Updates and Apologies

Wow!  I am so sorry I haven't posted in so long!  I have been super busy with school and getting ready to release the sequel to "Precious Jewel" that will be titled "Eminent Danger".  But - this is no excuse!  I should try to keep up with my blog.  Anyone out there who is reading this blog must be really disappointed in me, and I hate to disappoint.  So, from this point out, I will try to do better when it comes to this blog.  Although I must say, if I had the capabilities to make it a vlog, I probably would.  But we'll leave vlogging for youtube. I hope to start my youtube channel - which will contain everything from book trailers to updates to silly videos - soon.

In the meantime, I must tell you I have been working super hard on preparing "Eminent Danger" to go live by the end of May.  I have people working on the editing process and I am working on the cover whenever I have free time.  Trying to all this on top of school is sometimes exhausting, but I will be graduating from Texas Bible Institute on May 4th!  Thank you, you may hold your applause.  After I graduate I plan to go full-time with my novels.  Hope that makes someone out there happy.  Jesus has definitely called me to write Christian Fiction, so I am going to do my best and leave the rest up to Him.  Hope to see some of you at any book signings I have in the future and I hope to see a lot of people buying "Eminent Danger".  I will keep you posted on the progress!

Randomness

I have had the weirdest day today.  First, my Barnabas friend left me.  I haven't gotten half the things done that I want to, and the computer lab is unusually busy.  But, that just means that today I am learning to live in Grace.
On a higher note, YFR #1 (or Youth Fall Retreat, for those of you who couldn't figure out the shortened version) was amazing!  I got to dance with Hip Hop Crew and I also got to pray for the most precious twelve year old on the planet!  She came to the altar crying and just needed a hug.  She also had me pray for her family.
You see, I didn't need to know what exactly was going on with her family in order to pray for her.  For some reason I seem to be the designated "give-them-God's-love" person.  Every time I have prayed for someone at a retreat thus far, they have been someone who just needed love.  This girl had such a heart for Jesus that it made my heart beat faster.  She was amazing, just going through some things that she needed prayer for.  God can use anyone, including you.  If you want to be used to give love to someone, He will use you.  Maybe you're scared to pray face to face and you just want to pray from afar.  He will still use you.  You are wanted, you are loved, and God wants to use YOU.


Quote of the Week:
What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh no, it's curved like a road through mountains.
                                                                         - Tennessee Williams

Fun Fact of the Week:
When Astronauts returned from the moon, they had to go through customs.

Story Starter of the Week:
George was a peanut, who liked to eat Peanut butter.  Was he strange or normal?  Why?

Talking Bibles and Barnabas Friends

This week, I experienced the fact that "God's Word is alive..."

Yes, I have known all my life that God's Word can talk to you, but this week I experienced a TALKING BIBLE!!!! Okay, so it wasn't literally a "talking" Bible.  But it was still pretty cool.

You see, I have this friend.  She's my "Barnabas" friend.  (For those of you who don't know, a Barnabas friend is the best friend who you are accountable to/tell everything to/are closest to.  Long story, it's a Bible school thing)  Anyway, she's awesome and she and I are like PB&J.

But, that wasn't the point!  Her Bible talks.  Almost literally.  She can seriously ask God something, then open her Bible and the first thing she looks at will be the answer.  Hence, talking Bible.  (I might write a kids' book about this).  One of the first things I thought about when I experienced that was that most people expect it to be that easy.  They flippantly drop a book on the table and say: "God, show me something."  What they don't realize, however, is that rarely works.  I believe the only reason that my Barnabas friend can do that is that she has built her relationship with Jesus so strong that He just talks to her that way.  It's cool, but it isn't how He talks to everyone.  For example: I can't do that with my Bible.  When I ask God to answer something, He usually speaks something into my head.  Whether it be a Scripture verse or just the answer he wants to give me, it just pops into my head.

God/Jesus speaks to different people different ways.  That is why we need to build our own relationship with Him and not base our relationship off of other people's relationships.  Read your Bible.  Pray.  Talk to God on your own time and discover how He will talk to you.


Quote of the Week:
"Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls Wisdom."
                                                                                                - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Fun Fact of the Week:
The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.

Story Starter of the Week:
Kayla was an arachnid, but she didn't have eight legs.  How was this possible and why was she called an arachnid?*

*No, this is not a brainteaser, this is a story starter.  Please don't sit and try to figure out what kind of arachnid doesn't have eight legs.

Oh Happiness!

Yesterday, I attended my first official Prayer Pocket here at TBI. The focus of this week's Prayer Pocket was the Joy of the Lord.  This whole thing made me realize how much I LOVE to be happy!  In turn, I got started thinking of everything that makes me happy.  The list is (partially) as follows.
1) Jesus - I mean, who can't smile about Jesus?  Even His name makes me smile each and every time I say it.
2) I Love chick flicks! This one is pretty much self-explanatory as well.  I mean, come on! Boy meets girl, Boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, boy and girl reunite, boy and girl get married.  GREATNESS!
3) Writing - I don't know, something about when I'm writing just makes me smile.  I love creating characters, places, and plots.  I love watching the story unfold before me and I love knowing "who did it" before anyone else!
4) My family - I don't know how I would get through anything without the support of my family behind me.  I also don't know how I would survive without them. They can make me mad and sad and emotional, but overall my family makes me HAPPY!
5) My friends - we're crazy and we know it. That's what makes us awesome :) Besides, I love watching my friends do weird things all the time.
So that's only a few of the things that make me smile and make me happy.  There is a trigger that everyone has that makes them happy, so discover what yours is! And determine that today will be a happy day for you!


Quote of the Week:
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.  The man who doesn't read lives only one.

Fun Fact of the Week:
'Stewardesses' is the longest word that can be typed with only the left hand.

Story Starter of the Week:
Briana has never been happy before. What finally makes her happy and why?

Days Go By...

I can't believe that it has only been two weeks since I arrived here at college. On the other hand, I can't believe it has been two weeks since I arrived!  If you look closely at those sentences, they are almost identical, but with a totally different thought pattern behind them.  The first sentence denotes my sorrow and frustration and how much I miss home.  The second denotes that the time is flying by so rapidly!  You know, it's weird. I feel like I have been here for so long and yet I can't believe I've already been here this long.  Time goes by in funny ways, and right now it feels like Thanksgiving is closing in way too rapidly but I'll never get home for Christmas at this rate.  Is that weird?  Have you ever counted the days until the end of school, only to find that they're going by too fast?  Or is that just me?  Sometimes I wonder if I'm normal or completely abnormal.  Someone help me out here!


Quote of the Week:
"The Impossible could not have happened. Therefore, the impossible must be possible inspite of appearances."
                                                                                    -- Agatha Christie

Fun Fact of the Week:
Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. The average adult? 15.

Story Starter of the Week:
Jenna had never seen such a beautiful forest.  It stretched on as far as she could see.  She took one step in and turned to go back out.  Suddenly, she found that there was no way out.  What happens next?


*Don't forget to post your stories in the comments!

"I Can't Like It"

Have you ever had a really bad day?  Have you ever wanted to give up on what you're doing? Or been so frustrated that you wanted to scream?  Yeah, me too.  When something like that happens to my two-year-old niece, she looks at one of us and says "I can't like it."  That is such a profound statement and she doesn't even know it.
When you find something you don't want to do, CAN you like it?  Or are you choosing not to like it when you can find it in yourself to deal with it?
The Bible says that we can do all things in Christ, so next time you think you can't do something, do yourself a favor.  Instead of saying "I can't like it", choose to do everything through Christ.  He'll help you.  You never have to be alone.
That was really short, I know.  But it's all I have for today.  So, without further ado, on to the fun stuff!


Quote of the Week:
"If you live to be one hundred, you've got it made.  Very few people die past that age."
                                                                                                              - George Burns

Fun Fact of the Week:
Madam spelled backwards is still madam.

Story Starter of the Week:
Jordan is a brand-new resident of the suburb Malaris.  Where did Jordan come from and why is he/she there?

*don't forget to post your short stories in the comments!

College: week one

So I just moved into college.  It's 20 hours away from my family and friends and I don't know anyone here.  I must admit I am a bit scared.  I haven't found that one person who I can talk to no matter what...yet. I haven't made many friends at all besides my roommates (and, yes, there are five of them).  I'm not sure what to do with my time.  Sure, there's a scheduled out block for classes and church and special events, but what about the other hours in the day? I admit I felt absolutely alone for the first two days, but today it has started getting better.  I finally put my trust in Jesus to lead the right friends to me and to lead me to the right friends.  I also requested that he hurry.  I've never liked feeling lonely, and I finally realized that I don't have to be.


Quote of the  Week:
Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.
                                                   - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Fun Fact of the Week:
Panda's are not considered bears.  It's because they have opposable thumbs.  Just so you know.

Story Starter of the Week:
Jeslyn finds herself thrown four years into the future.  How have people changed for the better/worse and what will she do to change the world's society?

I admit it.  I probably have too many stories/novels/books going at one time.  I might be addicted to writing.  And I definitely can't shut my brain off.

The story count in my folder on my computer = 25+
I can't go a single day without writing something!!!!
And it takes me a while to go to sleep at night because I keep thinking of interesting ways to spin a plot line.
HELP!!!!!!
Just for those of you out there who think I'm serious about the help part, I'm not.  I may have all those "problems", but to me they're not problems at all.  You see, I work better with a lot of stories to choose from.  If I get writer's block on one, I just move on to a different one -- usually in a different category.  Different category, you ask?  I have stories in a lot of categories, ranging from love stories set a long, long time ago to modern-day suspense novels.  They're all my babies, and if I didn't have a start on all of them, my brain would be way too cluttered with ideas for me to write clearly.
I can't go a single day without writing something because it's what I love to do.  There have been many people who have said that you should do what you love so that you never have to work a day in your life.  I'm one of those fortunate people who has found what I love and it happens to be something that can be a life career.  I think that's what work should be.  doing what you love and making revenue off of it.  That's not "work", that's pure enjoyment.
As for the last one, I admit it might be somewhat of a problem.  However, somehow the more I think about things -- the harder I think about things -- the faster I get to sleep.  If I focus in on a storyline or a problem that needs solved, I end up going to sleep faster than if I had just lain there and went "OK.  I'm going to sleep now"....etc.
So, you see, some people's problems are another persons life.  A "problem" is different for everyone because everyone is different.  Not everyone could sit down with an empty Microsoft Word document in front of them and see the wonderful things that can be spun onto it.  Not everyone can look at a crawl space and think "hey, great place to hide a body." (note: If you are not a writer and you think that, most people would call you a psycho).  On the other hand, I can't look at a page of numbers and say "the pattern is..." a math genius could.  We all have our idiosyncrasies and we all have our areas of expertise.  Some of us are just blessed enough to be able to do what we love as our "job".


Quote of the Week:
"If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads."
                                                                                                                                     - Francois Mauriac

Fun Fact of the Week:
No matter how hard you try, you cannot lick your elbow.

Story Starter of the Week:
Put yourself in a homeschooler's point of view.  Why do you like/not like homeschooling and why?

The Reason for My Writer's Block

This past week I finally discovered what has been causing me to have SOOOO much writer's block! Those of you who have been reading this blog know that I was super busy with my sister's wedding and getting ready for college, etc. (those of you who don't usually read this blog just found that out) Well, the Monday after my sister's wedding I woke up and it dawned on me. I had been having so much writer's block because my mind was too busy.

You see, it's kind of like....traffic. Yes, I know that's a weird analogy, but hear me out.  If traffic gets too busy, like say there's hundreds of cars heading away from work or something, then what do you get? A traffic jam.  So, having so much stuff that I had to focus on caused me to have a traffic jam, per se, in the creative writing part of my brain. Now that those event(s) are over, I can finally think again. And, boy, do I have a lot to write!  I woke up this morning with five different scenarios going in my brain. Thank God, I am finally back to my crazy writer self :)

Now on the funness part of this blog!!!!


Quote of the Week:
The Only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."
                                                                  -Salvador Dali (btw, that's what scares me about him.)

Fun Fact of the Week:
In Baltimore, it is illegal to take a lion into the movie theater. (yes, a real live lion. who does that?)

Story Starter of the Week:
Louise was an old woman who lived alone. One day a stranger knocked on her door.  who was he or she and why?

After the Wedding

My sister's wedding was this past weekend (lots of good story inspiration there) and I had a blast! However, I did pick up a few good pieces of advice for any Maid of Honor. 1 - be sure that you break in your shoes for the wedding REALLY well. I have to admit that I didn't break them in as well as I should have and now I'm overcoming a rather large blister on the back of one heel.  (The downtime with it, however, gives me more time to write).  2 - This one is pretty important as well.  Be sure to practice your squats in the weeks leading up to the wedding.  Between the dancing and bending to straighten/fix/repin my sister's bustle on the dress, my legs hurt sooooo bad! they are finally getting better today, but until this morning it hurt to walk. Just keep those things in mind.

On the brighter side of life, I finished the sequel to my first novel ("Precious Jewel") and I'm moving on to other books :) . I am so glad that my job is something I love to do.


Quote of the Week:
A Door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of.
                                                                                        - Unknown

Fun Fact of the Week:
In a very early draft of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones carried brass knuckles instead of a bullwhip.

Story Starter of the Week:
Lori needed a new set of brakes for her car, so she went down the street to the service station.  However, instead of brakes, she found something completely different. What was it?

Writer's Block

Writer's Block.  Yep, that's right, today I have writer's block.  It's only the most horrible thing that can ever happen to a writer, and it has happened to me.  One minute I was speeding along, well on my way toward the next chapter and the next thing you know, I could not come up with anything else to write.  I'm stuck! Have you, if you are a writer, ever felt like you needed inspiration but it wasn't coming?  If you have, then you know how I feel.

There is only so much you can do to stop writer's block, and I've tried all of it. (If you have any suggestions, I would be glad to hear them) So, now, I'm stuck on the internet, searching random pictures and books.  Not that it isn't fun, it's just that I would rather be writing!  Pray for my inspiration to come back!


Quote of the Week:
"The Olympics is a place where international spies come to meet."

                                                        - My Brother

Fun Fact of the Week:

American car horns beep in the tone of F.

Story Starter of the Week:

Logan saw the farm from a long way down the road.  Something wasn't right.  It was too quiet.  What was wrong?

Have fun with these!

The Answers

Wow! I'm sooooo sorry I haven't written in forever! I got caught up in wedding and graduation planning.  Have you ever felt like your life is completely overwhelming you? Yeah, I know the feeling.

Thankfully, I also have the solution to the problem.  It's a five-letter word: J-E-S-U-S.  That's right, I said it.  Jesus is the answer to the craziness of life!  I've learned that whenever I feel like I need to lash out or explode, I need to turn to my Jesus and ask him to calm me down.  Guess what? It works! For example, my sister and I love each other immensely, but sometimes she gets really "snappy" when it comes to her wedding planning. (In our house, "snappy" usually means that they snap at you verbally).  So, what do I do? I take a deep breath and decide to forgive.  Then I go pray that Jesus will calm her down, too :)

So, the next time you feel SO overwhelmed by life, just lift it up in prayer to the Lord.  He knows what's bothering you and He knows how to fix it.  He did, after all, create you.  He understands everything.  I know that's hard to grasp, but you should try.  Jesus is the answer, and I will always stand by that.

Now, for our fun sections!

Quote of the Week:
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

                                                                                               -- Dr. Seuss

Fun Fact of the Week:

Those with a high school diploma statistically earn more money, have less health problems, commit fewer crimes and are less likely to be unemployed.

Story Starter of the Week:

Elisa's boyfriend proposes to her on the day of her High School Graduation.  How does he do it?

*Don't forget to post your ideas from the story starter in the comments!  Hope to see them there!

Busy Life and Government Sites

yes, I do realize that I haven't written in nearly a month.  I've been busy!  Our family is planning both a wedding and a graduation (for two separate people, for you smart-alecks out there) and I have senior pictures on Sunday. On top of that, I am the maid of honor in the wedding and therefore must write a speech! EEP!
My life is also always busy with my writing.  It is my passion, after all.  For those writers out there, I have been very busy researching for my newest novel.  Let me tell you, the Freedom of Information Act is my friend sometimes.  Also, the Border Patrol website and the CIA website.  They are all quite handy.  In case you're thinking that I'm crazy, I'm not.  I just write suspense novels.  This usually includes -- oh, I don't know -- something to do with government agencies and PIs.  Still think I'm crazy?  Try writing a suspense novel without doing research on government websites.  I'm telling you, they give you the most realistic look into the life of their agencies, agents, and protocols.  So, for all you who are even thinking of writing a mystery or suspense book.  Be prepared to go to the websites of the FBI, CIA, and Border Patrol AT LEAST!!!! 

Quote of the Week:
"Ten percent of marriages end in divorce, but 100% of ice cream sunday bars end in happiness."

-- Unknown                           

Fun Fact of the Week:

Popsicles were invented by an 11-year-old boy. He left his soda and juice outside all night.  It froze.  He decided to sell it.

Story Starter of the Week:

Imagine yourself as a foreigner in a brand new world.  You don't speak the language and you don't know how else to communicate with the "sophisticated" civilization there.  How would your first day pan out. (tip: write it in the first person)

THROUGH not ABOUT

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't written in awhile.  I had the chicken pox. (to those of you who are now sympathizing with me, thank you!) That's right, folks, after 17 years of avoiding them, I contracted chicken pox 3 weeks before my 18th birthday.  How did I handle them?  Not too well, I'm afraid.
Day 1 was fine.  They didn't itch at all and I was sure I would be able to handle them with no problem whatsoever.  Day 2 they itched a little, but it was ok.  I spent the day watching TV with my brothers (who also had chicken pox).  Day 3 is when it all began to fall apart.  It was a Sunday and my mother, father, and older sister were all at church.  The chicken pox itched soooooo bad.  So what did I do?  I did what any self-respecting 17-year-old would do.  I had an emotional breakdown and cried on my mommy's shoulder.  (please note that I am being sarcastic here.  No one should have as big of an emotional breakdown as I did) However, what stuck out to me in this wasn't that I was having an emotional breakdown.  After settling me down and assuring me that I would live through it, my mother looked at me and said: "Megan, live above your emotions." 
That did it.  I realized right there that I was letting my emotions rule me.  Herego, I was having an emotional breakdown.  From that point on, I decided to praise God through the chicken pox. 
There are 2 things to note here. 1: living above your emotions doesn't mean have no emotion at all.  It simply means that you control your life.  Don't let your emotions run away with you.  2: I said THROUGH not ABOUT.
God doesn't want you to praise him about (or for) the circumstance.  He doesn't want credit for something he didn't do. Instead, He wants you to praise Him through your circumstance.  Find the good in the world around you and praise Him for that.  (e.g. "Thank you Jesus that I won't have chicken pox on my birthday!" or "Thank you that it's such a beautiful day outside", etc) So next time you find yourself facing an "impossible" circumstance (and you do have to factor in that nothing is impossible with God) just praise THROUGH it.


Quote of the Week:
"the ending never changes.  I watched it twice, just to be sure."

Megan Fatheree                                                                        

Fun Fact of the Week:

Pandas have opposable thumbs!  (so do Koalas)

Story Starter of the Week:

Melisssa had never seen such a giant weed in her life.  In her eyes, it had to be at least six feet tall.  Whatever would she do?