One of the ways for a book to feel real and have some lighter moments is to

take some things from real life and put them into your writing. Here are a few bits and pieces from some of my books to give you an idea what I am talking about.

“Ow! Richard, stop pulling on my dress,” Christy said to her older brother.

“I was just playing,” Richard said, feigning innocence.

“Are all of these your children,” one of the older male passengers asked Stephen. Maria sat still in her seat, and for one small instant wished that she wouldn’t be seen as part of the family.

“Yes they are,” Stephen said proudly. That was one thing that she liked about her dad – he never was ashamed to be their father, or at least didn’t show it, even when they weren’t on their best behavior.

“Sure hope they know how to be quiet,” he responded rather rudely.
Great, Maria thought. I am going to have to spend the entire flight trying not to breathe too hard so I won’t offend Mr. Sour.

**********

“Leah, look at your dress. I told you that you ought to go to your house and change. Now it’s stained red from the dirt,” Anna, said to her ten-year-old cousin. Leah looked down at her red stain and then looked back up at Anna her eyes pleading.

“Anna, do you think you can get it out? Mommy won’t be happy if she sees it.”

“Well, she is going to see, but I will try to get it out for you. Bring it to me later today, and I will see what I can do,” Anna replied.

Maria smiled. Anna, Maria’s seventeen year old younger sister, hated to see anyone get in trouble, especially when they had been having a good time.

**********

Maria went to the kitchen where the phone should have been, but it wasn’t there. It took a big search on her part to find the phone, which she finally found by paging it. It was under a pile of clothes in Daniel’s room with a sticky note on it that read with a poor hand:

Dangerous, if you touch will explode

“What in the galaxy was Daniel do…? No, no I don’t even want to know,” Maria said aloud to herself as she picked it up and dialed the number.

*********

As you can see I took situations and incidents that happen in real life and used them to give my book humor and a realistic feeling. Do you have any examples that you would like to share?

I am not feeling well today, I seem to be having some allergy issues. I hope that tomorrow I will feel better so that I can write a good post. I hope that you have a blessed day today.

Thank you all for your wonderful questions! It was a lot of fun and I hope that through things like this, we can get to know each other better.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? Spare time? Okay, I do have spare time and the number one thing I like to do with it is read. I love to read non-fiction the most. I also like to walk on our land, play board games with my siblings, and uh… oh yes, read all of your blogs!

How do you have your quiet times? When I get up in the morning, I usually either read in my Bible or the book that I am studying and then write my thoughts in a journal. I also spend some time in prayer.

How would you encourage someone, if that certain someone had a bad attitude and is mad at the world? I would tell them that I have walked that road, I know how hard this life can be. I also know that we serve a God who is bigger than our hurts and those who may have wronged you. I would share with them a verse that has comforted me many times ‘ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1

What do you think about courtship versus dating and which will you do if the Lord permits? I think that God can call different people to different things. While I personally am called to do courtship, I am well aware that this will not work for everyone. I know some who do not have parents that share their values and therefore cannot do courtship (at least, not traditional courtship). With that said, I do think that there is a big problem with dating just for the sake of having fun. Guy-girl relationships are nothing to play around with.

What version of the Bible do you use and for what reasons? I use the NIV because it is the version that speaks to me the best. I am well aware that this version is not perfect, but then you can say that about any translation. If you wanted to say that there was only one version that God wanted us to use, it would have to be the original Greek and Hebrew.

When did you first develop a love for writing and how did it happen? Oh, I love sharing this story! When I was 11 years old after watching a movie on Robin Hood, our family was sitting around talking that it wrong to steal for any reason. I said something about maybe writing a book on Robin Hood and in this book he wouldn’t steal (I was eleven, remember). My Mom said she thought it was a great idea for me to write a book but if I was going to work so hard to write a book, why didn’t I write my own story down. So I began my first book, Shieham, and by the time I finished it when I was fourteen, I had found my passion for writing.

I hope that this answers your questions, if you want me to explain my answers more, just let me know.

I was over at Elizabeth J.’s blog and she inspired me to do this post. You are all welcome to ask me questions of any kind and I will attempt to answer them tomorrow. So, what do you want to know about me?

I wrote this when I was about fourteen years old and I wanted to share it with you on this Memorial day. Thank you to all of you who have served our country and protected my freedom. I also would like to thank those who gave the ultimate price to protect freedom, because freedom is never free.

Because freedom in never free, someone will have to pay the price.

Because Freedom is never free, we need to be reminded of those who gave the ultimate price to protect it.

Because freedom is never free, if some were not willing to give their all for it, it would die.

Because freedom is never free, the people who protect it will always be in harm’s way.

Because freedom is never free, there will always be struggles.

Because freedom is never free, there will be wars with those who hate it.

Because freedom is never free, our men and women in uniform will always be in danger.

Because freedom is never free, we need police, sheriffs, and all the others in law enforcement to defend us.

Because freedom is never free, veterans say they would fight again.

Because freedom is never free, some must lay down their lives to pay the price for that freedom.

Because freedom is never free, I thank all of those who serve to protect me now, and all those who gave the ultimate price in the past, because I know that FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE!!!

You are in the middle of writing a book or article when all of a sudden you are struck with a great idea, but what should you do with that idea? Should you leave your current project and go on to the new one, or should you just hope that you will be able to remember it later? Neither! You should never leave a project half done (if you do, it will probably never get done), nor do you want to risk losing a good idea. The solution to this problem is having a writer’s notebook.

Not long after I began to write my first book, my mom gave me a large spiral notebook with dividers in it. The very first section I use for ideas, everything from book titles, to good lines for dialog, to verses I wanted to use. I also have some pages that I use to write down brief descriptions of plot ideas so that I won’t forget them. I also have a section for writing first drafts of articles, storing reference maps, and a section just to scribble notes on.

Having a writing notebook has been a great help to me. Just knowing that my ideas are written down so that I can use them later is a great comfort. It is also really fun to look back at some of my older ideas and work and seeing how far I have come in my writing ability.

What about you? Do you have some helpful hints on what to do with ideas?

Okay, I feel really bad! I can’t remember whose blog I got this from! But anyone is welcome to do this tag who wants to.

1) How long have you been homeschooled?
My entire life! Praise God for his blessings

2) What grade are you in?
I graduated last year

3) What is your favorite subject(s) in your homeschool?
History and Bible have always been my two absolute favorite subjects.

4) What is your least favorite subject(s) in your homeschool?
Math and English (now y'all know why I make so many mistakes on my blogs posts)

5) What is a current/previous homeschooling challenge you’ve faced?
Doing it evert single day

6) What are you looking forward to over the coming year?
Learning new things and writing more books. Even though I am not in school I love to learn and write.

7) Name three things you like doing in the summer with your family.
You have to understand that we shcool year-round; that way we can take several smaller vacations. Some of the things we enjoy doing as a family are: taking walks, reading, playing board games and having meaningful conversations

8) What other activities do you enjoy, such as sports, hobbies, etc.?
Writing, Piano, sewing, and blogging

9) Are you taking a foreign language? Are you going to in the
future? Which one?
Not currently. I have taken a little Spanish and I am thinking about doing that again.

10) Where do you homeschool? (Kitchen table, livingroom, etc.)
Everywhere! I guess we primarily use the dining room table, though.

I wanted to sleep in this morning, but it just didn’t happen. I got up early, had my quiet time and went out to milk the goat. When I came back in, I decided that I would serve breakfast in bed to everyone. I made up some eggs to serve along with the monkey bread that my sister Rose had made the night before and started some water to boiling. Then I placed a tea cup and china plate on each tray. As you can see, I had a lot of fun.

Rose was already up so she helped me put the food on the trays and serve them to each family member. I gave each one of them their tray of food and Rose came behind me with tea bags and salt and pepper. It was a great way to start of our morning.

You know, I think that one of the most important things that my parents taught me is that you should do fun things, just because. Have a nice meal and use the china plates not just for special occasions, but just because you want to. Spend some time with your siblings, just to show you care. Take a walk, just to enjoy God’s creation. Take the time today to do something special, just because.

Good morning everyone! It is a beautiful day down here in Texas. A cold front came through the other day, the air is dry, and the recent rain has made the grass green.

Yesterday, after church, we went over to one of the family’s homes for a fellowship. I had so much fun playing volleyball with a bunch of other kids. I learned how to serve a ball correctly, thanks to some help from some of the nice people there. And even though I am not a very good player, I still had a lot of fun. I had more fun yesterday than I have had in a long time.

Today, I am tired and a little sore, but very happy. How was your Sunday?

I know that today is supposed to be Writing Saturday, but I had to tell you about a movie that we watched last night. A friend of ours lent us a Christian movie called Pendragon, Sword of his Father and last night we decided to watch it. I sat down with my water and brownies and prepared myself for another rather dippy Christian movie. You see, when I was younger, most movies that were made by Christians had really poor acting, and were pretty cheesy so I just have come not to expect much.



About ten minutes into the movie I was just amazed. The acting was good, the computer graphics look great, the cinematography was amazing, and the plot was incredible. There were parts of the movie that were just so stunning that I hardly breathed, and there were parts that made me cheer as people lived out their faith.



So, you might be asking, what was this movie about? Here is what the Burns Family Studios website says;

"The year is A.D. 411 - the Empire of Rome is crumbling. As the legions are called back to the Eternal City, the Isle of Britain is abandoned to Saxon marauders…

Son of British Chieftain Justinian the Pendragon, young Artos has grown up in a quiet coastal village. Justinian entrusts the boy with a vision – to defend the people God has trusted them with. But, with the attack of Barbarian raiders, the village is destroyed, and Artos, the only survivor, is taken as a Saxon slave. Artos’s will is crushed as he toils under Saxon masters… He begins to despair.

"One snowy night, Artos is forced to flee. As he collapses at the end of his own strength, God intervenes. With a new understanding and faith in God’s sovereign plan, he sets off with renewed hope. Artos journeys high into the Welsh countryside to the mountain stronghold of Arfon, where the British ruler Ambrosius is raising an army to halt the invading Saxons.

"Among Ambrosius’s troops, Artos finds what he has been seeking. Brotus, a young comrade, becomes his loyal friend, and Artos’s faith and vision has soon won the hearts of many among the British force… including Ambrosius’ daughter, Wenneveria.

"However, there is one among the Britons who does not share Artos’ golden dreams… or rejoice at his battlefield successes. Artos soon crosses paths with Cadeyrn, a British commander seeking to amass his own power. Jealous of his young rival’s growing popularity, Cadeyrn plots to remove the young Pendragon…

"Through the treachery of his bitterest enemies and the betrayal of his closest friends, Artos is once again alone - the hunted defender of Britain. Soon he must make a deadly choice – between the girl he loves and the people he is called to defend."




I encourage you to find this movie and watch it as soon as you can!

There is probably nothing I love more than curling up with a good book. And lately, I have had some really good ones that I would like to tell about. The first one that I would like to tell you about is Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George. My Church gave all the adult women a copy of this for Mother's Day, and I have been using it during my daily quiet time. It is about giving over your thoughts to the Lord, and I have to say that it is really changing what I think about for the better.

Another book that has been on my shelf for a while is In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham. I love reading biographies about people of the faith, and even though I have just begun this book, their faith in God is already shining through. For those of you who may not know about the Burnhams, they were missionaries to the Philippines and were taken hostage for about a year.

The one other book I am reading is a fiction book called When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke. I love some of her books (my favorite is Roses for Mamma), and this book is shaping up to be a really good one. It is about a young woman in her mid twenties who is feeling like God is calling her to do something different with her life. So she leaves the nice city school where she is teaching (with her parents blessing), to go out west where her older brother lives to teach in a one-room school house.

So, that is what I am reading about right now. What are you reading?

I read this really funny post over at Rose’s blog (not my sister Rose), and I was having trouble breathing I was laughing so hard. She put her playlist in the shuffle mode and then answers questions using the name of the random song. It was so funny, I really wanted to do it so here it goes.
Note: This is just to be silly, none of what is written below is meant to be serious
IF SOMEONE SAYS "THIS IS OKAY" YOU SAY: The Battle (okay… I am not an optimist, I admit it.)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? The Battle of the Huns (Inside me HUNdreds of things are warring against each other.)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Rienzi Overture Conclusion (Uh yes, that is what I love to see… whatever it is.)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? God bless America (I am here as God’s blessing to America, you all heard it here first.)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? The Giving (Does this mean I need to host more giveaways?)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Freedom Battle (I didn’t know you thought that.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? We Bow Down (I didn’t know that this was a subject that I pondered often. I hope that I think about bowing down before God.)

WHAT IS 2+2? Symphony number 2 (Wait…. is that right?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Symphony number 3 (Yes, that describes her perfectly.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A PERSON YOU LIKE? Only the Beginning of the Adventure (Yep, just like me, they have a long way to go.)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? From the Western Wood to the Beavers Dam (As you see, I haven’t gotten far.)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? The Warrior is a Child (I was almost sure that I wanted to be… oh well, I guess that is what I'm really supposed to be.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON YOU LIKE? Voice of truth (Finally, I need someone like me who knows everything.)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Knighting Peter (Really, Mom and Dad? You should have told me sooner.)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? A Narniain lullaby (Well, why not?)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? The Nutcracker suite (Ah, that will make everyone feel so uh… so ummm… wondering if they are at the right place.)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTERESTS? I Commit my Love to You (I am having I lot of trouble finding supplies at the hobby store for this. Anyone know where I can get some?)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Romeo and Juliet (They live on and I am… well, will get into that another time.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? The Wardrobe (Where in the world do you people shop?)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? The Call

HOW WILL YOU DIE? Secret ambition (And what does this mean? I can’t tell you, after all, it’s a secret.)

WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? To Aslan’s Camp (Yep, some things just don’t go the way you plan.)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? Free Man (Yeah, guys are funny. Take my brother for example.)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? I will believe (I believe that one day that Jesus will return and… and… oh my eyes are too blurry to go on.)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? The offering (Does this mean only of I find a wedding ring in the offering plate?)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? Grand Canyon (What? Oh well, sometimes, you don’t even know your own fears.)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? Humility (either a girl named Humility is the only person who likes me, or I am too humble to admit that everyone loves me. You get to decide which.)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? Hirbernia (any explanation needed?)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Keepin' my eyes on you (I am having a lot of trouble seeing ya’ll right now, could you stop laughing so hard?)

WHAT DO YOU MOST OFTEN EXCLAIM? Rodeo (Yeah, it is a lot better then some other things I could say.)

WHERE IS PARADISE? The four season

WHAT DID YOU FIRST SAY AS A BABY? Canon Excerpt (What can I say? I am a classical child at heart.)

IF YOU HAD A PET, WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT? Carol Anne (Really? This is wonderful! Mom, come here! I just figured out what we are going to name that little boy goat!)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SIGHT TO SEE? Father Christmas (Haven’t you seen him?)

WHAT MAKES YOU GAG? Cry of the heart (don’t take it personally.)

WHAT ARE YOU BEST AT? Every time I fall (I can get right back up, isn’t that neat?)

IF YOU WROTE A BOOK, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT? Sing me a Lullaby (Boy, doesn’t that sound exciting? Keep an eye out for it at your local book stores.)

WHAT DID YOU WISH FOR LAST? Letter to Sarah (And no one, I mean no one, has sent me one. I am sssooooo sad.)

WHAT WOULD YOUR SUPERHERO NAME BE? Freedom (I would fight for Freedom from the tyranny of homework. Freedom from being a slave to dishes. Freedom from the effects of calories and sugar on our bodies. Freedom for everyone!)

HOW SOON WILL THIS BE OVER? Russian Sailors (By the time the Russian sailors get here, I will be done.)

WHERE ARE YOU SITTING? The blitz (That’s right.)

WHAT DO YOU MOST HATE? The Battle Hymn of the Republic (What is it doing on my MP3 player?)

WHAT DO YOU MOST LOVE? Symphony number 8 (I am sure you all know that one.)

WHAT DO YOU NOT CARE ABOUT? Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus (yeah, what does that have to do with the story anyway?)

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET NAME? The Stone Table (pretty neat, right?)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Thy Word (I don’t think so.)

I was tagged by Emily Joy!

How old are you? 18 (I turn 19 on the 30th of June)

Is this your first tag? Nope

Have you ever moved? Yes, three times.

What is your favorite animal? A Nuba milk goat (I milk Chocolate, our Nuba goat every morning.)

What is your favorite movie? This is a hard one. My favorite movie that is nonfiction would probably have to be Matthew and my favorite fiction one would be… either Facing the Giants or Pride and Prejudice

What is your favorite book? This is even harder than the last question! (I assume that they want something other than the Bible)

Are you an elf? No, I don’t think elves are allowed to blog, they have to spend all their time making toys for the nice kids (LOL).

Who do you like better, Eowyn or Arwen? I have never watched Lord of the Rings so I have no idea.

How long have you been riding? I am not sure what you want to know so I will just pass on this question.

Who are your favorite Lord of the Rings characters? As I said, I have never watched Lord of the Rings.

Do you get a lot of homework? I get a lot of homework for my Bible classes.

Do you think tagging is awesome? I think they are a lot of fun.
How many times a week do you ride a horse? I don’t like riding our horse, but I have a sister that rides her horse a lot.

Do you like blogging? No, my mom makes me. Kidding, I LOVE BLOGGING!!!!

Do people think you're strange? Yep, I mean who wouldn’t? I love my siblings, I don’t mind just wearing dresses, I love living in the middle of nowhere, I like being homeschooled and I love to write! See now? even some of you think I am strange!

Do you like getting comments on your blog? I love getting comments!

Do you like getting new followers on your blog? I love getting new followers almost as much as I like getting comments.

Do you get bored easily? Nope.

Do you have an awesome blog? Blog greatness is in the eyes of the reader. What do think on my blog y'all? (I still love using that word, y'all)

How many followers do you have? I have eleven! I am very blessed by everyone of them.
What was the scariest moment with a horse you have had? When it kicked one of my sisters

Who do you like better, Sauron or Saruman? Ummm… uh..are they new flavors of ice cream:)?

Do you like school? Yes!!!

Are you a good actress? Good enough to have fun with my siblings and to help me write books. I have never acted outside my home so I am not sure if anyone would consider me a good actress.

Do you like music? I love classical, and softer Christian music. I cannot stand really rocky or rap music, even if it has great lyrics that honor God.

Do you like taking personality quizzes? Not unless they are like the ones about which movie character that you are most like (like from Pride and Prejudice). I do those just for fun, not to find out more about myself.

Do you like long or short posts? Short.

Are you easily entertained? Yes! I love to sit and watch the wind blow in the trees and do nothing. It keeps me from being bored.

Are you going to tag someone else? I am.

I am going to tag;


Jessica
Julia
Rachel
Arianna
Alex
Amber
Elizabeth J.
Miss Serenity
Breezy
And anyone else who I might have missed and wants to do this. Let me know when you post your answers.

Note; this was post number 200!

This is going to be a fairly busy week for me. On top of all the normal things, we will be doing some extra weeding at the organic farm, doing some house cleaning, and I have some writing projects that need to get done. Sometimes I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to do all I need to do. Sometimes, like today, I don’t feel like I have the energy to get done even what I need to get done.

It is so easy for me when I feel like I can't do much, to do nothing. Instead of getting off the couch and doing something small that I can do, I just sit and do nothing because I can’t do everything. Maybe that is just me, but I am working on not being lazy even when I feel tired. Even if I can’t do all that I want to do, I try to do what I need to do.

I am not sure if this post made any sense at all. If it didn’t, I apologize and hope that you will still keep coming. If this post did make sense, what do you do when you feel like doing nothing?

I haven’t talked about what has been going on in my writing life lately, so I thought that I would give a little update. My book The Destiny of One, for which this blog is named, is in the editing stage. I have some friends that are reading it and telling me what they think I can do to make it better. It is so exciting to see how much the book has progressed. I am busy working on the sequel to the Destiny of One. Hopefully one day a publisher will publish my books.

I am tossing around the idea of starting a closed blog for some of my friends and blog readers (like you) to read my book. What do you think of that?

I have been spending a lot of time writing blog posts for this blog and MHL, and keeping up with the yahoo group. I am also busy writing articles for various magazines.

So, what is going on in your writing adventure right now?

One of the things that I love about living near a small town is knowing and being known by people. We go to the grocery store and all the clerks know us and we know them. The lady from the post office calls us when a package is coming; because the she knows that she we keep our gate closed most of the time. We walk into the bank and have to say hello to all our favorite tellers. I think that the best part of that is that we get to touch other people’s lives and let God bless us through them.

How did we get to know them? We just started conversations with them, or they asked why we weren’t in school and slowly, we formed friendships. Now, when we go to town, we always are bumping into friends.

Sometimes, in our busy lives, we forget that people are the most important thing in this world (next to God of course). We are too busy shopping and getting where we need to go, to take that one moment to ask the clerk how their day is going. We need too just take a few minutes of everyday to let people know that we care.

What do you do to show people that you care?

It is hot and humid down here in Texas. I hate the humidity; I feel like I can’t breathe outside right now, but there is work that must be done. The goat has to be milked, the garden tended to, and the organic farm we work at has weeds that must be pulled. One of the other chores that we all have had to help with lately is herding goats.

What? You don’t know what I am talking about? Okay, all you city folks, I will tell you what it means. When I say that we have to herd the goats, I mean that we have to let them out of their pen to roam and find food. We do this because they need more grass and leaves than they have in their pen, and we have plenty on our five acres. When we do this, we have to watch them to make sure they don’t get into the garden or go onto our neighbor's land.

Well I need to go; it is almost time for me to take my turn herding the goats. I wouldn’t want one of my sisters to have to stay out there too long.

We have been busy here at my house the past couple of days. We are doing a lot of rearranging and putting away all of the toys for a future generation. It is almost as sad for me as it is for Mom to realize that we are all growing up and really don’t have any little kids any more. At the same time it is a little exciting to be able to have meaningful conversations and discussions with everyone in the family.

Sometimes I find myself almost crying because my childhood days are behind me, they were so much fun. Other times I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for me, and where my destiny will take me. I know that no matter what I feel, you can neither go back into the past nor forward in time, and the best thing that you can do is to treasure each moment and thank God for the time you have.

Today, we have to make a trip to town for a few things and then, after we are done with our shopping, we are going to work at the organic farm for a while. Right now we are getting onions and broccoli, but soon we will also be getting potatoes, zucchini and different kinds of squash (Yeah!).

What is going on in your life right now?

Okay, you have chosen not to go to college but what are you going to do between now and the time you get married? My mom and dad thought this question through carefully, because they knew that most of us girls would not be going to college. It isn’t that my mom and dad disapprove of girls going to college; they just believe that you shouldn't go just because it is expected. At the same time, they didn’t want us sitting around doing nothing just waiting for Mr. Right to show up.

So what was their solution? One of the things that each of us kids must do before we can graduate from high school is that we must have a plan for how we are going to spend our time. For me, I spend a lot of my time writing, working on my Bible courses and selling jean quilts. My sister Rose has a very different plan: she writes, crochets blankets for various ministries, spends a lot of time in prayer, and makes beautiful cards, jut to give away.

Having a plan for what you will do between the time you graduate and the time you get married is an important thing. I am glad my parents made me think hard about that. Do you have any plans, big or small? I would love to hear about them.

One of the things that God is teaching our family this week is to choose wisely what we spend our time on. It is so much easier to plop down in front of a movie in the evening than to do devotions as a family. It is much more fun to read that great new fiction book that we got than to read in your Bible. When you are tired, it sounds much better to play a computer game by yourself than to play a board game with your siblings. For every once in awhile, doing the fun and easy things is okay but the past few weeks our family as done them instead of what is important.

It is easy to start doing the easy things instead of the better things. It starts out that we are tired and decide to skip Bible for a movie ‘just once’ and we end up doing it every day. We soon find ourselves doing very little that is worthwhile and spending most on worthless things.

Today, let’s all take a few minutes and make sure that we are spending most of our time on worthwhile things.

Howdy y'all! I have had a lot of fun as well as some good R&R this week. My mom and sister Rose are coming back today, so I will need to get some of the chores done that I have let slip. There are dishes to be done, my room to clean and some other things like that, but I wanted to post on my blog first.

One thing that I learned this week, again, is that I need to be totally dependent on God. When I am feeling tired or down, I need to turn to God for strength and guidance. Why is it that we have to learn the same lessons over and over again? Thank goodness that we have a God who is merciful and patient.

What kind have lessons have all of you been learning?