but I did want to read it more often. I quit putting it off (for the most part; I'm still human and fail at times). I ask every week as church starts that God will show me something new, and He does. Even now, though I help in children's church so I'm not there for the message, I have Bible quiz to study, and I relish learning and memorizing more than usual. I've memorized chapter of Psalms just because.
I feel... changed. It may not be constant, but at the same time the feeling is always there. That something is different. It's beautiful. I love it.

2011-07-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

If you "like" Tooth & Nail on facebook, go check out their page. They have a link to a music sampler. The winter one was awesome (I'm listening to it right now, actually), and I plan on downloading this one as well. Definitely great! ^^ You're welcome.

2011-07-07T11:52:00.000-05:00

After finishing The Englisher at about 1 this morning, I am 1/3 of the way to my goal.
In the last two weeks, I have also read Eragon, Eldest, Liberty and Tyranny, and Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

It will probably be a while before I read Brisingr (although I do want to read it before Inheritance comes out), so I'll go ahead and get a post ready about Eragon and Eldest. Hopefully that'll be done today or tomorrow.

This is not about the fact I can't paint my nails properly.

2011-07-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

My collection of earrings thus far.

Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki (Fruits Basket)
Ignore the fact Tohru's and Yuki's eyes are smeared...

Shadow Heartless (Kingdom Hearts)

a keyblade (Kingdom Hearts)

sea salt ice cream (Kingdom Hearts)

Paopu Fruit (Kingdom Hearts)
I may or may not have spelled "paopu" correctly...

mushrooms (Mario)
Also below.

Ninjas, of course.

Also, rings from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Yes, I'm sure they don't look quite like that, but oh well.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T14:25:00.000-05:00

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
’Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust;”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

God Bless America.

amigurumi

2011-07-02T20:41:00.000-05:00

1-up Mushroom (Mario)

Super Mushroom (Mario)

Poison Mushroom (Mario)

Shadow Heartless (Kingdom Hearts)

Patrick the dragon

(I used a pattern but at the moment I don't know where it is)

Pikachu (Pokemon)
If you ask me I think it kind of looks like a demented rabbit...

Black Mage (Final Fantasy)

2011-06-30T23:32:00.000-05:00

What are your goals in life? What do you want to do before you die?

I don't have a bucket list, or any sort of organized list at all of things to do. If you were to ask me, my answers could range from perfectly normal to utterly absurd (usually just to prove I can and/or will do something).

What about you? Whether you have a list or not, what is something you want to do, whether it be something useful, something for fun, or just to prove something is possible?

What about sharing the gospel? Where does that rank? Is it even on the list at all?

That's definitely something I want to do. Whatever level of spiritual maturity I may be at at the moment, I want to want that more than anything. I want my life to reflect Christ. I want to share the gospel with the people I meet. I want to grow closer to God every day of my life.

Pardon me if this post in incoherent... I really should be sleeping but I figured I'd forget this in the morning.

2011-06-30T21:57:00.001-05:00

175. Tooth & Nail Records

176. Owl City

178. roller coasters

179. a working sewing machine

180. balloons

181. a new Mp3 player

182. my camera

Book Review -- The Dragons of Chiril

2011-06-29T11:27:00.001-05:00

Tipper has had to sell things from their home, and her father’s artwork, to support herself and her mother after her father’s disappearance. Three of the statues were carved from a single piece of stone, and were made to fit together. After her father shows up again, she learns that the three statues were a foundation for a gateway to the other side of the world. Without the stones to anchor the gateway, her father will periodically disappear and reappear, and eventually disappear altogether. To fix this, Tipper sets out with her father, a giant parrot named Beccaroon, an artist, a wizard, and a few others to find the statues and reunite them.

I had trouble with some of the names at times, especially the difference races. It was nearly impossible to remember what each race was like, with names like “emerlindian”, “tumanhofers”, and “kimens”. I also had no idea how old Tipper was throughout half the book, and I was surprised when I finally found that she was 22, because she always seemed much younger.

The most annoying part of the book for me was the fact that you hear constantly how handsome and charming and well-dressed Prince Jayrus is, and how taken Tipper was with him. At one point I think I actually said something aloud about how I was sick of hearing about him so much.

Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with The Dragons of Chiril, and there are other better-written and more interesting books out there to read.

I received this book for free from the publisher for its review. I was not required to write a positive review.

This review has also been posted at Into The Book.

2011-06-28T23:04:00.000-05:00

Since I have been reading so many books, and reviewing some of them (and rating most of them on Goodreads.com as I keep track of them), it makes me think. What criteria should I judge a book on? Simply how much I enjoyed the story and/or the characters? Or should I go by content as well. How much does the moral of the story (or lack thereof) affect my opinion?
Is is wrong to give Harry Potter and Eragon 5 stars, despite the magic in them and the fact I don't agree with it? Yes, I've read some of them, and yes I will post about them when I finish one of the series. (what's the plural of "series" anyway?)

I find that I am almost more lenient about secular books than Christian books. I overlook the occasional mild swearing, and the use of magic (not that I'm saying any of it is okay... I just figure people don't know better). But I would be picky about such things in a Christian book. Is it because I expect more from Christian books?

I had intended this to be a longer post, but I think I'll leave it as this. Maybe it'll give me room for another post later this week or thereabouts.

Here you go, a hundred questions that I probably don't have an answer to myself. You're welcome.

2011-06-23T21:50:00.000-05:00

This week:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hunger Games
Inkheart
The Dragons of Chiril (of which I will hopefully post a review sometime this week)

Which brings my total to 28 books so far this year.

Yes... Yes, I do plan to have an actual post sometime this week. I fail as a blogger :S

Dare To Live

Bye!

269-277

In which I feel bad that I never post anything good here, and resolve to fix that, starting with this:

Whose idea was it for me to go to the library?!

261-268

Project 365, take 2. (Day 48)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 46 and 47)

Etsy

Project 365, take 2. (Day 45)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 43 and 44)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 41 and 42)

242-260

Project 365, take 2. (Day 40)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 39)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 37 and 38)

Movies! =D (proof I'm always late to watch things)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 35 and 36)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 34)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 33)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 32)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 31)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 30)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 28 and 29)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 27)

Mega post of randomness.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 26)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 25)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 24)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 23)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 22)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 21)

Book Review -- Has God Spoken?

Project 365, take 2. (Day 20)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 19)

Drawings 7/19/11 - 9/12/11

Project 365, take 2. (Day 18)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 17)

September 11.

Currently Playing

Project 365, take 2. (Day 16)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 15)

100 Theme Challenge (2)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 14)

100 Theme Challenge (1)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 13)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 12)

*bounces around yelling like a 2-year-old*

Project 365, take 2. (Day 11)

ramblings of a terribly tired teenager (a lowercase post).

Project 365, take 2. (Day 10)

237-241

Project 365, take 2. (Days 8 and 9)

i·ro·ny

Project 365, take 2. (Day 7)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 6)

Project 365, take 2. (Days 4 and 5)

Project 365, take 2. (Day 3)

Today.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 2)

231-236

This song. 'nuff said.

Project 365, take 2. (Day 1)

218-230

209-217

201-208

Book Review -- The Canary List

Social Networks.

I'm in love with this song right now.

The Hunger Games (mild spoilers)

Eragon, Eldest

Bucket Lists.

This is not about the fact I can't paint my nails properly.

Happy Independence Day!

amigurumi

Book Review -- The Dragons of Chiril

bounces around yelling like a 2-year-old