Lydia Howe's Blog, page 50
January 5, 2015
Resolutions or Goals?
My New Years Resolutions for 2015: None
Resolution ~ A firm decision to do or not to do something.
I often make resolutions: I'm going to be more thankful, I'm going to eat less sugar, and so on and so forth. I don't make New Year Resolutions though, because there doesn't seem much point to that. I mean, why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
Goals, though? Goals are a whole other story.
Goal ~ The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
I am a delighted believer in having goals. Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish. We weren't created to wonder aimlessly through life. God created us with purpose and I think we're most content when we're in sync with the life God meant for us to live.
A goal should be specific, measurable, written down and have a deadline. If you don't have these four qualities, then you have a dream or a wish, not a real, concrete goal. Studies have shown that you're 42% more likely to complete a goal if you've written it down, amazing, isn't it?
Let's say I have the goal to Write the second book in the Creation Quest series. Now that's a great thing to do, but not an actual goal. It's so open ended that it just ends up being a wish or a dream. Once I add a deadline, then it becomes a goal: In 2015, if the Lord wills and I live, I write the second Creation Quest book, get it edited and start illustrations. Now that, folks, is a goal And one of my real ones for 2015.
Having a goal is like having a target.
Take a moment and imagine you and a prize-winning archer are having a competition to see who can hit a target in the least amount of tries. That seems unfair; surely the trained professional will win, right? But now picture this: You take the archer, tie a blindfold around his eyes and spin him around for two minutes, then he has to try and hit a target that he can no longer see. That's crazy, right? I mean how can you hit a target when you don't even know where it is?
Or imagine getting in your car to go on a trip. If you don't have a clue where you want to go, how do you know what to pack? What to prepare for? That might be fun for a few days, but not for a lifetime.
That's how a lot of people meander through life. They wander aimlessly; recklessly throwing away their potential by not focusing their efforts on a target, a goal.
The second part of Luke 12:48 says From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. I have been entrusted with a lot. I have a host of younger siblings and cousins who I interact with on a daily basis, I have a God-given talent for writing, I have all the blessings of living in America where I don't have to spend my entire life working the ground just to grow enough food to keep me alive.
My life is bursting at the seams, opportunities and choices abounding. It is my responsibility to seek God's will for my life and actively listen to godly council and then run in the right direction, giving God my everything.
We all have 24 hours each day. 1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds. Some of us will use those seconds, minutes and hours to bring God glory and make them count for the good of eternity. Others will whittle them away, wasting them with little thought of what could be. Here's the exciting thing, though: No matter what you've done up until this time, you can change and begin making your life count!
Y'all, life is exciting! God has amazing plan for my life and I'm thrilled to watch it unfold right before me. There are several things I feel called to at this time, Joyfully serving my family, My writing, Working at a private Christian retreat center and Going abroad when possible to encourage missionaries. Almost everything I do each day correlates with at least one of these overarching aims in life.
This year I have seventeen main goals that are broken down into six catagories: Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Business, Financial and Writing. Each one of my goals (big or little) should directly or indirectly tie in with my life long purpose, which is to love God with all my heart and to use my life to give glory to Him.
Our family had a group of friends over for New Years Eve and Dad was talking with everyone about setting goals, then we went around and a bunch of us told everyone our goals Telling other people your goals helps keep you accountable. Then, we got on the subject of goals that we'd completed in 2014 and my sister asked me to share a few of those, so I happily did.
Yesterday at church one of the ladies who had been at our house came up to me and told me how encouraging it had been for her to hear about my goals and how it had inspired her to go home and write out a list of the goals she wanted to accomplish. That was so rewarding for me to hear!
I believe goals are important because they help me streamline my life and propel me in the direction God has set for me. Matthew 25:23 says, His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord. This is what I want to hear one day, and I know my goals are helping me draw closer to being the person who God wants me to be. Isn't that an exciting thought?
***I would be delighted to hear your thoughts! Have you ever set goals? Do you have any that you're working on at this time? And stay tuned, a recap of my 2014 goals and a glimpse at my 2015 goals coming up soon.
Resolution ~ A firm decision to do or not to do something.
I often make resolutions: I'm going to be more thankful, I'm going to eat less sugar, and so on and so forth. I don't make New Year Resolutions though, because there doesn't seem much point to that. I mean, why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
Goals, though? Goals are a whole other story.
Goal ~ The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
I am a delighted believer in having goals. Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish. We weren't created to wonder aimlessly through life. God created us with purpose and I think we're most content when we're in sync with the life God meant for us to live.
A goal should be specific, measurable, written down and have a deadline. If you don't have these four qualities, then you have a dream or a wish, not a real, concrete goal. Studies have shown that you're 42% more likely to complete a goal if you've written it down, amazing, isn't it?
Let's say I have the goal to Write the second book in the Creation Quest series. Now that's a great thing to do, but not an actual goal. It's so open ended that it just ends up being a wish or a dream. Once I add a deadline, then it becomes a goal: In 2015, if the Lord wills and I live, I write the second Creation Quest book, get it edited and start illustrations. Now that, folks, is a goal And one of my real ones for 2015.
Having a goal is like having a target.
Take a moment and imagine you and a prize-winning archer are having a competition to see who can hit a target in the least amount of tries. That seems unfair; surely the trained professional will win, right? But now picture this: You take the archer, tie a blindfold around his eyes and spin him around for two minutes, then he has to try and hit a target that he can no longer see. That's crazy, right? I mean how can you hit a target when you don't even know where it is?
Or imagine getting in your car to go on a trip. If you don't have a clue where you want to go, how do you know what to pack? What to prepare for? That might be fun for a few days, but not for a lifetime.
That's how a lot of people meander through life. They wander aimlessly; recklessly throwing away their potential by not focusing their efforts on a target, a goal.
The second part of Luke 12:48 says From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. I have been entrusted with a lot. I have a host of younger siblings and cousins who I interact with on a daily basis, I have a God-given talent for writing, I have all the blessings of living in America where I don't have to spend my entire life working the ground just to grow enough food to keep me alive.
My life is bursting at the seams, opportunities and choices abounding. It is my responsibility to seek God's will for my life and actively listen to godly council and then run in the right direction, giving God my everything.
We all have 24 hours each day. 1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds. Some of us will use those seconds, minutes and hours to bring God glory and make them count for the good of eternity. Others will whittle them away, wasting them with little thought of what could be. Here's the exciting thing, though: No matter what you've done up until this time, you can change and begin making your life count!
Y'all, life is exciting! God has amazing plan for my life and I'm thrilled to watch it unfold right before me. There are several things I feel called to at this time, Joyfully serving my family, My writing, Working at a private Christian retreat center and Going abroad when possible to encourage missionaries. Almost everything I do each day correlates with at least one of these overarching aims in life.
This year I have seventeen main goals that are broken down into six catagories: Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Business, Financial and Writing. Each one of my goals (big or little) should directly or indirectly tie in with my life long purpose, which is to love God with all my heart and to use my life to give glory to Him.
Our family had a group of friends over for New Years Eve and Dad was talking with everyone about setting goals, then we went around and a bunch of us told everyone our goals Telling other people your goals helps keep you accountable. Then, we got on the subject of goals that we'd completed in 2014 and my sister asked me to share a few of those, so I happily did.
Yesterday at church one of the ladies who had been at our house came up to me and told me how encouraging it had been for her to hear about my goals and how it had inspired her to go home and write out a list of the goals she wanted to accomplish. That was so rewarding for me to hear!
I believe goals are important because they help me streamline my life and propel me in the direction God has set for me. Matthew 25:23 says, His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord. This is what I want to hear one day, and I know my goals are helping me draw closer to being the person who God wants me to be. Isn't that an exciting thought?
***I would be delighted to hear your thoughts! Have you ever set goals? Do you have any that you're working on at this time? And stay tuned, a recap of my 2014 goals and a glimpse at my 2015 goals coming up soon.
January 2, 2015
When Life Hands You Lymes
Hey everyone! Welcome to the first segment of the year (the 52nd segment altogether) of my fictional story,
When Life Hands You Lymes
.
I was looking back at some of what I wrote at the beginning of last year and... Wow. There's a lot of rewriting that needs done. That's ok though, because this is the first draft. And first drafts are messy.
There's actually going to be a big jump between the last post and this one. There's probably about an eight month jump in the storyline, because I'm still trying to figure out just what I want the story to cover.
So, please, sit back and join Madalyn on her 17th birthday. I hope you enjoy, and as always, comments, suggestions and ideas are welcomed.
My seventeenth birthday dawned with swirls of pink in the east, then brilliant sunbeams breaking through creating a majestic picture. I watched it as I gently rocked back and forth in the hammock Darrick hung on my balcony. I considered pulling my phone out to take a picture, but the mere thought makes me close my eyes in weariness. I’d watched every sunrise that week so far, my sleepless nights piling up one after another. A symphony of birds singing makes me smile and a take a deep breath, soaking it in. Somewhere along the way I had come to enjoy watching the sunrise. The sleepless nights? No, those were far from pleasant. The sunrises though, were like a little gift handed to me each day to make up for all the pain I would endure during the next twenty-four hours. Learn to treasure the little things. The picture of my phone screen flashed through my brain. Jason had changed the background one day when he came home for a visit and knowing that he cared enough to try and help made me feel loved. My family didn’t talk about my sickness much any more. We were all at a loss for what to do, where to turn next. The doctors and specialists I’d visited over last fifteen months had varying responses. Some said it was just a malfunction of the thyroid, others prescribed elaborate lifestyle changes, some told Mom I was just a lazy teenager and nothing was wrong. They all took tests. They all came up with the same conclusion We just can’t figure anything out. Well, wasn’t that helpful. I peeled my eyelids open, determined to stop thinking about doctors on my birthday. The sky was awash in pale hues, reminding me of the colors in our churches nursery. Our church that I hadn’t been to in several months. The thought of being around so many people nearly sent me into a panic attack. I took another deep breath, then let it out. “Ok, God. It’s my birthday. I’ve only gotten five hours of sleep in the last two days. That means I’m not exactly brimming with health and vitality like I’d been hoping to.” I stretch my arms above my head and then rub my face. “Crazy thing is, I’m not in any pain right now.” I stop talking and think hard for a moment, wondering if that statement is actually true. The last year has been so filled with pain I sometimes forget what it’s like to be pain free. Finally, I give my head a nod. “Pain free, what a gift for my birthday. Thank You.” I grin while looking up toward heaven. “A good nights sleep would have been nice, too, but I guess it’s too late for that now.” The door leading from my balcony into my living room draws my attention. A moment later Dad steps out, a stunning picture in his suit and tie, holding a bouquet of bright orange tiger lilies in a milky-white vase. “Happy birthday.” Leaning over Dad kisses my forehead. “How’s my night owl on this lovely morning?” I can tell my face is lit up with a smile and a warmth surrounds me. I have the best family ever. “Thank you, Dad.” I reach up and rub my finger along one of the silky petals. “You were awake all night again, weren’t you, sweetheart?” Dad pulls one of the porch chairs over and sits down, setting the flowers on the floor. “Yeah.” I try to make light of it, but I can feel a sigh deep with in me, just waiting to be let out. Dad glances at his watch. “Do you want us to call off the party for tonight?” Tears build up in my eyes and I clench my teeth, willing them away. I will not cry on my birthday. I close my eyes, thinking about what Dad asked. Which decision will I regret the most? Having people over and then being forced to be around them when I’m sleep deprived or looking back later on and wishing I had seen some of my friends on my birthday? “Let’s not cancel. Who knows, I might actually be able to take a nap today.” My laugh comes out sounding more like a snort. “Stranger things have happened.” Dad’s joke shows me that he’s more concerned then he’s willing to admit. I press my lips together to keep from blurting out a silly question like “What in the world is going on with me?” because of course Dad doesn’t know. If he did, then surely, surely he’d figure out a way to help make it better. When I was a child I had thought adults had cures for everything. I could take Dad anything from a broken bike to a broken leg and somehow it would all be better. Now it’s different. Now he can’t fix my problem. Every once in a while I catch him studying me from across the room, a sad expression contorting his normally happy features. Guilt would eat at me, as I realized I was making his life harder. “Do you want me to get you anything before I head to work?” Dad stood up and scooted the chair back to its original position. I shook my head, “No.” I just wanted him to stay. My interactions with people seemed to be dwindling and I clung to all the daddy time I could. As if sensing my thoughts, Dad looked down at his phone, then gave me a frown, “I really wish I could stay longer and talk with you.” “It’s ok.” I gave an awkward, lying down, one-shoulder shrug. Really, it wasn’t ok, but there wasn’t anything we could do about it. Dad had to work. I was stuck in a non-working body. Dad gave my hand a squeeze, then closed his eyes to pray for me. Tucking my chin, I closed my eyes, too, letting his words of peace wash over me.
I was looking back at some of what I wrote at the beginning of last year and... Wow. There's a lot of rewriting that needs done. That's ok though, because this is the first draft. And first drafts are messy.
There's actually going to be a big jump between the last post and this one. There's probably about an eight month jump in the storyline, because I'm still trying to figure out just what I want the story to cover.
So, please, sit back and join Madalyn on her 17th birthday. I hope you enjoy, and as always, comments, suggestions and ideas are welcomed.
My seventeenth birthday dawned with swirls of pink in the east, then brilliant sunbeams breaking through creating a majestic picture. I watched it as I gently rocked back and forth in the hammock Darrick hung on my balcony. I considered pulling my phone out to take a picture, but the mere thought makes me close my eyes in weariness. I’d watched every sunrise that week so far, my sleepless nights piling up one after another. A symphony of birds singing makes me smile and a take a deep breath, soaking it in. Somewhere along the way I had come to enjoy watching the sunrise. The sleepless nights? No, those were far from pleasant. The sunrises though, were like a little gift handed to me each day to make up for all the pain I would endure during the next twenty-four hours. Learn to treasure the little things. The picture of my phone screen flashed through my brain. Jason had changed the background one day when he came home for a visit and knowing that he cared enough to try and help made me feel loved. My family didn’t talk about my sickness much any more. We were all at a loss for what to do, where to turn next. The doctors and specialists I’d visited over last fifteen months had varying responses. Some said it was just a malfunction of the thyroid, others prescribed elaborate lifestyle changes, some told Mom I was just a lazy teenager and nothing was wrong. They all took tests. They all came up with the same conclusion We just can’t figure anything out. Well, wasn’t that helpful. I peeled my eyelids open, determined to stop thinking about doctors on my birthday. The sky was awash in pale hues, reminding me of the colors in our churches nursery. Our church that I hadn’t been to in several months. The thought of being around so many people nearly sent me into a panic attack. I took another deep breath, then let it out. “Ok, God. It’s my birthday. I’ve only gotten five hours of sleep in the last two days. That means I’m not exactly brimming with health and vitality like I’d been hoping to.” I stretch my arms above my head and then rub my face. “Crazy thing is, I’m not in any pain right now.” I stop talking and think hard for a moment, wondering if that statement is actually true. The last year has been so filled with pain I sometimes forget what it’s like to be pain free. Finally, I give my head a nod. “Pain free, what a gift for my birthday. Thank You.” I grin while looking up toward heaven. “A good nights sleep would have been nice, too, but I guess it’s too late for that now.” The door leading from my balcony into my living room draws my attention. A moment later Dad steps out, a stunning picture in his suit and tie, holding a bouquet of bright orange tiger lilies in a milky-white vase. “Happy birthday.” Leaning over Dad kisses my forehead. “How’s my night owl on this lovely morning?” I can tell my face is lit up with a smile and a warmth surrounds me. I have the best family ever. “Thank you, Dad.” I reach up and rub my finger along one of the silky petals. “You were awake all night again, weren’t you, sweetheart?” Dad pulls one of the porch chairs over and sits down, setting the flowers on the floor. “Yeah.” I try to make light of it, but I can feel a sigh deep with in me, just waiting to be let out. Dad glances at his watch. “Do you want us to call off the party for tonight?” Tears build up in my eyes and I clench my teeth, willing them away. I will not cry on my birthday. I close my eyes, thinking about what Dad asked. Which decision will I regret the most? Having people over and then being forced to be around them when I’m sleep deprived or looking back later on and wishing I had seen some of my friends on my birthday? “Let’s not cancel. Who knows, I might actually be able to take a nap today.” My laugh comes out sounding more like a snort. “Stranger things have happened.” Dad’s joke shows me that he’s more concerned then he’s willing to admit. I press my lips together to keep from blurting out a silly question like “What in the world is going on with me?” because of course Dad doesn’t know. If he did, then surely, surely he’d figure out a way to help make it better. When I was a child I had thought adults had cures for everything. I could take Dad anything from a broken bike to a broken leg and somehow it would all be better. Now it’s different. Now he can’t fix my problem. Every once in a while I catch him studying me from across the room, a sad expression contorting his normally happy features. Guilt would eat at me, as I realized I was making his life harder. “Do you want me to get you anything before I head to work?” Dad stood up and scooted the chair back to its original position. I shook my head, “No.” I just wanted him to stay. My interactions with people seemed to be dwindling and I clung to all the daddy time I could. As if sensing my thoughts, Dad looked down at his phone, then gave me a frown, “I really wish I could stay longer and talk with you.” “It’s ok.” I gave an awkward, lying down, one-shoulder shrug. Really, it wasn’t ok, but there wasn’t anything we could do about it. Dad had to work. I was stuck in a non-working body. Dad gave my hand a squeeze, then closed his eyes to pray for me. Tucking my chin, I closed my eyes, too, letting his words of peace wash over me.
January 1, 2015
Happy 2015!
Happy 2015, Everyone!
Endings. The word is overflowing with meaning, memories and excitement. Twenty-Fourteen was fantastically amazing, crazy hard at times, and beyond my wildest dreams. Decade-long desires were realized, prayers I'd been praying for years were answered, and I was blessed to experience a host of things I'd never even imagined.
Beginnings. What a beautiful and promise-filled word. To have 365 days stretching before me, waiting for God to write another faith-deepening, love-inspried chapter in my life is extraordinary.
Endings. The word is overflowing with meaning, memories and excitement. Twenty-Fourteen was fantastically amazing, crazy hard at times, and beyond my wildest dreams. Decade-long desires were realized, prayers I'd been praying for years were answered, and I was blessed to experience a host of things I'd never even imagined.
Beginnings. What a beautiful and promise-filled word. To have 365 days stretching before me, waiting for God to write another faith-deepening, love-inspried chapter in my life is extraordinary.
December 31, 2014
2014 in a Nutshell
For the past two years (2012 & 2013) I've written a recap of my year. This post took me probably between eight and twelve hours and several days to complete. It's been crazy looking back through 2014 and seeing all that's happened in my life! I've had a lot of good times, a lot of confusing moments, a lot of oh-my-goodness-is-this-really-my-life experiences, a lot of pain, a lot of joy and a lot of changes.
This year has been a full-out learning to trust God and rest in Him year (more about that in another post), so it's not been all lolly-pops and ice cream sundaes, if you know what I mean. I've decided to share the good, the bad and the fantastic with y'all. I hope you enjoy getting to see a glimpse of my life!
I've linked about 95 of the over 320 posts from last year into this post, so I hope you enjoy going back and reading about a few of my highlights again. :)
January:
2014 was ushered in with lots of fun, festivities, Settlers of Catan, and hanging out with family. Our cousins spent about two weeks with us - weeks filled with jolliness, games, and craziness. I would have never guessed at that time that they'd be living here before the year was out!
I also began writing When Life Hands You Lymes and posting a segment each Friday. On the 3rd I headed to my adopted parent's house to work on writing a kids book, Cool Critters of the IceAge, with them. I start having 'no internet, no computer Sundays'. During the first ten days of January I also work on hyper-speed to write the first draft of the first book in my Action Kids series. (I co-authored one book and wrote the first draft of another book during the first 10 days of the year. Short books, but still... Busy times!) I took many long, freezing cold, snowy walks to brainstorm. All in all, in January I write the first draft of the Action Kids book, go through it a second time, send it to my beta readers, go through it a third and forth time and then send it to my editor.
We were on a time crunch. I enter a short writing contest, but don't even place in the top 10. I spend part of January working at the house we're building. Thinking we'll be moving within a couple of months, I give y'all a tour of my 'old' office. Getting my braces off is an exciting time for me and I celebrate by eating sugar for the first time in over a year. On the 24th I head to Florida with my family (cue fun car trip with sisters). All throughout January I'm praying about possibly taking a trip to Asia for a month with my brother, but I can't find an opportunity to ask my dad about it, so I don't know if it will work out or not. At the end of the month I finally ask Dad and he's all for it. I'm going to surprise my best friend (who lives there), so I keep the trip quiet. My review of January leaves me feeling happy.
Nights Gone in January: 12Books Read in January: 8
February:
Walking was so nice in the beautiful Florida sunshine that I walked 22 miles one week, a far cry from my previous year in bed with Lyme disease. Getting to watch the Ken Ham/Bill Nye debate on the 4th was exciting. Hanging out with extended family, getting the first illustrations for my Action Kids book and getting ready for a huge work conference made the first week of February fly by. I worked a lot on scheduling posts for the A to Z Challenge I wanted to take part in during April, because I'd be in Asia over that time. On the 9th I get to spend the day with my adopted parents, fossil hunting and hanging out with Dr. and Mrs. Parker. It was so very cool! Going to GatorLand on the 10th and getting to sit on a gator was also pretty fun. A fellow blogger contacted me and asked me to write a guest post for her blog. She requested a subject I'd never blogged about before, but I happily accepted the challenge.
After our conference we spend Valentines day canoeing in the Everglades.
We arrived back home on the 17th, a few days later I introduce Action Kids to Noveltea.
I then celebrate my upcoming two year blog-anniversery with a giveaway. And of course I review February.
Nights Gone in February: 15Books Read in February: 5
March:
I start out the month with gearing up for the trip to Europe that our family was planning to take in April. I wished I had more time to read books set in the countries we were going to be visiting. My two year blog-anniversery takes place on the 6th while I'm in Nashville with my adopted parents. While in Nashville we got to go to the Hermitage which is where Andrew Jackson used to live. It was a crazy experience. Going to the Grand Ole Oprey was a something I've wanted to do for a long time. I'm so glad I got to go and see my adopted parent's old stomping grounds. I get home from Nashville on the 9th to find my first royalty check! *cue happy dance* My wonderful sister, Helena, gave me a stuffed animal to celebrate. (Stuffed animals are the best, by the way.)My brother and I leave for Asia on the 15th and after over 50 hours of traveling we arrive at our destination. I blog about successfully surprising my friend, Sarah, and settle into life on a warm, tropical, bustling island. Walking in the rain, riding the motor bikes, climbing up mountains, shopping at the market, eating exotic fruit and tons of rice, hiking to gorgeous waterfalls and playing countless games of Rook made for a wonderful interlude in my life.
I also spent many hours sitting on the couch, editing my Action Kids book.
My review of March.
Nights Gone in March: 22
Books Read in March: 8
April:
The A to Z Challenge starts in April and I kick off with the word Attitude. Getting to be in the background taking pictures when my wonderful friend, Sarah, gets proposed to was well-worth the trip to Asia and a highlight of my year (of course!). Finding out a few days later that she wanted me to be in her wedding party was incredible.
A few days later we hike up the same mountain we tackled in March, this time in the middle of the night. Our plans to arrive at the top of the mountain in time to watch the sunrise were messed up by dense fog hiding the view, but it was still a wonderful experience, ending with two more of my friends getting engaged.
My brother and I arrive home on the 16th after over 55 hours of traveling. With all the time changes, April 15th lasted for over 30 hours for me which was really weird. My phone stopped working about half-way through our stay in Asia, so getting it fixed when we arrived home was wonderful. After a busy 8 days home, my family and I head to Europe for a month.
We spend a week in Vienna, Austria at a business convention.
I don't take the time to review April. Life is just too crazy.
Nights Gone in April: 22
Books Read in April: 6
May:
Getting to explore so many countries was spectacular. After Vienna, Austria, (where we got go to into catacombs!) we go to a more rural part of the country and get to see where part of The Sound of Music was filmed. We head to Germany next but take a very long detour to Switzerland and spend the day taking in the beautiful view. I've wanted to go to Switzerland since I was just a little girl and I throughly caved each moment of sitting in a wide, flower-strewn field under the breath-taking heights of the Swiss Alps into my memory bank.
In Germany we get to experience the culture for a few days while staying in an apartment where we try our hand at cooking German-ish food. Exploring castles in Germany was a absolutely amazing. Especially going to Heidelberg.
Holland was our next stop and a dream come true for me. I've wanted to go to Holland and see the Beje (where Corrie ten Boom lived) since I was about eight. Reading part of The Hiding Place while in the actual hiding place was something I'll always treasure. Seeing the Beje and the place where Anne Frank lived on the same day was crazy. Hanging out with our friends in Holland made the trip so much better and our day trip to Belgium with them on the 9th was a whirlwind.
On the 12th we head to Paris and I'm amazed at it. After a few very interesting days in Paris (including going to the top of the Eiffel Tower) we take the Euro Star across the countryside and through the Chunnel to London. London was a beautiful, friendly and filled with places I've read about. London was one of my favorite cities in Europe. After too-short of a stay in London we meet up with some of our friends who have lived in England for 45 or so years. They treated us like royalty when we were at their house, including delicious meals in the garden. It was dream-like.
While in England we visited Oxford and I got to go into the Eagle and Child, which is where C.S. Lewis used to hang out with his writing friends. On the 22nd we pack up and head home. A couple of days after we get home we have some friends come and visit. Our time together is lovely.
Nights Gone in May: 21
Books Read in May: 10
June:
Having almost the whole month of June home was a much-needed breather. I spent a lot of the month working with my family on moving to our new house that we'd been building and also discussing plans for Sarah's upcoming wedding. Midway through the month I celebrate my book's first birthday. On Father's Day I surprise my adopted dad by staying with my adopted family and having a totally fantastic time.
I also take time to work on another round of editing. During this time I begin to have discouraging feelings about being a writer that I've never had before. I have to make the choice to trust God instead of continuing to freak out. A conversation with a wise friend really helped me during this time.
We move into our new house on June 24th. Deciding an office is way more useful for me than a bedroom, I ditch the whole bedroom idea and create the perfect office for myself. I just pull a sleeping bag out of the closet each night and sleep on my office floor. My office is everything I dreamed of and more. I can't stop being amazed at how wonderful it is.
Nights Gone in June: 1
Books Read in June: 5
July:
July starts out with exciting news: One of my adopted dad's songs hit number 11 in the national charts! Helping out with the VBS at church was one of my highlights of the month.
Getting to work with kids is so rewarding!
The second week of July I head out of town with a few family members to visit my sister and her family. I also spend a large amount of time planning a bridal shower for Sarah. July is a month brimming with so many responsibilities and emotions I can hardly keep track. There are some really big things in my life that are changing and I'm not sure how to deal with everything. Being thrown out of routine is hard for me and I struggle with finding peace and joy with being where I'm supposed to be. An encouraging note from a special friend came just at the perfect time and warmed my heart. Five months later I still carry the note around in my computer bag.
Spending several days with extended family is a highlight and we have a really wonderful time. Sadly I'm not feeling the best which puts a damper on the time for me, but I still enjoy it. One of the cousins is getting married so we spend a good amount of time talking about that, including phone calls on speakerphone to his fiancée. Good times.
A few days after our family get-together I head to PA to spend a few days with Sarah and work with a wonderful friend to get my dress made for Sarah's wedding. My day is brightened by the news that I have a brand new, beautiful niece. I end out the month with finishing setting up my new office, I celebrate by taking some pictures. It was a good ending to a hard, crazy, wonderful month.
Nights Gone in July: 10
Books Read in July: 9
August:
The first week of August rolls around along with Sarah's bridal shower. The bridal shower didn't exactly happen without any snags, but I did learn a lot that I'll put into practice if I ever host another similar event. Overall everyone agreed it was a success. The next week I head out of state for a wedding and I'm shocked to meet a girl who reads my blog while in the food line at the reception.
On the 18th I hit my goal of read 22 non-ficiton books before I turn 22 and I celebrate by sharing a list of the books with Noveltea. Getting the contract signed for the Cool Critters of the Ice Age book that I wrote with my adopted parents back in January was great.
I drop my iPhone and it breaks into three pieces and is only held together by a little thread. I tape it and keep using it, discovering a mixture of tricks to do what I need to even when it begins malfunctioning.
Sarah's wedding was on the 23rd and I'm blessed beyond belief to have been her maid-of-honor.
The days before and after her wedding are crammed full of tons of out of state guests who came in for the wedding, including some of my most amazing friends ever. At the beginning of the time I prayed that each day would seem like a week so I could store and treasure all the memories I wanted to have. I'm very happy to say it was one of the longest weeks of my life.
(And, one of the shortest, if we're going according to how many hours of sleep I got.)
So much happiness, emotions, changes, sunset-watching, caring, tears, dreams come true, long hugs and good talks took place.
I end August by going on an overnight caving adventure with my adopted parents. Fun times!
Nights Gone in August: 5
Books Read in August: 10
September:
I arrive home from caving to the delighted welcome of a bunch of little cousins who have moved in next door but spend most of there time over at our house. (Yes, the same amazing ones who I mentioned at the beginning of the year.) When the founder of one of my favorite blogs asks me to guest post, I'm ecstatic. We also have some great friends spend several days with us, a life-changing visit.
Getting to spend a week at the Creation Museum (where I get to meet the Duggar family) with my adopted parents is wonderful and my excitement is overflowing when they buy me a rat for my birthday. The fact that they also give me a genuine whip (I've been wanting one for several years now) adds greatly to my delight. Being sick with a horrible cold during my stay with them is a bummer, but I still enjoy my time. I arrive home three days before my 22nd birthday, and then wake up on my birthday with pinkeye. Not fun at all. Thankfully we're able to get medicine and no one else in the family gets sick. My birthday is brightened considerably by the exciting news that I have another niece or nephew on the way. The perfect birthday present.
All throughout September I'm dealing with a lot of changes going on in my life and I'm having a hard time being ok with some of them. I spend many nights praying, reading and snuggling in my sleeping bag trying to comprehend life and growing up and difficulties and changes. It actually takes me about two months and lots of late-night talks with God and heart-to-heart discussions with my sweet sister and a couple of great conversations with good friends before I finally find peace and accept that life is going to be full of changes and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
Nights Gone in September: 7
Books Read in September: 7
October:
October starts out with a crazy writing-related list for me to work on. The plan is for me to dedicate the whole month to work on my up coming Action Kid book release. Going to a concert with some of my sisters and cousins was fun break, but not exactly what I was imagining.
When my good friend and neighbor, "Grandpa" Eddie dies, it's harder on me than I expected it to be, but I'm so thankful for the years I knew him. In the middle of my extremely busy month getting ready for the book release, I head off on an last minute trip to my sister's house for a week (with pretty much zero internet) to help her out cause she hadn't been feeling the best. While there I'm amazed time and time again at all the work mothers do. I also get a call from Helena (another sister) asking me if I want to go on a road trip to Nebraska with her in some friends in November, then we'll fly home. (Our friends live in Nebraska.) Of course I happily accept since 1) Road trips are awesome. 2) Sibling time is amazing. 3) Some of my best friends live out in Nebraska. It was a win-win situation. The last day I spend with my sister I get to see a bunch of hot air balloons which was crazy-cool.
October also marks the start of my "23 Before 23 Challenge".
On October 27th I begin the two week countdown until the release of my Action Kids book. My furious paced work on the book release details continue. I self-published the book and we ran into a few snags with the formatting that gave me several days of craziness. My brother, Logan, is a huge, huge help to me during this time. I couldn't have pulled it off without him. He's an amazing example of being a servant. I read an extra few books during the late nights when I can't sleep because I'm mildly freaking out about Action Kids.
October in review.
Nights Gone in October: 6
Books Read in October: 13
November:
My stressed out, jumbled emotions are totally unexpected and only heighten as November comes into focus. It took me two or so weeks to remember that I felt the same way leading up to the release day of my first book. I have everything (other than runaway-emontions) under control with the book release now, so I can focus on some big events going on at my non-writing job. When I'm not working I'm pretty much curled up in my room, freaking out or reading books late into the night cause I can't sleep or listening to the Bible on audio to escape the stress. (I read ten books in the nine days leading up to the release.) Mom endures several sessions of me freaking out and asking what is wrong before I finally calm down a bit.
The day of my book release and the launch of my blog tour finally take place and leave me feeling rather let down. I spend several days musing over being an author, wondering if it's worth every thing I'd been going through. (I'd been working on the Action Kids concept for over four years by this time.) It will take me several more weeks and some really good talks with wise artist friends before I can accept how I felt I failed and move on and have joy in being an author again.
My phone gives up the ghost for good and I miss having my iPhone kindle and music a lot.
Meanwhile, we have some friends visiting and also family coming in for an early Thanksgiving. Our family Thanksgiving takes place on the 15th and the news that I have yet another niece or nephew on the way is the highlight of the week.
On the 21st some of us head to Nebraska, and after about nineteen hours we arrive at our destination. Those nine days were life-changing for me. I was able to let go of the stress of being an author and just enjoy living life as a person, not a writer. I was almost constantly surrounded by sweet children and wonderful friends who were loving and made me feel so special. I had a very healing talk with Helena that helped me overcome some things I'd been going through all year long and change my mindset about some big things happening in my life.
I also had some epic writing related conversations with friends out there that helped me see life/writing in the right perspective again. Right before we head back home, Helena and I receive the news that our long anticipated trip to Africa that had been post-poned is back in motion!
I arrive back home the last day in November.
November in review.
Nights Gone in November: 9
Books read in November: 15
December:
Soon after getting home I read my 100th book for the year. My goal was 50, so I'm pretty excited. December if filled with extra-long hours at my non-writing job, good family time, preparation for my upcoming trip to Africa (leaving Jan. 10th, 2015, Lord willing), lots of editing and reading. I also get to go to the Creation Museum twice: Once with my family for the day, and then the next weekend with some friends and I end up staying with my adopted parents for several days. It was wonderful.
A quick trip out of state with some extend family turns into a great memory-making couple of days and when we arrive home late on Christmas Eve, I'm ready for Christmas.
Christmas and the days surrounding it are filled to brimming with family, board games and fun. The day after Christmas I start on a five day juice cleanse. It's a good (exhausting) experience and I hope to do it again some day when I can continue for longer.
The last several days of December are spent reviewing the year, working on goals for the next year, deep-cleaning my office, getting work done and getting a yellow fever shot before Africa. We also have tons of family and friends over for multiple game nights and hanging out times.
I have a delightful time finally eating again on December 31st.
December in review.
Nights Gone in December: 3
Books read in December: 24
* * * *
Nights gone in 2014: 133
Books read in 2014: 121
I am so ready for a totally wonderfully God-blessed 2015!
This year has been a full-out learning to trust God and rest in Him year (more about that in another post), so it's not been all lolly-pops and ice cream sundaes, if you know what I mean. I've decided to share the good, the bad and the fantastic with y'all. I hope you enjoy getting to see a glimpse of my life!
I've linked about 95 of the over 320 posts from last year into this post, so I hope you enjoy going back and reading about a few of my highlights again. :)
January:
2014 was ushered in with lots of fun, festivities, Settlers of Catan, and hanging out with family. Our cousins spent about two weeks with us - weeks filled with jolliness, games, and craziness. I would have never guessed at that time that they'd be living here before the year was out!
I also began writing When Life Hands You Lymes and posting a segment each Friday. On the 3rd I headed to my adopted parent's house to work on writing a kids book, Cool Critters of the IceAge, with them. I start having 'no internet, no computer Sundays'. During the first ten days of January I also work on hyper-speed to write the first draft of the first book in my Action Kids series. (I co-authored one book and wrote the first draft of another book during the first 10 days of the year. Short books, but still... Busy times!) I took many long, freezing cold, snowy walks to brainstorm. All in all, in January I write the first draft of the Action Kids book, go through it a second time, send it to my beta readers, go through it a third and forth time and then send it to my editor.
We were on a time crunch. I enter a short writing contest, but don't even place in the top 10. I spend part of January working at the house we're building. Thinking we'll be moving within a couple of months, I give y'all a tour of my 'old' office. Getting my braces off is an exciting time for me and I celebrate by eating sugar for the first time in over a year. On the 24th I head to Florida with my family (cue fun car trip with sisters). All throughout January I'm praying about possibly taking a trip to Asia for a month with my brother, but I can't find an opportunity to ask my dad about it, so I don't know if it will work out or not. At the end of the month I finally ask Dad and he's all for it. I'm going to surprise my best friend (who lives there), so I keep the trip quiet. My review of January leaves me feeling happy.
Nights Gone in January: 12Books Read in January: 8
February:
Walking was so nice in the beautiful Florida sunshine that I walked 22 miles one week, a far cry from my previous year in bed with Lyme disease. Getting to watch the Ken Ham/Bill Nye debate on the 4th was exciting. Hanging out with extended family, getting the first illustrations for my Action Kids book and getting ready for a huge work conference made the first week of February fly by. I worked a lot on scheduling posts for the A to Z Challenge I wanted to take part in during April, because I'd be in Asia over that time. On the 9th I get to spend the day with my adopted parents, fossil hunting and hanging out with Dr. and Mrs. Parker. It was so very cool! Going to GatorLand on the 10th and getting to sit on a gator was also pretty fun. A fellow blogger contacted me and asked me to write a guest post for her blog. She requested a subject I'd never blogged about before, but I happily accepted the challenge.
After our conference we spend Valentines day canoeing in the Everglades.
We arrived back home on the 17th, a few days later I introduce Action Kids to Noveltea.
I then celebrate my upcoming two year blog-anniversery with a giveaway. And of course I review February.
Nights Gone in February: 15Books Read in February: 5
March:
I start out the month with gearing up for the trip to Europe that our family was planning to take in April. I wished I had more time to read books set in the countries we were going to be visiting. My two year blog-anniversery takes place on the 6th while I'm in Nashville with my adopted parents. While in Nashville we got to go to the Hermitage which is where Andrew Jackson used to live. It was a crazy experience. Going to the Grand Ole Oprey was a something I've wanted to do for a long time. I'm so glad I got to go and see my adopted parent's old stomping grounds. I get home from Nashville on the 9th to find my first royalty check! *cue happy dance* My wonderful sister, Helena, gave me a stuffed animal to celebrate. (Stuffed animals are the best, by the way.)My brother and I leave for Asia on the 15th and after over 50 hours of traveling we arrive at our destination. I blog about successfully surprising my friend, Sarah, and settle into life on a warm, tropical, bustling island. Walking in the rain, riding the motor bikes, climbing up mountains, shopping at the market, eating exotic fruit and tons of rice, hiking to gorgeous waterfalls and playing countless games of Rook made for a wonderful interlude in my life.
I also spent many hours sitting on the couch, editing my Action Kids book.
My review of March.
Nights Gone in March: 22
Books Read in March: 8
April:
The A to Z Challenge starts in April and I kick off with the word Attitude. Getting to be in the background taking pictures when my wonderful friend, Sarah, gets proposed to was well-worth the trip to Asia and a highlight of my year (of course!). Finding out a few days later that she wanted me to be in her wedding party was incredible.
A few days later we hike up the same mountain we tackled in March, this time in the middle of the night. Our plans to arrive at the top of the mountain in time to watch the sunrise were messed up by dense fog hiding the view, but it was still a wonderful experience, ending with two more of my friends getting engaged.
My brother and I arrive home on the 16th after over 55 hours of traveling. With all the time changes, April 15th lasted for over 30 hours for me which was really weird. My phone stopped working about half-way through our stay in Asia, so getting it fixed when we arrived home was wonderful. After a busy 8 days home, my family and I head to Europe for a month.
We spend a week in Vienna, Austria at a business convention.
I don't take the time to review April. Life is just too crazy.
Nights Gone in April: 22
Books Read in April: 6
May:
Getting to explore so many countries was spectacular. After Vienna, Austria, (where we got go to into catacombs!) we go to a more rural part of the country and get to see where part of The Sound of Music was filmed. We head to Germany next but take a very long detour to Switzerland and spend the day taking in the beautiful view. I've wanted to go to Switzerland since I was just a little girl and I throughly caved each moment of sitting in a wide, flower-strewn field under the breath-taking heights of the Swiss Alps into my memory bank.
In Germany we get to experience the culture for a few days while staying in an apartment where we try our hand at cooking German-ish food. Exploring castles in Germany was a absolutely amazing. Especially going to Heidelberg.
Holland was our next stop and a dream come true for me. I've wanted to go to Holland and see the Beje (where Corrie ten Boom lived) since I was about eight. Reading part of The Hiding Place while in the actual hiding place was something I'll always treasure. Seeing the Beje and the place where Anne Frank lived on the same day was crazy. Hanging out with our friends in Holland made the trip so much better and our day trip to Belgium with them on the 9th was a whirlwind.
On the 12th we head to Paris and I'm amazed at it. After a few very interesting days in Paris (including going to the top of the Eiffel Tower) we take the Euro Star across the countryside and through the Chunnel to London. London was a beautiful, friendly and filled with places I've read about. London was one of my favorite cities in Europe. After too-short of a stay in London we meet up with some of our friends who have lived in England for 45 or so years. They treated us like royalty when we were at their house, including delicious meals in the garden. It was dream-like.
While in England we visited Oxford and I got to go into the Eagle and Child, which is where C.S. Lewis used to hang out with his writing friends. On the 22nd we pack up and head home. A couple of days after we get home we have some friends come and visit. Our time together is lovely.
Nights Gone in May: 21
Books Read in May: 10
June:
Having almost the whole month of June home was a much-needed breather. I spent a lot of the month working with my family on moving to our new house that we'd been building and also discussing plans for Sarah's upcoming wedding. Midway through the month I celebrate my book's first birthday. On Father's Day I surprise my adopted dad by staying with my adopted family and having a totally fantastic time.
I also take time to work on another round of editing. During this time I begin to have discouraging feelings about being a writer that I've never had before. I have to make the choice to trust God instead of continuing to freak out. A conversation with a wise friend really helped me during this time.
We move into our new house on June 24th. Deciding an office is way more useful for me than a bedroom, I ditch the whole bedroom idea and create the perfect office for myself. I just pull a sleeping bag out of the closet each night and sleep on my office floor. My office is everything I dreamed of and more. I can't stop being amazed at how wonderful it is.
Nights Gone in June: 1
Books Read in June: 5
July:
July starts out with exciting news: One of my adopted dad's songs hit number 11 in the national charts! Helping out with the VBS at church was one of my highlights of the month.
Getting to work with kids is so rewarding!
The second week of July I head out of town with a few family members to visit my sister and her family. I also spend a large amount of time planning a bridal shower for Sarah. July is a month brimming with so many responsibilities and emotions I can hardly keep track. There are some really big things in my life that are changing and I'm not sure how to deal with everything. Being thrown out of routine is hard for me and I struggle with finding peace and joy with being where I'm supposed to be. An encouraging note from a special friend came just at the perfect time and warmed my heart. Five months later I still carry the note around in my computer bag.
Spending several days with extended family is a highlight and we have a really wonderful time. Sadly I'm not feeling the best which puts a damper on the time for me, but I still enjoy it. One of the cousins is getting married so we spend a good amount of time talking about that, including phone calls on speakerphone to his fiancée. Good times.
A few days after our family get-together I head to PA to spend a few days with Sarah and work with a wonderful friend to get my dress made for Sarah's wedding. My day is brightened by the news that I have a brand new, beautiful niece. I end out the month with finishing setting up my new office, I celebrate by taking some pictures. It was a good ending to a hard, crazy, wonderful month.
Nights Gone in July: 10
Books Read in July: 9
August:
The first week of August rolls around along with Sarah's bridal shower. The bridal shower didn't exactly happen without any snags, but I did learn a lot that I'll put into practice if I ever host another similar event. Overall everyone agreed it was a success. The next week I head out of state for a wedding and I'm shocked to meet a girl who reads my blog while in the food line at the reception.
On the 18th I hit my goal of read 22 non-ficiton books before I turn 22 and I celebrate by sharing a list of the books with Noveltea. Getting the contract signed for the Cool Critters of the Ice Age book that I wrote with my adopted parents back in January was great.
I drop my iPhone and it breaks into three pieces and is only held together by a little thread. I tape it and keep using it, discovering a mixture of tricks to do what I need to even when it begins malfunctioning.
Sarah's wedding was on the 23rd and I'm blessed beyond belief to have been her maid-of-honor.
The days before and after her wedding are crammed full of tons of out of state guests who came in for the wedding, including some of my most amazing friends ever. At the beginning of the time I prayed that each day would seem like a week so I could store and treasure all the memories I wanted to have. I'm very happy to say it was one of the longest weeks of my life.
(And, one of the shortest, if we're going according to how many hours of sleep I got.)
So much happiness, emotions, changes, sunset-watching, caring, tears, dreams come true, long hugs and good talks took place.
I end August by going on an overnight caving adventure with my adopted parents. Fun times!
Nights Gone in August: 5
Books Read in August: 10
September:
I arrive home from caving to the delighted welcome of a bunch of little cousins who have moved in next door but spend most of there time over at our house. (Yes, the same amazing ones who I mentioned at the beginning of the year.) When the founder of one of my favorite blogs asks me to guest post, I'm ecstatic. We also have some great friends spend several days with us, a life-changing visit.
Getting to spend a week at the Creation Museum (where I get to meet the Duggar family) with my adopted parents is wonderful and my excitement is overflowing when they buy me a rat for my birthday. The fact that they also give me a genuine whip (I've been wanting one for several years now) adds greatly to my delight. Being sick with a horrible cold during my stay with them is a bummer, but I still enjoy my time. I arrive home three days before my 22nd birthday, and then wake up on my birthday with pinkeye. Not fun at all. Thankfully we're able to get medicine and no one else in the family gets sick. My birthday is brightened considerably by the exciting news that I have another niece or nephew on the way. The perfect birthday present.
All throughout September I'm dealing with a lot of changes going on in my life and I'm having a hard time being ok with some of them. I spend many nights praying, reading and snuggling in my sleeping bag trying to comprehend life and growing up and difficulties and changes. It actually takes me about two months and lots of late-night talks with God and heart-to-heart discussions with my sweet sister and a couple of great conversations with good friends before I finally find peace and accept that life is going to be full of changes and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
Nights Gone in September: 7
Books Read in September: 7
October:
October starts out with a crazy writing-related list for me to work on. The plan is for me to dedicate the whole month to work on my up coming Action Kid book release. Going to a concert with some of my sisters and cousins was fun break, but not exactly what I was imagining.
When my good friend and neighbor, "Grandpa" Eddie dies, it's harder on me than I expected it to be, but I'm so thankful for the years I knew him. In the middle of my extremely busy month getting ready for the book release, I head off on an last minute trip to my sister's house for a week (with pretty much zero internet) to help her out cause she hadn't been feeling the best. While there I'm amazed time and time again at all the work mothers do. I also get a call from Helena (another sister) asking me if I want to go on a road trip to Nebraska with her in some friends in November, then we'll fly home. (Our friends live in Nebraska.) Of course I happily accept since 1) Road trips are awesome. 2) Sibling time is amazing. 3) Some of my best friends live out in Nebraska. It was a win-win situation. The last day I spend with my sister I get to see a bunch of hot air balloons which was crazy-cool.
October also marks the start of my "23 Before 23 Challenge".
On October 27th I begin the two week countdown until the release of my Action Kids book. My furious paced work on the book release details continue. I self-published the book and we ran into a few snags with the formatting that gave me several days of craziness. My brother, Logan, is a huge, huge help to me during this time. I couldn't have pulled it off without him. He's an amazing example of being a servant. I read an extra few books during the late nights when I can't sleep because I'm mildly freaking out about Action Kids.
October in review.
Nights Gone in October: 6
Books Read in October: 13
November:
My stressed out, jumbled emotions are totally unexpected and only heighten as November comes into focus. It took me two or so weeks to remember that I felt the same way leading up to the release day of my first book. I have everything (other than runaway-emontions) under control with the book release now, so I can focus on some big events going on at my non-writing job. When I'm not working I'm pretty much curled up in my room, freaking out or reading books late into the night cause I can't sleep or listening to the Bible on audio to escape the stress. (I read ten books in the nine days leading up to the release.) Mom endures several sessions of me freaking out and asking what is wrong before I finally calm down a bit.
The day of my book release and the launch of my blog tour finally take place and leave me feeling rather let down. I spend several days musing over being an author, wondering if it's worth every thing I'd been going through. (I'd been working on the Action Kids concept for over four years by this time.) It will take me several more weeks and some really good talks with wise artist friends before I can accept how I felt I failed and move on and have joy in being an author again.
My phone gives up the ghost for good and I miss having my iPhone kindle and music a lot.
Meanwhile, we have some friends visiting and also family coming in for an early Thanksgiving. Our family Thanksgiving takes place on the 15th and the news that I have yet another niece or nephew on the way is the highlight of the week.
On the 21st some of us head to Nebraska, and after about nineteen hours we arrive at our destination. Those nine days were life-changing for me. I was able to let go of the stress of being an author and just enjoy living life as a person, not a writer. I was almost constantly surrounded by sweet children and wonderful friends who were loving and made me feel so special. I had a very healing talk with Helena that helped me overcome some things I'd been going through all year long and change my mindset about some big things happening in my life.
I also had some epic writing related conversations with friends out there that helped me see life/writing in the right perspective again. Right before we head back home, Helena and I receive the news that our long anticipated trip to Africa that had been post-poned is back in motion!
I arrive back home the last day in November.
November in review.
Nights Gone in November: 9
Books read in November: 15
December:
Soon after getting home I read my 100th book for the year. My goal was 50, so I'm pretty excited. December if filled with extra-long hours at my non-writing job, good family time, preparation for my upcoming trip to Africa (leaving Jan. 10th, 2015, Lord willing), lots of editing and reading. I also get to go to the Creation Museum twice: Once with my family for the day, and then the next weekend with some friends and I end up staying with my adopted parents for several days. It was wonderful.
A quick trip out of state with some extend family turns into a great memory-making couple of days and when we arrive home late on Christmas Eve, I'm ready for Christmas.
Christmas and the days surrounding it are filled to brimming with family, board games and fun. The day after Christmas I start on a five day juice cleanse. It's a good (exhausting) experience and I hope to do it again some day when I can continue for longer.
The last several days of December are spent reviewing the year, working on goals for the next year, deep-cleaning my office, getting work done and getting a yellow fever shot before Africa. We also have tons of family and friends over for multiple game nights and hanging out times.
I have a delightful time finally eating again on December 31st.
December in review.
Nights Gone in December: 3
Books read in December: 24
* * * *
Nights gone in 2014: 133
Books read in 2014: 121
I am so ready for a totally wonderfully God-blessed 2015!
December 29, 2014
December 2014 in Review
What I focused on in December
1. Christmas2. Family3. Editing Oh, the joys of editing! :)
Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update
Birthday ChallengeRead 23 Non-Ficton books - I read 6Write 23 book reviews - I wrote 6
Dream List* Eat kettle corn - 12-19-14 At the Creation Museum Christmas Town *Read twenty books in a month
Reading Update Fiction: 18
Non-Fiction6Me last month: I only read three non-fiction books in two months? I think I'll try for four or five of them in December. Nice...I also wrote six reviews.
Needless to say, I did a large amount of reading this month. It was good. It was busy. It was fun. My reading spree started on a road trip where I had a lot of car time. {So very, very thankful I don't get carsick!} Between the 23rd and 27th I read eleven books.
Traveling In December I was only gone for 3 nights. That's the second most I've been home any month this year. (In June I was only gone one night!) States I was in: Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. New States I was in: None
What I've been Learning this Month
How to play that^ game. It's amazing. Fun. Challenging. Strategic. My brother and sister-in-law got it for our family for Christmas and we played our first game on the 26th. I think we've played around 12 games in the last three days and I've played every single one of those games. It's intense, people. Like, to the point where yesterday we realized that all five of the players were standing up, tensely watching the action. I'm a great enjoyer of board games and so Christmas time with lots of family and board games makes me very, very happy.
Ok, so what I've been learning for real this month: I've been reviewing this year for the last several days and working on my goals for next week. All that's going to go into my 2014 review though, so I don't think I'll go into it here. So, y'all will just have to wait.
What I've been reflecting on though is this: God is able to do amazing things through seemingly un-amazing people. We're each created for a purpose. And those hard times we go through? He can use those, too.
Plus, of course, the wonderful, generous, fantastically loving way Jesus came to earth as our Savior. I am so very thankful for that!
Other Things
A little over halfway through the month I finally got my new phone! After going for over a month without my own phone (my amazing dad let me borrow his when I needed one) it's been incredible to have a phone back. So many books to read, music to listen to, and pictures to take. I'm so thankful for my mom and brothers for all the work they did to help with my phone.
I started a five day juice cleanse on December 26th. So far it's been... Interesting. (Up there^ are some of the juices on the cleanse.) I can't say that I've actually been hungry since I started it, but man, it sure is hard at times! We still have all our holiday festivities going on and I know I would be eating way too much food if I hadn't decided to do this cleanse. My hope is to start out 2015 with my body brimming with health instead of slogged down with junk. (Check out the cleanse here .) They said the first three days are the hardest, and I'm on day four, so today should be good. I wanted to do it longer than five days, but with my upcoming trip to Africa, I don't think it's very feasible.
My "identical twin" Incredibly long inside story there, folks! from South America was able to come and visit our family for a couple of days with some of her family, so that was really great! And, getting to go to the Creation Museum with her was great!
Over all, getting to spend copious amounts of time with family this month has been more than amazing. I love my family stupendously. They're fun, encouraging, helpful, loving, sweet, ornery, kind, generous, quite competitive and just all around wonderful.
And board games. Board games, people. I don't think I ever grow tired of them. The hardest part is holding myself back because sometimes I get so um... crazy, that my family won't play with me any longer. So far, I've been able to contain myself reasonably this season.
So, what about you? What have you been up to in December?
1. Christmas2. Family3. Editing Oh, the joys of editing! :)
Birthday Challenge and Dream List Update
Birthday ChallengeRead 23 Non-Ficton books - I read 6Write 23 book reviews - I wrote 6
Dream List* Eat kettle corn - 12-19-14 At the Creation Museum Christmas Town *Read twenty books in a month
Reading Update Fiction: 18
Non-Fiction6Me last month: I only read three non-fiction books in two months? I think I'll try for four or five of them in December. Nice...I also wrote six reviews.
Needless to say, I did a large amount of reading this month. It was good. It was busy. It was fun. My reading spree started on a road trip where I had a lot of car time. {So very, very thankful I don't get carsick!} Between the 23rd and 27th I read eleven books.
Traveling In December I was only gone for 3 nights. That's the second most I've been home any month this year. (In June I was only gone one night!) States I was in: Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. New States I was in: None
What I've been Learning this Month
How to play that^ game. It's amazing. Fun. Challenging. Strategic. My brother and sister-in-law got it for our family for Christmas and we played our first game on the 26th. I think we've played around 12 games in the last three days and I've played every single one of those games. It's intense, people. Like, to the point where yesterday we realized that all five of the players were standing up, tensely watching the action. I'm a great enjoyer of board games and so Christmas time with lots of family and board games makes me very, very happy.
Ok, so what I've been learning for real this month: I've been reviewing this year for the last several days and working on my goals for next week. All that's going to go into my 2014 review though, so I don't think I'll go into it here. So, y'all will just have to wait.
What I've been reflecting on though is this: God is able to do amazing things through seemingly un-amazing people. We're each created for a purpose. And those hard times we go through? He can use those, too.
Plus, of course, the wonderful, generous, fantastically loving way Jesus came to earth as our Savior. I am so very thankful for that!
Other Things
A little over halfway through the month I finally got my new phone! After going for over a month without my own phone (my amazing dad let me borrow his when I needed one) it's been incredible to have a phone back. So many books to read, music to listen to, and pictures to take. I'm so thankful for my mom and brothers for all the work they did to help with my phone.
I started a five day juice cleanse on December 26th. So far it's been... Interesting. (Up there^ are some of the juices on the cleanse.) I can't say that I've actually been hungry since I started it, but man, it sure is hard at times! We still have all our holiday festivities going on and I know I would be eating way too much food if I hadn't decided to do this cleanse. My hope is to start out 2015 with my body brimming with health instead of slogged down with junk. (Check out the cleanse here .) They said the first three days are the hardest, and I'm on day four, so today should be good. I wanted to do it longer than five days, but with my upcoming trip to Africa, I don't think it's very feasible.
My "identical twin" Incredibly long inside story there, folks! from South America was able to come and visit our family for a couple of days with some of her family, so that was really great! And, getting to go to the Creation Museum with her was great!
Over all, getting to spend copious amounts of time with family this month has been more than amazing. I love my family stupendously. They're fun, encouraging, helpful, loving, sweet, ornery, kind, generous, quite competitive and just all around wonderful.
And board games. Board games, people. I don't think I ever grow tired of them. The hardest part is holding myself back because sometimes I get so um... crazy, that my family won't play with me any longer. So far, I've been able to contain myself reasonably this season.
So, what about you? What have you been up to in December?
December 26, 2014
When Life Hands You Lymes - Christmas Break
Hello everyone!
Between Christmas and New Years Eve is my goal-free week! That means all my daily and weekly goals that I've been keeping up with (other than writing every day) are null and void! Such fun! Such freedom! It's a wonderful way to celebrate a year well lived.
That means that today I'm taking a break from posting a segment of my fictional story When Life Hands You Lymes. My first week of the year without a segment!
I hope y'all are having a fantastic time!
Between Christmas and New Years Eve is my goal-free week! That means all my daily and weekly goals that I've been keeping up with (other than writing every day) are null and void! Such fun! Such freedom! It's a wonderful way to celebrate a year well lived.
That means that today I'm taking a break from posting a segment of my fictional story When Life Hands You Lymes. My first week of the year without a segment!
I hope y'all are having a fantastic time!
December 24, 2014
Merry Christmas Eve!
Merry Christmas Eve, Everyone!
I'm currently hanging out with family in a hotel out of state, and I'll be heading back home in a few hours to enjoy Christmas at home. I hope everyone is having a wonderful, wonderful day, I totally am!
I'm currently hanging out with family in a hotel out of state, and I'll be heading back home in a few hours to enjoy Christmas at home. I hope everyone is having a wonderful, wonderful day, I totally am!
December 23, 2014
Where Dandelions Grow - Where the story came from part 2
Click here to read part one.
For me, the coolest part about Where Dandelions Grow is that I loosely based the four main characters off of me, my sister, and Alexa and Aubrey.
The book was a graduation present to Alexa. A tribute to our childhood. None of the characters besides the cousins were anything like reality, but that still gave me something to work off of. A time for me to explore the beauty of cousin-ship.
I wrote for six weeks and it was my favorite book to write.
As I explored the deep friendship we four cousins in real life had growing up, and then transformed the elements (and at time, the stories) to four characters, I was reminded again about all the love I've been basking in for forever.
Where Dandelions Grow is about hope, love, dreams, forgiveness and family. All those words have deep and special meanings to me; so to incorporate them into a single story made me want to dance with joy.
Oh! Methinks I've forgotten a very important element. Alexa had written a short story and let me read it and that's what sparked the initial idea and setting for the book. She graciously agreed to let me use it (with minor changes) as the preface of Where Dandelions Grow.
Alexa also wrote two articles and they fit so perfectly into the storyline I was creating that I asked her if I could use them in my book. It was especially special for me using her writing since the book is about cousins.
I have toyed with the idea of creating a series, giving each one of the cousins a chance to tell their own story. Who knows, someday it might happen...
What about you? Have you ever had a story or idea fall into your brain with such clarity that you can't wait to begin working on it?* * *
Today we have a guest appearance by Autumn Genre. She's keeping me company this morning while I'm writing and I wanted to let y'all see how adorable she is:
(Looking at this picture I'm thinking, like, no wonder so many people think I'm in my early teens! Craziness. No way I would guess that girl^ to be in her twenties.)
December 22, 2014
Creation Museum Weekend
This past weekend I got to take an unexpected trip to the Creation Museum and spend Friday and Saturday there with my adopted parents. It was so much fun! I thought I'd let y'all see some pictures of what I got to do. :)
Meeting a little girl with the same name as me: Lydia Joy. Such a cutie!
My second time eating Vegemite. It's really not as bad as I thought it would be. This is up on the stage after the special Christmas program my adopted dad and Ken Ham did together. The Vegemite is part of the show. :)
One of my friends (who, I affectionally call my identical twin) and I trading shoes.
There were hundreds and hundreds of people at the Christmas Program and thousands at the Christmas Town. This is up in the sound-booth and you can't see everyone.
Me and my "identical twin" holding a snake. This if the first time Marta ^ ever held one!
My adopted mom and I holding some more snakes. :)
And that, my friends, is a glimpse of my weekend. What about you? Have you ever been to the Creation Museum before? I absolutely love it there and go every chance I get. There are so many amazing and fun things to look at, do and experience. If you ever have a chance to go, I totally recommend it! And, of course if my adopted dad is there, you need to make sure to go to his concerts, they'er the best! ;)
Meeting a little girl with the same name as me: Lydia Joy. Such a cutie!
My second time eating Vegemite. It's really not as bad as I thought it would be. This is up on the stage after the special Christmas program my adopted dad and Ken Ham did together. The Vegemite is part of the show. :)
One of my friends (who, I affectionally call my identical twin) and I trading shoes.
There were hundreds and hundreds of people at the Christmas Program and thousands at the Christmas Town. This is up in the sound-booth and you can't see everyone.
Me and my "identical twin" holding a snake. This if the first time Marta ^ ever held one!
My adopted mom and I holding some more snakes. :)
And that, my friends, is a glimpse of my weekend. What about you? Have you ever been to the Creation Museum before? I absolutely love it there and go every chance I get. There are so many amazing and fun things to look at, do and experience. If you ever have a chance to go, I totally recommend it! And, of course if my adopted dad is there, you need to make sure to go to his concerts, they'er the best! ;)
December 19, 2014
When Life Hands You Lymes #51
Can you imagine? Only one more Friday left in 2014! That's simply amazing to think about. End of the year review coming up soon! I'm excited about that. I was hoping to finish all my posts from the Europe trip before 2015, but oh well. It's not really a big deal.
Good news, people! Even though I made pretty good headway on When Life Hands You Lymes this year, (almost 42,000 words) I'm no where near finished, so y'all will continue getting to see life from Madalyn Emerson's perspective in 2015.
And now, for segment 51 of my fiction story, When Life Hands You Lymes:
Dear Jason, Once upon a time I had it easy. I was able to float through life like there was nothing wrong. Like a princess without a care. I was able to say what I wanted to say and do what I wanted to do and get what I wanted to get. I’m not sure why that had to change, but sometimes something inside me whispers that getting sick redirected the whole course of my life. That everything will be different now. And maybe some day, far in the future, I’ll look back and say it was for the best. Right now though, right now I just want it back to the way it used to be. I want to be happy and carefree. I want to spend my days focused on music. I want to live, not exist. I want to be who I want to be and yet I feel so hopeless. So powerless. Like some freak of nature twisted my fairy tale into a horror story. Where’s the justice in that? Sometimes I wish I had been born this way. If only I didn’t know what it was like to feel normal, if only I hadn’t experienced so many blessings, than maybe my heart wouldn’t be so crushed with pain now. I want someone to understand how I feel. I want to be able to see the look of compassion and knowing in their eyes, to feel their light squeeze on my arm as they sit there and say nothing. I want to be able to just throw them a pleading look and have them know that I need them to leave and give me alone time and for them not to be upset about it. Is that too much to ask for? Just one person who’s walked in my shoes? Who’s been where I am? Who’s felt what I’m feeling? I can’t stand those trite, superfluous comments “Oh, I understand.” or “I’ve been where you are, sweetie.” or “This too shall pass.” when we all know they have no clue what I’m feeling. Who gave them the power and authority that makes them think they can tell me they’ve been where I am? And how, in the world can they stand there and declare that “this too shall pass”? Who gave them a glimpse into the future? I want to call them all jerks. To give them a piece of my mind that they won’t forget. To bring them back to their place. I want to fly into a rage and give them a performance that will make them think twice before they proclaim that they know how I feel. I want to let my angry words spew out and hurt them like their thoughtless words hurt me. They understand how I feel? Then how in the name of all that’s right can they stand there yaking when my head is pounding until it feels like a fighter plane malfunctioned inside my brain and is slamming into my skull? How can they keep up random chatter when I’m in so much pain I can’t even tell where it’s coming from any longer? How come they keep asking me to do stuff when it takes all my energy to just open my eyes? They understand how I feel and what I’m going through? I think not. And that, brother dear, is the cynical sister you are now related to. Oh happy day. ~Madds
I flung the notebook across the room then grabbed the pen and broke it in half and hurled it as hard as my weakened arm would allow. Flinging myself stomach-down on my bed, I beat my fists into the thick comforter. Burying my head in the cool white fabric, I took a deep breath then let it out with a scream. A chirp from my phone let me know I had a text. Without looking at the screen, I slammed the phone onto the floor, hoping something broke. I buried my head in the blanket again, stifling scream after agonizing scream. I didn’t even know what was wrong any more. I didn’t know what had me so upset. I wasn’t even sure if I was awake, maybe it was all a dream. All I knew was that I couldn’t stand my life. I couldn’t stand how all my hopes, dreams, aspirations were disappearing in front of me as a mist enshrouded me, taking over my ability to reason and be normal. I don’t know how long I lay there, but eventually my anger was replaced with shame and guilt. I slunk off my bed, ripped the pages out of the notebook and systematically tore them into shreds then threw them away. Limping into my music room, I tried not to think about the new pain that was cropping up in my legs. “Focus, Madalyn. Focus.” I took a deep breath then sat down at my piano. The swirling thoughts that were dancing around in my head confusing me soon took shape into notes as I ran my fingers over the keys. The shivers started in my legs and moved up to my arms as for the first time all week I began to have some sense of peace in my life. I closed my eyes and let my body sway with the music as I listened to my thoughts pouring out though a kaleidoscope of some unknown melody. I don’t know how long I sat at the piano bench, totally enthralled in the world I was creating, but eventually the pounding in my head subsided and my mussels began to relax. Pain became a memory and the anxiety I’d been bursting with transitioned into a deep stillness I could almost taste. What seemed like hours later I looked up to see Darrick leaning at the doorway, a sad smile on his face. I blinked, then continued feeling my way along the keys. Darrick didn’t say anything, but after a moment I felt him sitting on the bench next to me, a calm declaration of his support. I clenched and unclenched my jaw several times before finally giving into the tears that threatened and leaned into my brother’s embrace as I let the tears flow.
Good news, people! Even though I made pretty good headway on When Life Hands You Lymes this year, (almost 42,000 words) I'm no where near finished, so y'all will continue getting to see life from Madalyn Emerson's perspective in 2015.
And now, for segment 51 of my fiction story, When Life Hands You Lymes:
Dear Jason, Once upon a time I had it easy. I was able to float through life like there was nothing wrong. Like a princess without a care. I was able to say what I wanted to say and do what I wanted to do and get what I wanted to get. I’m not sure why that had to change, but sometimes something inside me whispers that getting sick redirected the whole course of my life. That everything will be different now. And maybe some day, far in the future, I’ll look back and say it was for the best. Right now though, right now I just want it back to the way it used to be. I want to be happy and carefree. I want to spend my days focused on music. I want to live, not exist. I want to be who I want to be and yet I feel so hopeless. So powerless. Like some freak of nature twisted my fairy tale into a horror story. Where’s the justice in that? Sometimes I wish I had been born this way. If only I didn’t know what it was like to feel normal, if only I hadn’t experienced so many blessings, than maybe my heart wouldn’t be so crushed with pain now. I want someone to understand how I feel. I want to be able to see the look of compassion and knowing in their eyes, to feel their light squeeze on my arm as they sit there and say nothing. I want to be able to just throw them a pleading look and have them know that I need them to leave and give me alone time and for them not to be upset about it. Is that too much to ask for? Just one person who’s walked in my shoes? Who’s been where I am? Who’s felt what I’m feeling? I can’t stand those trite, superfluous comments “Oh, I understand.” or “I’ve been where you are, sweetie.” or “This too shall pass.” when we all know they have no clue what I’m feeling. Who gave them the power and authority that makes them think they can tell me they’ve been where I am? And how, in the world can they stand there and declare that “this too shall pass”? Who gave them a glimpse into the future? I want to call them all jerks. To give them a piece of my mind that they won’t forget. To bring them back to their place. I want to fly into a rage and give them a performance that will make them think twice before they proclaim that they know how I feel. I want to let my angry words spew out and hurt them like their thoughtless words hurt me. They understand how I feel? Then how in the name of all that’s right can they stand there yaking when my head is pounding until it feels like a fighter plane malfunctioned inside my brain and is slamming into my skull? How can they keep up random chatter when I’m in so much pain I can’t even tell where it’s coming from any longer? How come they keep asking me to do stuff when it takes all my energy to just open my eyes? They understand how I feel and what I’m going through? I think not. And that, brother dear, is the cynical sister you are now related to. Oh happy day. ~Madds
I flung the notebook across the room then grabbed the pen and broke it in half and hurled it as hard as my weakened arm would allow. Flinging myself stomach-down on my bed, I beat my fists into the thick comforter. Burying my head in the cool white fabric, I took a deep breath then let it out with a scream. A chirp from my phone let me know I had a text. Without looking at the screen, I slammed the phone onto the floor, hoping something broke. I buried my head in the blanket again, stifling scream after agonizing scream. I didn’t even know what was wrong any more. I didn’t know what had me so upset. I wasn’t even sure if I was awake, maybe it was all a dream. All I knew was that I couldn’t stand my life. I couldn’t stand how all my hopes, dreams, aspirations were disappearing in front of me as a mist enshrouded me, taking over my ability to reason and be normal. I don’t know how long I lay there, but eventually my anger was replaced with shame and guilt. I slunk off my bed, ripped the pages out of the notebook and systematically tore them into shreds then threw them away. Limping into my music room, I tried not to think about the new pain that was cropping up in my legs. “Focus, Madalyn. Focus.” I took a deep breath then sat down at my piano. The swirling thoughts that were dancing around in my head confusing me soon took shape into notes as I ran my fingers over the keys. The shivers started in my legs and moved up to my arms as for the first time all week I began to have some sense of peace in my life. I closed my eyes and let my body sway with the music as I listened to my thoughts pouring out though a kaleidoscope of some unknown melody. I don’t know how long I sat at the piano bench, totally enthralled in the world I was creating, but eventually the pounding in my head subsided and my mussels began to relax. Pain became a memory and the anxiety I’d been bursting with transitioned into a deep stillness I could almost taste. What seemed like hours later I looked up to see Darrick leaning at the doorway, a sad smile on his face. I blinked, then continued feeling my way along the keys. Darrick didn’t say anything, but after a moment I felt him sitting on the bench next to me, a calm declaration of his support. I clenched and unclenched my jaw several times before finally giving into the tears that threatened and leaned into my brother’s embrace as I let the tears flow.
