I Can't

via Pinterest

She stared at her hands hovering over the piano keys. A tear trickled down her cheek. "I can't," she whispered to the breeze in the window. She put the sheets of music back in their place and turned out the lights. Then sitting back down again, she brushed her fingers over the ivory keys. Like silk, her fingers flowed with a haunting melody of lost love. She heaved heavy sobs as the notes rang out through struck chords. Leaning and swaying, she released her emotions into the music.
Wind blew soft whispers through the curtains. "I can't," she replied, continuing her melancholy melody. Salt tears streamed from her eyes. Through the rivers of lost love and mournful music, she finished her music and wept.
Gentle fingers rested on her shoulder. "Keep playing," a voice whispered through her hair. "Keep playing."
She closed the lid of the piano. "I can't," she repeated. "It hurts."
"Keep playing."
Listening to the whispers, she played her music again and again. She kept playing. On and on through the night, she played. She neither stopped nor paused. Her emotions continued flowing through her fingers. By the end of the night, her melodies were no longer filled with love and hurt. "I can," she sighed at the break of the dawn.

Contest

http://mydreamwriting.blogspot.com/2013/12/flash-fiction-contest.html

Check it out!

Flash Fiction Contest

I've decided to host another writing contest. This time, instead of short story, it's going to be flash fiction.

When: December 5-31

Where: Here

RULES:

The flash fiction piece must be 150-750 words long. It must be written completely by you.

Post the link to your blog post containing your piece / post your piece in the comment section.

Must either follow this blog or my main blog, Love of a Lifetime.

Must place the contest button on your blog, unless you don't have one.

PRIZE:
The winner of this contest will have their flash fiction piece published in the Uniquely Natalie Forever magazine's January issue. Natalie requests that the winner please choose a picture/cover that relates to the piece.

Have fun! I can't wait to see what some of you write.

*special thanks to Anna for designing the button <3

Seasons

via Pinterest

Autumn is already halfway over. Right now, the trees are beautiful golds, reds, greens, and yellows. Cool and crisp air is slowly moving in, preparing us for the winter. Just a few weeks ago, we were wearing light jackets. Those jackets are getting gradually heavier and thicker. In a little over a month comes winter and Christmas.

via Pinterest

Winter is coming soon. When it comes, the trees will become coated with ice crystals and snow. Cold air will reign. And to imagine: those trees that were coated with golds, reds, greens, and yellows will be coated with sparkling whites. Those light jackets at the beginning of fall are soon to become parkas. Dress boots will be replaced by snow boots. Then will spring come.

via Pinterest

When comes spring, it will melt the winter snow away from the trees to make room for the leaf buds and fragrant blossoms. The bulbs planted so many months ago will begin to rise and bloom with beautiful flowers. It will get increasingly warmer, and the parkas and snow boots will be stored away for the next winter. The same jackets used in the fall will reemerge.

via Pinterest

Then shall summer begin. The leaves on the trees will be a dark green. Fruit will begin to grow. The jackets will be put away to make room for the short and sleeveless. Hiking boots will be taken out, as will the Thermos coolers. Families will go on camping and hiking trips. School will be out. Some college students will get married, opening the air to whites and pinks. Only during the last few weeks will the jackets slowly ease out of storage, and autumn will soon make his entrance.

Thus, the cycle begins again.

NaNo

Wow, I think I'm doing better at Nano this year than I was last year. If you look at the Nano widget in the sidebar, you'll see that I've already written more than 10% of my word count goal. And most of what I've written are thanks to word wars. Notice: I am doing the youth site, where I can set my own goal. I've set my goal at 15,000 words, and I'm chuggin' away!
One of my little habits with writing a rough draft is I like to read over it and fix anything I can see. Well, I decided not to do that this time I write through a first draft, unless it's a serious misspelling.
Last night, I participated in several word wars and more than tripled my word count! And I was able to do it while little sister and Dad were watching TV in the living room - where the computer desk just happens to be. So, I plugged in my headphones, turned up the volume, and wrote more than 1,000 words last night. I just hope I can continue to chug away so quickly!

NaNoWriMo

I can't believe it's time for NaNo already! Six hours and counting. Oh, I can hardly wait to start penning Imagination. I guess I better tell you a little more what it's about, eh?

What if your imagination isn't something you created in your mind? What if it's really happening, and you're in danger - past, present, and future?
Starsley is not your ordinary teenage girl. She has an imagination, and a good one it is. But when her imagination sends her reeling into the past, the only thing she can think to do is get home. Only when she realizes that she's not imagining has her plight become more urgent. She must find the device that sent her to the past and shut it down, before her entire family history - past, present, and future - is erased. Handsome knight, scientists from the future, dim-witted vassals, and emotional baggage all stand in her return to the present.

Well, I better get going now!

Apologies

I'm so sorry I haven't posted on here in several months. No excuse will do for me.

Anyway, I have been working on a few projects: one, Mermaid Tales - third novella in series with The Fairy Princess and Hafling Diaries; and two, Imagination - my NaNo novel.

Well, I guess better explain what Imagination is about. My original thoughts on the story were, "What if your imagination isn't something you created in your mind? What if it's really happening, and you're in danger - past, present, and future?" I guess it would fall under the paranormal genre. I've got the protagonist all planned, and I know her best friend's name, but I can't decide on a name for the antagonist. Here's a list of the names I originally looked up:

Cethin - "dark, swarthy"
Erebos - "darkness"
Darnell - "hidden/secret nook"
Gero - "future"
Eilian - "second, a moment in time"
Ator - "gall; poison; venom"
Bugan - "shape-shifter"
Atei - "the future"
Mancio - "foretells the future"

I could really use your opinions, readers, on what your favorite names in the list are.

Elegant Blog Award!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My life has been a bit hectic lately.

Anyway, thanks to Sarah Elizabeth for awarding me!

THE RULES

When you receive the award, link back to keepcalmandsparkle1099.blogspot.com and the blog that nominated you.

Display the award button in the post

Answer all of the 12 questions given in this post (Do not make your own questions)

Nominate 12 bloggers

Notify them that they have been awarded

THE QUESTIONS

1. What made you decide to start blogging?

     Well, I'd have to say it was probably Kara at Saved By Grace. When I heard that she had one (because we were both part of an online Bible study group), it seemed really interesting and fun.

2. What is your fashion style?

     At home, I usually lounge around in pj pants and a t-shirt, but I'd have to say that I love maxi dresses and skirts. If I have a nice scarf to match (I only have three), I might wear it with an outfit.

3. What is something none of your followers know about you?

     O_o hee-hee! Oh, this is such a good one. Well, I'd have to say that my knack for penning stories is a hereditary trait. Any of you know who the Brothers Grimm were? I'm a descendant of one of them (I don't know which one though). Is that awesome or what?!?

4. What are some of your blogging goals?

     Reach others for Christ was my main goal

5. Where is your favorite place to shop?

     There's an awesome bookshop downtown that I've been to once, and I absolutely loved it (even though I didn't buy any books). Other than that, I honestly don't know. :-/

6. What would be your ideal amount of blog followers be?

     I'd have to say around 50, but it'd be awesome if I got more. It's a nice, rounded, even number, and it's not super giant or small.

7. What are your talents?

     I play a multitude of instruments, including piano, violin, accordion (yes =D), guitar, and organ. I also write fantasy/fairytale genre stories; I'm a bit challenged if I have to write anything that is nonfiction, in an organized manner anyway.

8. Are you a leader or a follower?

     Well, I guess it would have to depend on the situation. But I think I'm more of a follower.

9. What is one of your favorite quotes?

     "In your world I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there." ~Aslan, Voyage of the Dawn Treader

10. Do you have a favorite book or book series?

     Oh, goodness, I really don't know. I'd have to say some of my favorites are A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, The Dragon Keeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul, and several others.

11. Out of all the synonyms for elegant, which would you describe yourself with (smart - stylish - dressy - graceful - dainty - fine)?

     Most likely smart, probably not stylish, maybe dressy, probably not graceful, and definitely not dainty or fine.

12. What is your favorite flower?

     Why so many hard questions? I would have to say, I just don't know. Calla lily, maybe. Amaranth flower, possibly. Wild lilies, probably.

As for the nominees, for those of you who would like to do this tag, you can just go ahead! But one person I would like to tag is my younger sister Heidi Anne over at Into It . . . Deep.

Fantasy photos

Here are some pictures I've recently (and one not so recently) taken. Hope you like them all! They were edited, but let me know what you think anyway.

 This one ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ is a merging of two photos

 Notice the ears ^ ^ ^

To be safe

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just to be safe (because I've heard a lot about it), I'm switching over to Bloglovin'. So, now you can follow me there when and if GFC really leaves.

To be safe

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just in case GFC really is leaving, I've joined Bloglovin'. So, now you can follow me there!

To be safe

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

If GFC really is leaving us Bloggers, be happy because now you can follow me via Bloglovin'!

Link-up?

I was wondering. If I created a link-up series, would any of you link up with me? I was thinking along the lines of something like "Your Top 5 Favorites" and each post would be on a different set of 5 favorites. Here are some ideas of what I mean:

My Top 5 Favorite Contemporary Christian Songs

My Top 5 Favorite Books

Get the idea? Would any of you be interested in doing something like this? Got any ideas for more top 5 topics?

A New Beginning

Some of my siblings call me "Vulcan"* because I don't express my emotions a lot, but recently, it's been hard for me. Why has it been so hard?
* A Vulcan is a humanoid alien from Star Trek, and they are known for suppressing their emotions. Yes, I'm somewhat a Trekkie.

A few weeks ago, the senior pastor at my church announced after the service that our associate pastor / youth leader and his family are leaving and moving away. This past Sunday was their last service together here, so we had a big goodbye fellowship after the evening service. They were only here for two and half years, but it felt like so much longer than that.

As a surprise, a few of us put our heads together and made a surprise gift for them: a photo book of the youth group and most of the members that have been in the group since he was here. Then, at the fellowship, we gave it to them, along with a Hallmark card. Most of us signed both items, and they really loved it all.

Last night was the youth group's first night with a new (temporary) youth leader. His short message was on Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. It encouraged me so much, and I look forward to what God will do through this situation.

Universalism

Perhaps some of you have heard that all people are going to Heaven, even if they don't get saved. A few days ago, I came across 1 Timothy 4:10 - "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."

Some people seem to believe that this verse supports the belief of "universalism." Well, in the side note of my study Bible, the Greek word that is translated "specially" expressed the sense of "particularly." Jesus Christ is the Saviour for all - all who believe on Him.

The phrase "all men" pictures the trans-national scope of the Gospel. Thus, Christ is Saviour of people who believe on Him, no matter their skin color or nationality.

In which I answer questions about you

So, Brittney at Daughter of the King "stole" this from Storyteller, and I'm "stealing" it from her. I told her that I'd do this for her, and she did it for me. And if you'd like me to do this for you, just comment below!

1.  The first word to come to mind when I think about you:
          Sweet

2.  What Disney princess I think you are most like:
          Pocahontas

3.  What I love most about you:
          the fact that you're a Christian

4.  What I think best describes your personality:
          spontaneous and humorous

5.  If you were in a book of mine, what I would make that book about:
          a missionary family that is taken captive by the Japanese in the jungles of New Guinea during World War II

6.  What movie character you remind me of:
          Michelle Thomas from Matlock

7.  What my favorite thing about your blog is:
          your Christian perspective

8.  What I think you will be when you grow up:
          possibly a graphic designer

Thanks for doing this for me, Britt! Hope you enjoyed my answers.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, my younger sister let me wear one of her costumes so I could make a new cover for my novella Hafling Diaries. And the most difficult think about it was I needed to somehow get my ears pointed. I thought about pasting a picture of pointed ears, but that didn't work out. So, I decided to use a tool I never thought about using: Liquify. And it worked out beautifully! My ears were pointed, and it looked natural. If you look at the picture, you can see it for yourself.

Without further ado . . .

Several months ago, I hosted a writing contest here. Well, I've finally come around to picking a winner and posting my thoughts. So, without further ado, I announce that the winner of my writing contest is . . .

lightwarriorkay!

(click on the link to read her entry)

Her story, entitled "The Rescue", intrigued me from the beginning. I've always been interested in fantasy, so that may have to do with it a little.

I was totally engaged by this story. I was engaged in the plot and the character's situation was compelling. The tension in the story was driven by the characters and their decisions and actions. The plot has a definite climax and I felt satisfied as the story ended. Thought the story has some issues that need to be addressed - such as switching verb tenses at the beginning and some incorrect punctuation - I liked how it "worked" for me as a reader.

The other entries for this writing contest were well-written, though they didn't appeal to me as much as lightwarriorkay's story.

Congratulations, Kay!

The Orthodontist

About a month ago, I posted about how the dentist told me that I needed braces for my overbite. Well, last Monday afternoon, my mom and I went to the orthodontist for a consultation. The ortho-hygienist (or whatever you would call her) took some pictures and x-rays. Then she developed the pictures and the orthodontist came in.
We went through what was wrong with my teeth / jaw, and he showed us the x-ray photo. As I've known for a long time, my top two canines (or cuspids, if you prefer) are still babies. The orthodontist then explained why they haven't come out yet: one of the adult teeth is impacted (aka: it's completely overlapping the roots of another adult tooth) and the other is 50-50 overlapping. So, once I get my braces on, I have to get - *gulp* - oral surgery.
Yeah, you saw it right. Oral surgery. Sometime after June 13 (because that's when I'm getting my braces and we haven't set a date yet) will be the procedure that will pull out my last two baby teeth - even though I still have four more babies that I won't lose for a long while because I'm missing those adults genetically.

Calvary Wins Again // Musical Tag

So, some of the bloggers I follow are doing this, so I decided to do it too. Here are the rules:
1 - Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2 - For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3 - YOU MUST WRITE DOWN THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4 - Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.

So here are the questions and my answers:

If someone says "Are you ready?" you say . . .
     Dragon Battle (HtTYD)
so totally! =D

What would best describe your personality?
     Steady My Heart (Kari Jobe "Where I Find You")
sounds good to me =)

How would you describe yourself?
     The Downed Dragon (HtTYD)
NO WAY!!!

What do you like in a guy/girl?
     Triumphant Return (Captain America)
um . . .

How do you feel today?
     I Sing the Mighty Power of God (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
this soo sounds right!

What's your life's purpose?
     Stand (Heartland Baptist Bible College 2011 sampler CD)
totally yes

What your motto?
     Rise (Kari Jobe "Where I Find You")
okay =)

What do your friends think of you?
     Focus, Hiccup! (HtTYD)
well, um, sometimes I can be like that.

What do your parents think of you?
     What Love is This? (Kari Jobe "Where I Find You")
idk what this is supposed to mean?

What do you think about very often?
     Break Forth, O Joyful Heart (BJU "God of Mercy")
that's a pretty good answer, if I say so myself

What is 2 + 2?
     Christians, We Have Met to Worship (BJU "God of Mercy")
okay . . . =\)

What do you think of your best friend?
     O Come and Worship the Lord (BJU "God of Mercy")
well, of course I want my best friend to along with me

What do you think of the person you like?
     It is Well With My Soul (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
um, I don't have any crushes

What is your life story?
     In Christ Alone (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
totally yes

What do you want to be when you grow up?
     Dragon Training (HtTYD)
AWESOME YES!!!

What do you think when you see the person you like?
     This Blessed Old Book (Heartland Baptist Bible College 2011 sampler CD)
um . . .

What will you do at your wedding?
     Love Divine All Love Excelling (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
okie dokie, sounds good to me

What will they play at your funeral?
     All Hail the Power (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
okay? =\)

What is your hobby/interest?
     For I Saved by Grace (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team)
yep, I guess you could say that

What is your biggest fear?
     Passage of Time (Captain America)
WHAT?!?

What is your biggest secret?
     Before the Throne of God Above (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
um, no

What do you want right now?
     We Did It (Captain America)
what's that supposed to mean?

What do you think of your friends?
     One Desire (Kari Jobe "Where I Find You")
idk?

What's the worst thing that could happen?
     Before the Throne of God Above (BJU "God of Mercy")
NO WAY, JOSE!

What is the one thing you regret?
     Here is Love (BJU "God of Mercy")
NEVER!

What makes you laugh?
     We Exalt Your Name (Kari Jobe "Where I Find You")
laugh as in fun or in wrong?

What makes you cry?
     This is Berk (HtTYD)
it makes me cry to realize it doesn't exist. lol

Will you ever get married?
     I'm Glad I'm Serving a God (Heartland Baptist Bible College 2011 sampler CD)
is that a yes or no? not being married makes it a little easier to follow Christ wholeheartedly

What scares you the most?
     Saved by Grace (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
uh, grace doesn't scare me

Does anyone like you?
     Captain America Main Titles
?????

If you could go back in time, what would you change?
     I'm Going There (Heartland Baptist Bible College 2011 sampler CD)
I guess that means if I could go back in time, I'd just go there?

What hurts right now?
     Day by Day (Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team "A Firm Foundation")
???

What would you say to the person who tagged you (if you were tagged)?
     Blessed (Heartland Baptist Bible College 2011 sampler CD)
that makes sense, even though I wasn't "tagged"

What will you name this post?
     Calvary Wins Again (Heartland Baptist Bible College 2011 sampler CD)

Hope you enjoyed reading through my answers. Some are quite funny, and some are quite accurate.

extra! extra! Haven't you ever noticed that "lol" in lower caps sorta looks like a man drowning? Especially that the computer reads it as a misspelling. =D

Trust

Some of you may have heard/read this story before. This is just my retelling of it in my own words.

Once, while a man (let's call him Joe) was rock climbing, the mountain he was on got hit with a bad snowstorm. Thankfully, Joe had remembered cold weather gear. As he tried to climb down the mountain, he prayed, "God, please help me get off this mountain."
Joe's hands were stiff with frostbite. His climbing rope had icicles covering it. The snow was thick and heavy. The wind whistled around Joe's ears.
In the wind, Joe heard God's voice say, "Do you trust me, Joe?"
"Yes, Lord!" he shouted into the wind.
"Cut the rope," God told him.
"Cut the rope? I'll fall to my death!" Joe cried.
"Cut the rope," God repeated.
This went back and forth for several hours. After refusing to do what God said, Joe froze to death on the side of the mountain.
The following day, a group of people found Joe's frozen body - his toes hanging a few inches above the ground. Joe had said he trusted God, but because he didn't put his trust into action, he died mere inches from salvation.

Yes, I know this is a sad story, but it proves a good point.

Confession :-(

I've been writing a short story. Sorry . . . I just haven't been faithfully working on my story. I have less than 4000 words in almost a month. I just haven't been feeling inspired. At least, not for my current story. Plus, I've been mentally busy, studying for English tests and practicing for concerts and orchestra auditions. I can't stay up late most nights because I usually have something going on the next day.

Sundays are just no-nos for staying up late to write because I go to the fitness center Monday morning. Mondays, not so much for staying up late. Tuesdays, no, because of the fitness center Wednesday morning. Wednesdays, I'm already up late at night from youth group and possible shopping. Thursdays, no; workout on Friday morning. Fridays are usually the nights we stay up late, but not so for the next (or the past) few weeks; this Saturday morning, I'm passing out tracts at the marathon. Then Saturdays, I can't stay up late because I have church the next morning.

So, I'm needing ideas for finding time spaces and mind places to write. Any ideas from you?

BACH concert

Sunday night was the big night. The people who placed in the Young Baroque Artists Competition all got to perform their pieces in front of the parents and other visitors. Since I didn't have any clothes appropriate for a concert, we had to go buy a two-piece women's business suit. And now, all my mental stress is over! The concert was Sunday, and I really enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, my parents forgot to take pictures. My dad said he got one of me walking away from the piano after my performance. :-\ Oh, well. I'll just have to try again next year.


The girl who won second place was a vocalist, and she did beautifully. The first place winner was a cellist, and I enjoyed her performance just as much as I did the first time I heard her perform during the auditions. The other two honorable mentions were a cellist and a pianist. During the auditions, I only got to hear the cellist perform.

After the intermission, a strings "band," I guess you could say, performed several pieces - a few of which were from the British Isles. There were only two non-stringed instruments in the "band": a drum and an accordion. During the reception afterwards, I got to briefly meet the accordion player.

Overall, I'm glad that all my mental stressing and nervousness paid off and they are over . . . For now, that is.

Thirty followers!

When I got on the computer yesterday, I noticed that I have 32 followers. Yea! Well, I was thinking about hosting a 30-followers giveaway, and I'm in need of sponsors for prizes. If you wish to sponsor a prize, email me here. I was thinking along the lines of blog designs, hand-designed t-shirts, jewelry, etc, for the giveaways. If any of you have any other ideas, let me know!

The Dentist

So, I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning. Then I had to get sealants. Now my bite feels all out of whack. :-( Because I'm over the age of 15, our insurance doesn't pay for the sealants. )-: Then I found out that my doctor wants me to get braces for my overbite! That makes me the third girl in my family (fourth if you count my mom) to get braces. I've had an overbite for years, but I figured that I would grow out of it as my molars came in. Evidently, my dentist doesn't think so.

Take 'n Write Contest

I know, I enter a lot of contests, especially Storyteller's. In this contest, we have to take a picture and write a little story about it. This is my entry:

I had been wandering in the eerily sylvan countryside for days now. I was lost, with no idea which way was what.
Now, to make it worse, it was raining. Not that gentle, soothing rain. This was the beating-down-hard, sideways-pointing rain.
In this deep forest, not one blossoming plant lived. It was only around the outer edges that very few flowers lived. It was rumored that a dragon's breath prevented the growth of anything beautiful and colorful in the deepest parts of the forest.
I was weary from my wandering. I was about to give up, sit down, and wait for my doom to fall upon me, when I saw something bursting with color. I crawled up to it and examined it.
It was a flower. One single, tiny, blue flower. This tiny blob of color gave me hope. It meant I was nearing the outer edge of the forest. I was almost home.
I looked up through the trees. There was a break in the dark foliage. A tiny hut lay just beyond the walls of the trees. I pushed myself to my sore and bloodied feet, energized by the revived prospect of hope.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Book cover entry

This is my entry for Storyteller's contest. Hope y'all like it.

Current writings... and some randomness

So, at the moment, I'm writing a short story based on a dream I had several months ago. It was such a vivid dream that I still remember much of it. I'm also doing something a little different with it: I'm writing it in the first person. Usually, authors write in the third person, but some write in the first. I've decided to do it differently because it's a different genre than I usually write. This one's mystery, thriller, suspense; whereas I usually write fantasy.

A random thing that happened yesterday happened while I was on the computer. I had just taken this photo:

And I had just finished editing ^that^ photo:

And my dad saw it. He absolutely loved it!

What do you think? Let me know in a comment!

Music contest entry!

So, my younger sister is a contributor to Designed to Inspire (and so am I), and she is hosting a contest here and it just so happens to end today. This is my entry, and I hope you like it, li'l sis!

I took the picture myself. This is my violin, and my mom's daffodils. This is not the original; what I did when editing was mess with the focus and add bokeh effect. Hope y'all like it.

Update on writing contest

So, to all the people entering my writing contest here, please don't forget about posting one of the buttons for the contest in your sidebar. I've had some questions about genre-izing. Well, if you've written a story and you don't know which genre to put it in, you can put it under the "general" genre that I listed. Because I didn't make a button for the "general" genre, you can take the image that is at the top of this post. And, please don't forget about the other rules listed on the original post.
Hope this helped y'all!

Update and other writing

So, I FINALLY finished typing out The Fairy Princess. Now, I'm checking for typos, grammatical errors, and other such stuff. But, I'm happy to say that I will be getting The Fairy Princess ready for printing within a week.

As for the other writing I've had to do, Wednesday morning, I spent two hours on the computer, taking rough notes and writing them into neat and concise paragraphs. Then I had to send it to my dad at work, wait for his reply, wait for his revision, etc. Overall, I had to take two pages-worth of rough notes and write them out, then condense what I was saying into less than 200 words. And do you know what I was writing about? ME. I had to write my own bio for a concert I'll be performing at in April. It was tough!

Well, that's about all I can post right now.

True love

The greatest true love story ever. We are a downfallen race, we humans. We are doomed to eternal death. But there is One that has always loved us, and will never stop loving us. He showed His great love for us when He sent His one and only Son to be tortured in our place.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken.
~Isaiah 53:3-8

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

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
~Romans 5:8

As you all know, Easter and Good Friday are coming up soon. As many do not know, the reason for many seasons is JESUS. This weekend is the remembrance of Jesus' death (Good Friday), burial, and resurrection (Easter Sunday). Amidst the celebrations this weekend, just please try to remember all the things that Jesus went through for you two thousand years ago.

My li'l sis and instant randomness

So, as some of you already know, my younger sister has two blogs of her own, Inspiration Daily and Into It...Deep. I hope you guys can visit them some time, and possibly follow them!

So, today, while my mom, sister, and I were in town today, I realized that I have no green to wear this Sunday. We had to stop at Kohl's for a little bit, so I stopped in the juniors section to see what I could find on the clearance racks. I found this adorable almost-neon green long-sleeved knit sweater that fit me.

Also, when we stopped at the library, I decided to peruse the fiction shelves, since I wasn't sure which author to read. When I was on my way down the aisle to get to the Gilbert Morris books, a two-inch-thick book caught my eye: The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma. As a BIG FAN of Star Trek (the original and Enterprise sagas), I love the episodes that have time travel and changing history. So, hopefully, tonight I will begin reading an unfamiliar author. If any of you have read The Map of Time, please let me know!

Update March 19:
I started reading The Map of Time, and I'm officially NOT going to finish it due to explicit content. I recommend NOT reading it.

My novels so far

So, I've self-published one novel of mine - Hafling Diaries. I've finished hand-writing its prequel, The Fairy Princess, but I still have several thousands of words to type onto my computer. I'm still struggling with coming up with a good outline for Mermaid Tales, Hafling Diaries' sequel, however. I have names and everything picked out, but I'm still trying to decide whether Eowiodith, the mermaid, is cursed by the human witch Creliri before or after Eowiodith and Prince Fletcher meet. I'm leaning more towards before, though. These are just my fantasy novels.
In the past, I've started - and nearly finished - several other stories and novels. One was where I was writing in the first person, as if it were happening to me. Another was based on a strangely realistic dream I had a while back. Another was a just-for-fun kind of story about a girl named Gwenivier.
I also joined NaNoWriMo back in November, so that really motivated me to finish a novel in a month. I'm going to Camp NaNoWriMo next month, so that'll be fun!

 

Writing contest

Please don't forget to enter my writing contest here! I'm probably going to extend the deadline a few days, so more people might be able to link up. Hope some more of you consider entering!

Secret Story Contest

I'm entering Storyteller's contest. Hope y'all like it!

 Deserae Ginnifer Cesar has been living incognito for five years - ever since a serial killer had kidnapped her once - and she had barely made it out alive - and had vowed that he would have his vengeance on her.
Deserae has established a new life, but her little masquerade begins to tumble when she receives a phone call in the middle of the night - with just a maniacal laugh and two words said on the other end: "Found you." At first, she thinks it's just a prank call, then she thinks - Is it really him? If so, how did he find her? Can she risk telling the truth to anybody?
Dalene Bradshaugh delivers her second spine-tingling novel in the DGC series in this best-yet follow-up of DGC: Catastrophe, the first novel of the series.

Dalene Bradshaugh was born and raised in Mason City, Iowa. At an early age, she discovered her talent for telling plot-twisting stories. Her first work was published when she was only ten. During high school, she was the editor of the school's newspaper. Shortly after graduating from an Ivy League college for English composition, she began her career of writing novels and short stories. She currently lives in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and twin girls.

Proverbs 7

1. My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5. That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7. And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8. Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10. And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12. Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14. I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20. He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23. Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

This was the text for a session at a youth conference I went to the Saturday before yesterday. I took notes during the session. Here they are:

• A Life without Temptation's Sorrow
  • Attentiveness to Hear
  • Affection of our Hearts
  • Admitting we need Help
• A Look at Temptation's Story
  • A description of the sinful person
    • Dress
    • Demeanor
    • Deception
  • Details of the sinful proposal
  • Dismissal of the sinful purpose
• A Lesson on Temptation's Strategy
  • Powerful Influence
  • Poignant Illustrations
    • Ox
    • Fool
    • Bird
• Some of the greatest people in history fell to sexual temptation.
  • David – the most God-loving man
  • Solomon – the wisest man
  • Samson – the strongest man

1. Value the Bible
2. Be Vigilant

I am very opinionated on a few subjects, one of which is the Bible. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and there's nothing anybody can do to dissuade me of that.

Proverbs 7

1. My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5. That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7. And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8. Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10. And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12. Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14. I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20. He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23. Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

This was the text for a session at a youth conference I went to this past Saturday. I took notes during the session. Here they are:

• A Life without Temptation's Sorrow
  • Attentiveness to Hear
  • Affection of our Hearts
  • Admitting we need Help
• A Look at Temptation's Story
  • A description of the sinful person
    • Dress
    • Demeanor
    • Deception
  • Details of the sinful proposal
  • Dismissal of the sinful purpose
• A Lesson on Temptation's Strategy
  • Powerful Influence
  • Poignant Illustrations
    • Ox
    • Fool
    • Bird
• Some of the greatest people in history fell to sexual temptation.
  • David – the most God-loving man
  • Solomon – the wisest man
  • Samson – the strongest man

1. Value the Bible
2. Be Vigilant

I am very opinionated on a few subjects, one of which is the Bible. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and there's nothing anybody can do to dissuade me of that.

There is yet one

So, yesterday, I was up north at a youth conference with some people in my youth group. The theme this year was Impact 2013. The speaker was AMAZING!!! The text he used was 1 Kings 22. The first session was about standing up for Jesus Christ in this world. So, here are the notes I took.

If you decide to be the one that stands for Jesus:

• Some people will hate you.

Don't compromise your beliefs!

• Some people will try to talk you out of it.

1. They will use the argument of logic - "You won't make it; it'll never work."
2. They will use the argument of loneliness - "You'll be the only one doing it."

1 Kings 22:14

• Crazy people will call you crazy.

I decided that I will be one that will stand up for Christ, no matter what people think of me or say about me. "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Stranded

For the past four hours, I have been stranded at a car dealership with some people from my youth group. We were on our way up to a college when my youth pastor needed to stop because something was acting up. When we stopped at the dealership, the people told us that the alternator needed to be replaced. The part is replaced, and they're adding a small little part. We should be back on our way in a few minutes!!!! (Hopefully)

Update February 24:
We ended up being stranded for a total of six hours! The alternator was not the problem; it was the EMC unit, the thing that controls the alternator. They said it would only be about a 20-minute replacement, but it turned out to be an hour and a half! AND, a three-year-old boy who was traveling with us was getting cranky because it was his nap time. We finally got to where we were heading to around 6:30 PM when we were supposed to be there in time for lunch.

Love of a Lifetime: Writing contest!

Love of a Lifetime: Writing contest!: I've decided to host a little something different! I've decided to host a short story writing contest. I hope you can enter!...

Love of a Lifetime: Writing contest!

Love of a Lifetime: Writing contest!: I've decided to host a little something different! I've decided to host a short story writing contest. I hope you can enter!...

Writing contest!

I've decided to host a little something different! I've decided to host a short story writing contest. I hope you can enter!

Rules:
1. You MUST follow this blog.
2. The story MUST be written entirely by you. Co-authoring is allowed; just make sure you let me know!
3. You MUST choose one of the genres listed. If you choose romance, keep it clean!
4. Whichever genre you choose, you MUST post the appropriate button on your blog. If you don't have a blog and you just want to enter, that's okay.
5. The story MUST be at least 500 words long and at most 5,000 words long.
6. HAVE FUN!!!
extra note: If you can't determine which genre you've written, just put it under general and post the image from this post onto your sidebar.

Genres:
Action
Fantasy
General
Romance
Sci-fi
Suspense

This ends when I have five entries, whenever that may be.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

What do one hour, two bows, three years, four books, and five days a week have in common?

It's the anniversary of my taking violin lessons! I practice an hour each day, I've used two different bows, I've been playing for three years, I'm finishing up Volume 4 of the Suzuki Violin Method series, and I practice five days a week.
I've also been in need of a better violin for several months. I've outgrown my first violin, which cost only $150. My mom, my teacher, and I went to a music shop some months ago to look at the selection of step-up violins and better student violins. My teacher's two favorites were a gently-used Roth student violin that was made in West Germany in 1969 ($699) and another one that I don't remember the details of ($1575).
Well, I finally got one last Saturday! After the YBAC, since I needed to stop at the same music shop to get some stuff for my guitar, instead of getting guitar strings and a strap, my dad bought me the Roth student violin! I played until suppertime on Saturday night, and I made sure that I put my old violin in a different (and much older) violin case.
I've been interested with the violin ever since my older brother received a ~100-year-old violin from a friend of my dad about five or six years ago. One of my best friends at church usually brought her violin to church early on Sunday nights, and once she even let me play a little bit. It wasn't until three years ago that I got my first violin and started violin lessons with the violin "expert" at my church.
My teacher has been playing the violin since she was four. Instead of giving her age, I'll just say that she's 4 1/2 years older than me.
Well, that's it for now.

What is it?

What is the real reason we celebrate today, Valentine's Day? Chocolate? Candy? Quaint little cards with pencils attached? Flowers from secret (or not-so-secret) admirers? Or is it...

Appreciating the ones we love. And thanking God for His love and His only Son so we might spend eternity with Him. Jesus didn't have to rise from the dead. He didn't have to die. He didn't have to influence so many people's lives by His works of love. He didn't have to be born of a virgin. He didn't have to live on this earth.

But, He did anyway. He did it because He loves us so much. He wants to spend eternity with each of us personally. He wants to have a relationship with you today.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting live. ~John 3:16

Entry!

So, here's my entry for a book cover design challenge over at Designed to Inspire. You can probably tell that I like to enter design challenges. =)

Hope you all like it!

Welcome!

Hi, and welcome to my blog! I have two others that I have started, and I contribute to several others. Love of a Lifetime is the one that started it all, and The Flight of Music came afterwards. I contribute to Designed to Inspire and Kitty Katlyn. In the sidebar, you will find buttons to different pages on this blog; most of them contain my writings. I hope you take the time to read them, and I hope you enjoy reading my writing!

O Precious Love

This is an original poem I wrote today. Please tell me what you think about it because it's going in my next novel "The Fairy Princess."

I sat one lonely day,
     As if by the sea;
And my precious love
     Did I finally see.

Her countenance was bright,
     'Twas shining as could be.
O precious love,
     Won't you please look at me?

Her hair was as honey,
     Her eyes like the sea.
O precious love,
     Won't you please come to me?

I saw her only once,
     And I knew it was she:
O precious love!
     Won't you please love me?

Now, in the novel, a man is writing this poem to the heroine's best friend. Please tell me if you like it, if you think I need to change it a bit, or anything else you can think of.

Keep Growing Beautiful: ~Every Girl Should Read This~

Keep Growing Beautiful: ~Every Girl Should Read This~: ”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLEA SE TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.)  Reblog thi s !   It seems that a lot of attackers use...

The Flight of Music: YBAC results

The Flight of Music: YBAC results: Yesterday afternoon, we received the results of the contest via email. First place and $600 went to one of the last cellists. Second place a...

YBAC results

Yesterday afternoon, we received the results of the contest via email. First place and $600 went to one of the last cellists. Second place and $400 went to the vocal soloist. The remaining $300 was split evenly between three contestants who received Honorable Mentions.  The first person on the list was the only other pianist besides me. The third person on the list was another cellist.The second person on the list was . . . . .

ME! The five of us who placed get to perform in a concert on April 21. I'm a little sad that it's a Sunday, because that means I'm most likely going to miss out on a service at church; but at least I placed!

Oh, and after the competition on Saturday, my parents and I had to stop at a music shop before picking up my sister at church. Our original reason for going in was to get some new guitar strings and a guitar strap for me, but we ended up walking out with a brand-new (at least for me) violin! I've been needing a new one for several months now, and we finally got one. It's a gently-used Roth student violin, and it was made in West Germany in 1969. It's also a reproduction of a Stradivarius violin (which is the best kind you can ever get). It sounds so much better now.

YBAC is today!

Well, if you've read my previous post YBAC, then you know what this is about. Today, I'll be competing against six other competitors. My heart has been pumping with adrenaline since I woke up yesterday morning. Please pray that I perform to my best ability.
ps: Being nervous before and during a performance is actually good. It helps get the adrenaline pumping, and you actually perform better. So, don't be afraid to be nervous.

A funeral and Red Lobster

So, earlier this week, my youth pastor's wife asked me if I would play the piano/organ for a funeral she was singing at on Thursday (today). I was also asked to play for the people. The funeral home only had an organ, which I'm not as skillful on, but I can still play. The funeral went well. After the burial service, one of the older men offered to take all of us to Red Lobster.
At Red Lobster, I decided to just order an appetizer, since I don't usually eat that much. Since I haven't had that much seafood in my life so far, I decided to get something that didn't sound ordinary. So, I decided to order some calimari without knowing what it really was. :-/ I had no idea at the time what it was, except that it was some kind of seafood. The taste kinda reminded me of fried clams, which I really like. When my pastor decided to try it a piece, he bit down and immediately knew that it was not regular fish; it's actually squid! I actually liked it surprisingly.
So, even though it may not sound too good when you find out what it is, the taste may really surprise you!

Hello Kitty!

No, this is not a post about the adorable little kitten. Even though I myself am not a big Hello Kitty fan, I have one friend who likes her quite a bit.


Well, I guess I better get on to what this post is really about: my newest pet! My parents got a parakeet after the morning church service, and we named it Kitty. We don't know if it's a girl or boy yet; it's only a few months old. My sister Heidi took several pictures of it with my camera.

Tagged

I was tagged on each of my blogs! This time, I was tagged by Hannah Elise.

Rules:
1) You must answer the eleven questions the tagger has given you and make eleven questions for the people you are going to tag.
2) Next, tag eleven more bloggers.
3) Tell the people you have tagged that you tagged them.
4) No tagging back!

Her 11 questions:

1.  Have you ever had a book signed by an author you love? If so, what was the book and who was the author?  No, I haven't.
2.  Do you see a point in watching football on Super Bowl Sunday, or do you think next weekend is just another "eating day"?  I love watching football, especially the Super Bowl. My church usually records it during the service, then we watch it upstairs afterwards.
3.  What is your favorite version of the movie "Emma"? And if you've read the book, which one do you think matched it closest?  I've never seen nor read "Emma."
4.  What is something you recently discovered, or rediscovered, that you are loving? Please elaborate.  I've actually discovered my love for writing long fiction compositions. I didn't really like to write long things when I was younger, but I decided to pick up on a few writing contests and such.
5.  What was the last word you read that you didn't know the definition of and looked up in the dictionary (which was very commendable!)?  I have no clue what it was, but I do remember that I looked up a word several weeks back.
6.  Are you, like so many, aspiring to write a novel? If you've aspired, have you started? If you've started, have you finished? If you've finished, have you revised? If you've revised, have you published? If you've published, have you sold? (So this is kind of a surveyish thing.)  Yes. I've started at least five. I've finished two, and am diligently working on my third. One that I have finished (because I actually liked the way it turned out), I have revised. It is also now on amazon.com. Just search for "Hafling Diaries." I've sold two so far (my brother actually, and his future father-in-law).
7.  Have you ever studied a second language at at least the first-year level?  Yes, I have. Ich habe Deutsch studiert seit ungefähr einem Jahr alle zusammen.  (I've studied German for about one year all together.)
8.  Do you think the genres of fantasy and science fiction are completely unnecessary?  I think there is a slight difference between fantasy and science fiction. When I think of fantasy, I think of fairies and dragons. When I think of science fiction, I think of Star Wars and Star Trek.
9.  What are your thoughts on the popular teen fiction nowadays? (e.g., The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Matched by Ally Condle, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.)  Well,  I've never read any of those, and I don't really plan to. I'm not a big fan of Harry Potter because I don't really like the ideas of teaching wizardry and witchcraft. I believe they go against what the Bible says.
10.  Have you ever started a reading list? If so, how far did you get (or have you gotten)?  I've never had an official one, but I have set my mind to finishing a few series, such as Left Behind, Series of Unfortunate Events, and Dragon Keeper.
11.  What is the greatest talent God has given you?  I would have to say my ability to learn musical instruments and increase on my abilities on the individual instruments. I've been playing piano since I was six, and violin since I was almost twelve. I've also taken up guitar, organ, and accordion, for starts.

I've been tagged once, so I'll just list a few of the people I've tagged, and the questions I asked them. But I will choose a few different people and questions this time.

1.  Katlyn
2.  Hannah
3.  Kara
4.  Kara Klarabelle Siert
5.  Abigail
6.  Uniquely Natalie
7.  Journey
8.  Kaylee Jane
9.  Isabelle Renee
10.  Jessica Wingard
11.  Katherine

My 11 questions:

1.  What is your favorite book(s)?
2.  Have you ever gone swimming in the Atlantic, Pacific, or any of the great lakes?
3.  Have you ever flown (commercially, privately)?
4.  How old were you when you had your first crush?
5.  Star Wars or Star Trek?
6.  RANDOM  What's your favorite pen or marker brand?
7.  Have you seen "The Hobbit" yet, or do you not plan to see it at all?
8.  Who's your favorite author?
9.  What national land marks have you been to?
10.  How long have you been blogging?
11.  Disney or Dreamworks?

There you are!