I'M MOVING TO SOUTH FLORIDA! This Northy Philly girl is changing it up a little! I've kicked the day job, become a single girl again, and I've decided to go on a road trip to my new abode in South Florida. I've even decided to change up my writing settings. Instead of writing about characters in Lehigh Valley PA I'll be writing about characters living in South Florida. I'm excited for the much needed change. Have you ever enbarked on such a grand adventure?
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) A sequel to my first novel
2.) A fun series about 4 Latinas in their senior year of high school, and possibly 1st years of college.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) 1 Corinthians
2.) Max Ride series by James Paterson.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That the BIG MOVE goes smoothly.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) Ojala que pudiera borrarte.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
22 February 2012
21 April 2010
Thy Will Be Done
Dear Reader,
How old were you when you 1st lived on your own? I've never lived anywhere on my own, unless you count my month-long mission trip to Germany/Poland. However, circumstances being what they are, my job is here, my car payments are here, and my parents think it would be beneficial to my career if I stay here for a year. Here! Where there is snow. Here! Where there are a lack of single men. Here! Where I don't want to live. Here! Where the powers that be hate my family for no good reason. So, I'm going to be praying that God will have His way. Because, I remember not wanting to go to Germany for missions four years ago. But I obeyed the call God had on my life, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I need to get to a place where I'm writing again. I need to see my brother free. And now, I need to go apartment shopping. What do you need?
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Having faith that God's got everything under control.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) Galatians.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 3rd Spa Girl's novel.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That everything goes well for my brother on Wednesday.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) The Village Church podcast
How old were you when you 1st lived on your own? I've never lived anywhere on my own, unless you count my month-long mission trip to Germany/Poland. However, circumstances being what they are, my job is here, my car payments are here, and my parents think it would be beneficial to my career if I stay here for a year. Here! Where there is snow. Here! Where there are a lack of single men. Here! Where I don't want to live. Here! Where the powers that be hate my family for no good reason. So, I'm going to be praying that God will have His way. Because, I remember not wanting to go to Germany for missions four years ago. But I obeyed the call God had on my life, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I need to get to a place where I'm writing again. I need to see my brother free. And now, I need to go apartment shopping. What do you need?
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Having faith that God's got everything under control.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) Galatians.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 3rd Spa Girl's novel.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That everything goes well for my brother on Wednesday.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) The Village Church podcast
14 April 2010
Prayer is talking to Jesus
Dear Reader,
Life hurts a lot more than I thought it would when I was a kid, a teenager and even a college student. I'm in the real grown-up world and I have been for a year and 4 months now. Some days I keep hoping that Prince Charming will ride up and save the day, but life doesn't work like that. At least not in my experience. I sincerely think that that is because God wants me to rely on Jesus, and not the hope of some man-savior. And in my head I know that, but I still have those habits of hoping a guy will pull over and help me when my car breaks down, instead of honking at me and going on his way while a homeless guy shakes his cigar in my face and tells me how crappy life is. Anyway, I haven't written like I should lately. Not even on my novel that I'm supposed to be editing. I just need for it to go well on Monday. I need my brother to come home. Life feels unfair without him at home where he should be. Learning how to drive. Making dreams into plans.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Having faith that God's got everything under control.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) Galatians.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 3rd Spa Girl's novel.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That everything goes well for my brother on Monday.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) Tu Reinas by Rojo
Life hurts a lot more than I thought it would when I was a kid, a teenager and even a college student. I'm in the real grown-up world and I have been for a year and 4 months now. Some days I keep hoping that Prince Charming will ride up and save the day, but life doesn't work like that. At least not in my experience. I sincerely think that that is because God wants me to rely on Jesus, and not the hope of some man-savior. And in my head I know that, but I still have those habits of hoping a guy will pull over and help me when my car breaks down, instead of honking at me and going on his way while a homeless guy shakes his cigar in my face and tells me how crappy life is. Anyway, I haven't written like I should lately. Not even on my novel that I'm supposed to be editing. I just need for it to go well on Monday. I need my brother to come home. Life feels unfair without him at home where he should be. Learning how to drive. Making dreams into plans.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Having faith that God's got everything under control.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) Galatians.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 3rd Spa Girl's novel.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That everything goes well for my brother on Monday.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) Tu Reinas by Rojo
27 March 2010
No Justice on Fridays I guess
Dear Reader,
Did you know that in the Juvenile Justice System a 70 yr old man can nod off during your trial and still convict you for a charge that you were not even accused of by the "victim" ? Yeah I didn't either. But that is what I just bore witness to yesterday. Its a sin. Now we have to try and figure out if it is appeal able. God help us when little girls with mental issues can run the justice system with NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE whatsoever. Shit, they don't even need to stick to their story. They don't need dates, physical evidence, documentation or consistency. They just get to point their finger and laugh. I shudder when I think of all of the wanna-be Disney princesses running around this world like Salome and Potiphar's Wife.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Trying to learning enough about the law to help mi hermano.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) verses about God being on the side of the innocent.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 2nd Spa Girl's novel.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That we find out how to help mi hermano.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) Revelation Song by Kari Jobe.
Did you know that in the Juvenile Justice System a 70 yr old man can nod off during your trial and still convict you for a charge that you were not even accused of by the "victim" ? Yeah I didn't either. But that is what I just bore witness to yesterday. Its a sin. Now we have to try and figure out if it is appeal able. God help us when little girls with mental issues can run the justice system with NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE whatsoever. Shit, they don't even need to stick to their story. They don't need dates, physical evidence, documentation or consistency. They just get to point their finger and laugh. I shudder when I think of all of the wanna-be Disney princesses running around this world like Salome and Potiphar's Wife.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Trying to learning enough about the law to help mi hermano.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) verses about God being on the side of the innocent.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 2nd Spa Girl's novel.
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That we find out how to help mi hermano.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) Revelation Song by Kari Jobe.
23 March 2010
No scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand.
Dear Reader,
What scares you? One of my sister's today was telling me about a storyteller who came to her school and told ghost stories, they creep ed her out. My family has been facing giant disasters since the beginning of the new year and its stressful to say the least. Lately I have been struggling with the fact that there is nothing I can do to earn God's favor for the past 10 days. I've been saved since I was a little girl, and I know this in my head, but the very fact that I can't do ANYTHING to move our struggles along, to save us from liars with badges, makes me cry out to Jesus with new fever. I hope we win tomorrow despite all odds.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Not falling apart, I'm not doing so well.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) verses about God being on the side of the innocent.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 2nd Spa Girl's novel. I hope to read Camy Tang's suspense books soon though, (yay Amazon!)
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That we win tomorrow.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) In Christ Alone, as sung by Newsboys
What scares you? One of my sister's today was telling me about a storyteller who came to her school and told ghost stories, they creep ed her out. My family has been facing giant disasters since the beginning of the new year and its stressful to say the least. Lately I have been struggling with the fact that there is nothing I can do to earn God's favor for the past 10 days. I've been saved since I was a little girl, and I know this in my head, but the very fact that I can't do ANYTHING to move our struggles along, to save us from liars with badges, makes me cry out to Jesus with new fever. I hope we win tomorrow despite all odds.
WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
1.) Not falling apart, I'm not doing so well.
WHAT I'M READING:
1.) verses about God being on the side of the innocent.
2.) Kristin Billerbeck's 2nd Spa Girl's novel. I hope to read Camy Tang's suspense books soon though, (yay Amazon!)
WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME:
1.) That we win tomorrow.
WHATS ON MY iPOD:
1.) In Christ Alone, as sung by Newsboys
09 December 2009
It's late, but Les Miserables is the best novel ever written.
This week has been a crappy one. Loss of job (and thereby income), average GRE scores (much lower than my target score), loneliness, stress of getting 12 Christmas gifts for loved one, stress of getting into grad school, stress of finding a new job. . . I could go on but I've pretty much been stressed out about my future, even though I KNOW that God has a plan for my life.
It just so happens that I noticed my favorite book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo on my bookshelf last Friday. And it just so happens that I picked it up after a decade of not reading it, and it just so happens that I fell in love with it all over again.
It is the best book ever written. It shows how one good deed done not for the sake of man, but for God can have repercussions that span generations. That is, a middle-aged newly released prisioner comes into a new town, is turned away from everyone in town except for the local priest. The local priest takes him in, and, when stolen from reacts in love, giving him the items that were stolen.
This stirs the man, who sets out to make a good, pious life for himself. Ever present in front of the man are his failures, his sins. He seeks out to act rightly and does so. In the process he takes in Cosette. The little orphan girl grows up and is raised to love and revere God, the church and her father. And through a glance, she falls in love.
I don't know why the story of Cosette and Marius moves me so much. They are youths, he 20 and she 16 when they fall in love. He a historian-lawyer-rebel and she a quiet daughter. They exchange glances at the park and he pursues her. When the insurrection of 1832 causes them to be separated, the father brings them back together.
Jean Valjean is my favorite character now. Back when I was 15, I thought Marius was the best. However, now I see that Jean Valjean is the best character because he truly shows not only what it means to be redeemed, and reconciled with Christ, but what it means to love.
Its late and this isn't well written, but Jean Valjean gives up his own security so that his adopted daughter may be loved. That is an example what Christ has done for each of us. It is completely laudable. One day I will have to write a better review on this masterpiece of fiction.
It just so happens that I noticed my favorite book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo on my bookshelf last Friday. And it just so happens that I picked it up after a decade of not reading it, and it just so happens that I fell in love with it all over again.
It is the best book ever written. It shows how one good deed done not for the sake of man, but for God can have repercussions that span generations. That is, a middle-aged newly released prisioner comes into a new town, is turned away from everyone in town except for the local priest. The local priest takes him in, and, when stolen from reacts in love, giving him the items that were stolen.
This stirs the man, who sets out to make a good, pious life for himself. Ever present in front of the man are his failures, his sins. He seeks out to act rightly and does so. In the process he takes in Cosette. The little orphan girl grows up and is raised to love and revere God, the church and her father. And through a glance, she falls in love.
I don't know why the story of Cosette and Marius moves me so much. They are youths, he 20 and she 16 when they fall in love. He a historian-lawyer-rebel and she a quiet daughter. They exchange glances at the park and he pursues her. When the insurrection of 1832 causes them to be separated, the father brings them back together.
Jean Valjean is my favorite character now. Back when I was 15, I thought Marius was the best. However, now I see that Jean Valjean is the best character because he truly shows not only what it means to be redeemed, and reconciled with Christ, but what it means to love.
Its late and this isn't well written, but Jean Valjean gives up his own security so that his adopted daughter may be loved. That is an example what Christ has done for each of us. It is completely laudable. One day I will have to write a better review on this masterpiece of fiction.
07 September 2009
Puddle Wonderful Days
Whenever I am in a super happy mood, I quote e.e.cummings. Specifically his poem about when the world was puddle wonderful. That fully describes the weekend I had, relaxing after an exhausting week at work, then going to my grandfather's 70th birthday party. God is beautiful and he creates beautiful lives.
Anyway, this past week I have been taking my lunch in the local shops around olde city, and I've been reading "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears. I went to a Christian elementary and middle school before being thrust into the wide world of public high school and a public university. I read C.S.Lewis in high school, and wandered around in emerging type books in college, so this book was a call back to true faith for me, a soul-brace if you will. It made me want to study the Bible again, not just take whatever popular "Christian" belief is out there. The chapter I liked best was about Jesus' resurrection. I would sub-title it "The common man's apologetics" because its more readable to most people than C.S.Lewis and its contemporary to our time. Gold Star for Driscoll and Bresheares.
Next week: "Names my sisters call me" and "This side of Married"
Anyway, this past week I have been taking my lunch in the local shops around olde city, and I've been reading "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears. I went to a Christian elementary and middle school before being thrust into the wide world of public high school and a public university. I read C.S.Lewis in high school, and wandered around in emerging type books in college, so this book was a call back to true faith for me, a soul-brace if you will. It made me want to study the Bible again, not just take whatever popular "Christian" belief is out there. The chapter I liked best was about Jesus' resurrection. I would sub-title it "The common man's apologetics" because its more readable to most people than C.S.Lewis and its contemporary to our time. Gold Star for Driscoll and Bresheares.
Next week: "Names my sisters call me" and "This side of Married"
08 July 2009
Everyday Life
So I'm sitting here after work and I am watching "The Wedding Singer." It has been on TV twice since I've come to stay here. All I have to say is I can't believe Billy Idol is in this movie! I always forget what other songs he has done.
Speaking of good stories, I like the story of Ruth. I led an indepth Bible study on the book of Ruth about two years ago. Do you know much about Ruth? Ruth was a Moabite. The Moabites are the descendants of Lot and one of his daughters (Lot was Abraham's nephew).
The Bible in my classroom at work upsets me because its introduction is so clearly written by a stone-cold scholar! The man (surely it is a man) says in the introduction to the book, "The peaceful story of Ruth comes between two violent books of the Bible." I didn't read much further than that to be honest because I disagree! Peaceful book?? How can you say that? Ruth married as a teenager, bore no children, and ten years later was widowed. Which means that she if she married at the usual age (between 12 and 18) then she would be a widow during her 20s! That cannot be a peaceful story! That is tragic!" It reminds me of a Bible version of P.S. I Love You. She spent ten of her "best" years with one guy and now society is telling her she's past her expiration date.
It seems God has wanted me to hear about Ruth and Naomi and how they stuck to God during the hard times. I'm not really sure why, as I'm pretty happy right at this moment, but--get this--when I left Philly I was bummed that I would be missing out on the summer sermon series of Ruth. So then I come to Bethany and BAM! they are just starting the sermon series on Ruth. Then in my devotional, the theme for July is "God in everyday life". So my question goes out to you bloggers, where do you see God intervining in your every day life?
Speaking of good stories, I like the story of Ruth. I led an indepth Bible study on the book of Ruth about two years ago. Do you know much about Ruth? Ruth was a Moabite. The Moabites are the descendants of Lot and one of his daughters (Lot was Abraham's nephew).
The Bible in my classroom at work upsets me because its introduction is so clearly written by a stone-cold scholar! The man (surely it is a man) says in the introduction to the book, "The peaceful story of Ruth comes between two violent books of the Bible." I didn't read much further than that to be honest because I disagree! Peaceful book?? How can you say that? Ruth married as a teenager, bore no children, and ten years later was widowed. Which means that she if she married at the usual age (between 12 and 18) then she would be a widow during her 20s! That cannot be a peaceful story! That is tragic!" It reminds me of a Bible version of P.S. I Love You. She spent ten of her "best" years with one guy and now society is telling her she's past her expiration date.
It seems God has wanted me to hear about Ruth and Naomi and how they stuck to God during the hard times. I'm not really sure why, as I'm pretty happy right at this moment, but--get this--when I left Philly I was bummed that I would be missing out on the summer sermon series of Ruth. So then I come to Bethany and BAM! they are just starting the sermon series on Ruth. Then in my devotional, the theme for July is "God in everyday life". So my question goes out to you bloggers, where do you see God intervining in your every day life?
22 April 2009
A Day of Chuckles
So chapter 3 is done!
It took multiple hours, and a couple of read-throughs, but its great. The tension between the 2 ex-best friends is going well. The reader is finding out a little bit about why they hate each other, but not everything. I finally created minor character-growing problems for the men in the novel too. And like all small towns I’ve ever been too, it seems like everyone who’s married is related to everyone else in town and new people are looked upon as outsiders. I think it’s a little heavy on the dialogue, but it was necessary to the story, so it works.
So I am working on chapter 4 this week and I am not sure where to go. I have a letter from the past, 2 scared children, a pastor in the hospital, another one on the way and a ticked off fiancé. Some how I have to bring all of these characters together for the murder scene in chapter 5.
Anyway in other news: Aggie and I went to Transformed last night. We are used to going to a church that answers the pastor when he asks questions, one where people are encouraged/allowed to say “amen” when they feel the need. So it was funny last night when the decent looking announcer/jock guy was giving the announcements (and Aggie and I were commenting). I didn't think anyone could hear us, but then I think we actually made him nervous. At one point he was going on about how there is going to be this new relationship-focused Bible study on Thursdays, and I groaned, rolled my eyes and leaned my head on my sister’s shoulder. (I am sick of Christian dating books) He actually looked at us and said, “No! It’s not that bad. . .” We are trying not to be such vocal parishioners, but we aren’t doing so well with that. God made us loud, our parents made us opinionated.
Until next week! Keep writing ladies!
It took multiple hours, and a couple of read-throughs, but its great. The tension between the 2 ex-best friends is going well. The reader is finding out a little bit about why they hate each other, but not everything. I finally created minor character-growing problems for the men in the novel too. And like all small towns I’ve ever been too, it seems like everyone who’s married is related to everyone else in town and new people are looked upon as outsiders. I think it’s a little heavy on the dialogue, but it was necessary to the story, so it works.
So I am working on chapter 4 this week and I am not sure where to go. I have a letter from the past, 2 scared children, a pastor in the hospital, another one on the way and a ticked off fiancé. Some how I have to bring all of these characters together for the murder scene in chapter 5.
Anyway in other news: Aggie and I went to Transformed last night. We are used to going to a church that answers the pastor when he asks questions, one where people are encouraged/allowed to say “amen” when they feel the need. So it was funny last night when the decent looking announcer/jock guy was giving the announcements (and Aggie and I were commenting). I didn't think anyone could hear us, but then I think we actually made him nervous. At one point he was going on about how there is going to be this new relationship-focused Bible study on Thursdays, and I groaned, rolled my eyes and leaned my head on my sister’s shoulder. (I am sick of Christian dating books) He actually looked at us and said, “No! It’s not that bad. . .” We are trying not to be such vocal parishioners, but we aren’t doing so well with that. God made us loud, our parents made us opinionated.
Until next week! Keep writing ladies!
08 April 2009
Day of testimony
So I was writing my testimony down today to send to Pastor M.B. because I'm going to be working at my grandparents church over the summer, and it made me remember why I love Jesus and Easter (i.e. Resurrection Sunday).
I became a Christian during the April 1991 Easter Production at my grandparents church. My family and I were sitting in the left gallery, and during the scene where Jesus carried his cross to Mount Calvary, and then died, I cried. My father, seeing my tears, explained to me that Jesus was also God and he came to take the place of us. You see our wrong doing deserves punishment. Jesus took our place of punishment. My father explained that since Jesus died and then resurrected three days later, we can know him as GOD and as friend. All we needed to do was say to Jesus that we we believed that he had taken our place of punishment, and that we wanted to follow him with our whole heart and be his friend. I thought about this and a little later, I prayed.
Since then I have always tried to share my Lord-friend Jesus with others. I'm not sure I'm always the best at evangelizing, (I mean using Barbies at a Bar-B-Q when I was seven may not have been the best way to tell my friends), however I have always wanted those I care about and love to know Jesus as their Savior-friend. This belief has caused me to lead a Bible study in 9th grade, and go on 4 different mission trips.
Sometime during my teen years, I commited myself to reading through the Bible. I wrote a promise to God inbetween the pages of my New and Old Testaments and 6 years later, I finished. I learned a lot about keeping the promises we make.
Actually, in the last year I have learned a lot about my self. I dedicated most of last year to persuing God and what his will is for my life, and I have learned a lot. God created me with certain interests: i.e I like to write, to travel, to go out on the town, and He has given me certain dreams: i.e. I want to be the house on the block that everyone feels at home in. The place where people can have a cup of tea or a bowl of soup and just relax. An OASIS. A safe place for those around me to figure out who they are, what they are about, and how God fits into all of that.
This past year Isaiah 40, Proverbs 31, Psalm 45, and the book of Luke have been key for me.
And I finally feel like I have direction concerning my career. It was there all a long, I just lacked faith. Look for my teen book on amazon.com next December and my mystery novel out next-next summer. I don't know what the book will be called yet, but I'm working on it, and leaving the rest up to God. He is more than able to do above all that we can ask, or imagine!
I became a Christian during the April 1991 Easter Production at my grandparents church. My family and I were sitting in the left gallery, and during the scene where Jesus carried his cross to Mount Calvary, and then died, I cried. My father, seeing my tears, explained to me that Jesus was also God and he came to take the place of us. You see our wrong doing deserves punishment. Jesus took our place of punishment. My father explained that since Jesus died and then resurrected three days later, we can know him as GOD and as friend. All we needed to do was say to Jesus that we we believed that he had taken our place of punishment, and that we wanted to follow him with our whole heart and be his friend. I thought about this and a little later, I prayed.
Since then I have always tried to share my Lord-friend Jesus with others. I'm not sure I'm always the best at evangelizing, (I mean using Barbies at a Bar-B-Q when I was seven may not have been the best way to tell my friends), however I have always wanted those I care about and love to know Jesus as their Savior-friend. This belief has caused me to lead a Bible study in 9th grade, and go on 4 different mission trips.
Sometime during my teen years, I commited myself to reading through the Bible. I wrote a promise to God inbetween the pages of my New and Old Testaments and 6 years later, I finished. I learned a lot about keeping the promises we make.
Actually, in the last year I have learned a lot about my self. I dedicated most of last year to persuing God and what his will is for my life, and I have learned a lot. God created me with certain interests: i.e I like to write, to travel, to go out on the town, and He has given me certain dreams: i.e. I want to be the house on the block that everyone feels at home in. The place where people can have a cup of tea or a bowl of soup and just relax. An OASIS. A safe place for those around me to figure out who they are, what they are about, and how God fits into all of that.
This past year Isaiah 40, Proverbs 31, Psalm 45, and the book of Luke have been key for me.
And I finally feel like I have direction concerning my career. It was there all a long, I just lacked faith. Look for my teen book on amazon.com next December and my mystery novel out next-next summer. I don't know what the book will be called yet, but I'm working on it, and leaving the rest up to God. He is more than able to do above all that we can ask, or imagine!
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