Book Review: Sacred Sex

Sacred Sex Embracing Your Sexuality as God Designed it

Author: Dr. Tony Evans

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Number of Pages: 74

Nonfiction: Sexuality, Christianity

Date Read: 04/22/2014

Summary:

     Morality. Relativity. Right and Wrong. The issues we face are complicated and everyone has an opinion. But who has the answer when it comes to sexual issues?

Sex dominates our popular culture to a degree we've never seen before and unrestricted sex is being touted as a shortcut to personal fulfillment and satisfaction - but it's a counterfeited and cheapened imitation of the real thing. Respected pastor Tony Evans refuses to let the voice of God be drowned out amidst the clamor of the crowd. Discover what God says in His word regarding why your sexuality is important and why sexual immorality is devastating. Discover how to maintain purity and enjoy true intimacy in marriage - the real fulfillment and satisfaction that God intended.

This summary was taken from Goodreads.

Star Rating:

     3.5 Stars

Content Rating:

     PG (recommended to 16 & up)

Reaction:

There were some good points made in this book about sexual purity, here are four things I liked about it:

1. I did enjoy the focus on the spiritual aspects of sex, and it did outline the emotional affects pretty well (though it would have benefited from more definition, and scientific facts to back it up-- citation, citation, citation, people...). The spiritual aspects have never been very well explained or talked about in depth with me, so it was enlightening to actually read how so.
2. Fun fact that I learned (but possibly knew in the past), was in biblical times if a husband found his new wife not to be a virgin on their wedding night and charged her for it, the family would have to provide the cloth that they slept and she bled on to prove she was and save her from the charges. Don't ask me how they got it, because I don't know.
3. I really enjoyed learning more about how the marriage covenant reflects God's covenant with us. Yeah yeah, we know sex is good within marriage, blah blah, but this book did make the connection and showed how it reflects God's covenant with us, and how when I husband and wife are together intimately, they renew-- recommit-- to that covenant with each other.
4. I liked the section that touched on when a husband says he wants to meet his wife's sexual needs, but does not meet her emotional needs throughout the day so he can later then meet her sexual needs, then he does not mean he really wants to meet those needs. He wants to meet his needs.   For women, it's different; if you aren't there for her when she needs you at 10am, until you want her at 10pm, then you're fooling yourself and it's just about you. (This does not justify or give a wife reason to deprive her husband and not meet his sexual needs though.)

Unfortunately, I expected a book that was going to enlightenment me on why I needed to make sex something sacred in my life, something that explained to me how it was more than just physical pleasure or even emotional connection while backing it up with facts, and an eye-opening attempt at convincing and proving to me that this was better for my life.

Instead I was disappointed and found a book that told me what to believe, though it did use a lot of Scripture well, rather than sharing more supportive evidence.

If I am completely honest: this book feels like it is an "advanced reading copy" and still in need of work. I do not regret reading it, because in truth there are some good qualities to it, but I will be looking to read other books on the subject of "sacred sex" because I am sure there is another book out there that shares this principle better.

Critique:

Truly, what bothered me most about this book were the few times that Tony made statements and did not further back them up with research, facts, personal experiences... something other than his own word.

Here is one of the few examples from the book that bothered me deeply:

"So Paul says that to avoid immorality, what men and women must do is save themselves for marriage. The fact is that some people were so sexually active before they got married that they were running on low octane after they got married. Their passions burned too early, and now they had burned low because they did not keep what was special and sacred for the marriage bed. This helps explain the high sales of Viagra and other performance-enhancing drugs. (page 49)"

This one in particular gets me fired up. Where is your proof? He makes a pretty sound statement, but I see nothing that truly holds up, "This helps explain the high sales of Viagra and other performance-enhancing drugs." I cringe at that sentence. Tony opens up an entirely new topic, slapping it onto a somewhat decent paragraph to make it sound dependable, and then drops it. He never touches on the subject again throughout the book.

Did he really only want to get his two-cents in there and that's it? Back it up, please. 

Secondly, this is not a very approachable book for those who are not a Christian. I understand Christians may be the target audience, but this is a huge downfall and I am very disappointed because I expected a book that was approachable. Sacred Sex is filled with Christian words that lack definition and explanation. Rather, I would prefer if Dr. Evans had taken the time to avoid those cliche, church words all together, even that would have made this book more reader friendly.

Aside from those two things, my last quarrel are a couple sections in Dr Evans book where he could have expanded upon the thought he was expressing. It's a bit harder to share an example of this, but there were times when I was reading, it was getting interesting, and then the section was over. That's it? Ran through my head a couple times.

Ultimately, I am not embarrassed to have read about sex, it's a topic that interests me. What this book lacks, however, is content. It really needed to be longer. Of course I enjoyed that it was short and easy to read, but it was too short.

Reading this review make you squirm?
Did you find it too harsh or unforgiving?

DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for posting an honest review. Thank you, Moody! If you are interested in having a book reviewed by me, you can check out my about page and contact me here.

New Glasses & Nudists

My style is something I have been building over the last couple of years. And I have been putting it off for months, but I finally started trudging through store after store in search of a new pair of glasses. It was an experience that stretched me, and got me thinking about style.

No, in case you’re worried, this is not just a girl’s post about fashion, but I do want my clothes to reflect me as a person and not one particular style. Ultimately I want a wardrobe that is unique to me and my lifestyle, and is not defined by trends or what’s popular.

I want the flexibility to be more than one kind of person

 when it comes to clothes.

I probably tried on a hundred pair of glasses before I settled on these, but I was worried-- they were different and new-- even though I had been ogling over this cat eye meets hipster librarian style for months. Most people liked the frames I had before, and by getting new ones I knew I would risk positive and negative feedback. I had a fiance, family, and really close friends who I would much rather like my glasses than tolerate them. My relationships are not grounded in my looks, but I was still worried.

It’s hard, especially when we all can find things we don’t like about ourselves. Clothes are something we have control over when it comes to our image and who we want to be stylistically. I have had a lot of ups and downs since I made the decision to dress how I really wanted to dress a few years ago, including the style of glasses I wore, and have had to battle the embarrassment and insecurities of not fitting in or not looking good to others...

Even when I wear something that could be deemed “stylish” or trendy.

Actually, I wanted to fall in love with the way I looked. Not in a self-absorbed, vein desire for beauty in myself, but an appreciation and delight in the beautiful, wonderful, and mysterious way God created me.

Let’s face it, God created man and woman to be naked. That’s something I fully believe. Our original adornment was our bodies. The uniqueness of shape, size, color, hair, smell, and whatever else you can think of was God’s spoken masterpiece. Until we sought to open our eyes, and ate the fruit God had forbidden us to eat. We fell and spoiled the experience, beauty, and unashamedness of being able to see and even enjoy each other’s bodies without it being something deemed wrong, dirty, lustful, and sinful outside of marriage. I’m not talking about having sex with any and everyone here, or lust, I’m talking about enjoying aesthetic beauty: things that are pleasing to the eye. 

God was not hiding from us something we rightfully deserved to know, I think He was saving us from ourselves and was planning to give us a better life we could enjoy. 

I am no pervert when I say I would love to be in a world where it is okay to be completely naked, and we could go through life in a way where that was not such a shameful, wrong thing to do.

Do I think it’s possible to change our thinking? Should we all become nudists?

No, unfortunately, I think that is a mistake we will have to bear for the rest of our lives. It’s a touchy subject that I do not know much about, but I do know that God covered Adam and Eve. Whether He did it for their own well-being because they were embarrassed by what He created, or because they had cheated themselves of a wonderful existence that could have been theirs… I am not sure.

Maybe that is something that can be restored, I do not want to doubt the power of the Holy Spirit to change our way of thinking and living. However, that has not been a particular subject that God talks about restoring in this world from what I have read in Scripture.

What on earth does this all boil down to?

My desire is to enjoy and flatter the body that God has given me, rather than try to change my appearance. I am not saying that clothes are bad, or make-up is bad, or getting a new hair cut is bad, or that shaving is bad, or anything like that. I am saying that for a long time I have been stumbling along in a discovery of finding my beauty and worth in something more grounded than anything I could try to manage and control (like my looks).

I still brush my hair, enjoy styling it, wear makeup sometimes, and prefer clothes that make me look and feel “better”. There’s a different mindset I have to constantly choose to live by though in order to enjoy my appearance and still honor God. I have to be in sync with Him, and understand His way of perceiving beauty.

I have to know that God doesn’t want me to despise and shamefully hide the way I was made. He also is guiding me in how I dress so that I point others to Him and not fall easily into the pit of being admired and complemented by others (both of which I think are acceptable things, but they’re a problem when they get to our head).

I think He wants you to live that way too: free to express your true beauty and style preferences. Not so you can seek to offend or harm anyone, but in a way that frees you from conformity and allows you to enjoy being you (even if… *looks around nervously* you’re a Christian!).

God sure thinks you look good: Genesis 1:31.

God Told Me to Build an Ark

Except this ark is made out of Google documents, red pens and highlighters, pages of paper, lots of ink, and a hardback cover. Still clueless? I'm talking about a book.

This was my year to write a book.

Several times this year I have wanted to give up on that plan altogether, but I had a strange albeit real conviction that God was telling me, "No, I want you to write a book. Just not yet."

I've been eaten up inside because I do not have an idea I can stick with. Today I was pretty annoyed that I did not know what to write about. I have tons of ideas, but I can't seem to make any of them pan out or focus on them long enough to pull a book out of it.

That's when it hit me... "Not yet, Marissa." I am not supposed to write a book yet. God is going to give me that idea, that certainty of knowing what to write, it's just I am not ready for it. At first I did not know why He was telling me this, but now I understand that it must be in part because I am not ready. I fully believe He’s right.

It was my light bulb moment.

For once, I am not supposed to think or try to write a book. Do you know how hard that is for me? I've spent so much of my life slipping in and out of the "thinking about writing a book" mode.

I am going to keep writing. That's exactly what I feel like He's telling me to do. However, it won't be for a book or in that mindset. My blog has been on my mind a lot lately, and I've been considering just stopping and getting rid of the whole thing.

It's not time to throw in the towel unfortunately. Instead I have some wimpy creative and writing muscles that need exercised, and I am afraid my readers will be put through the ringer as I pursue that.

There are a lot of people who are actually writing good stuff about life, dating, marriage, sex, creativity, being real Christ followers, healthy living, authenticity, fashion, pain, fitness, joy, cooking, and whatever else you can think of.

My challenge is this:

to be intentional about blogging

and

to just write what needs to be said.

One statement I am going to avoid with a passion is saying, "This is something we need to be talking about," and I am just going to do it.

I may not be completely original, or come up with a new formula or way to approach things, but I can add my voice to the ones who are making a difference in their writing. And I can say things in my own unique way. 

Saying all of this is to prepare you... I am going to start talking about some weird, awkward, taboo stuff for me, things that I do not usually write about and post on the internet.

I'm ready to start putting days into original, heart-pouring-out blog posts instead of a couple hours. I am ready to recommit, to be raw again, authentic, and unafraid to write about what I am really pondering over. I have been prepared and commissioned to do so by my Lord.

I have a lot of butt-kicking, stinky sweating, muscle cramping, fitful screaming, fear stomping, doubt smashing, adrenaline pumping work to do. Wanna come?

It’s time to build an ark. 

Good bye, book-to-be. I do not know when I will see you again, hopefully soon, but right now I have some other writing to accomplish. I will get back to you when it's your turn.

Book Review: Into the Whirlwind

Into the Whirlwind

By: Elizabeth Camden

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Genre: Fiction; Historical Romance; Christian Fiction; Chicago Fire

Number of Pages: 374

Overview:

     As owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, Mollie Knox's future looks bright until the night the legendary Great Chicago Fire destroys her beloved city. With her world crumbling around her, Mollie will do whatever it takes to rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating fire.

     Zack Kazmarek, an influential attorney for one of Chicago's finest department stores, is a force to be reckoned with among the city's most powerful citizens. Bold and shrewd, he's accustomed to getting exactly what he wants-- until he meet Mollie Knox, the beguiling businesswoman just beyond his reach.

     As the people of Chicago race to rebuild, Mollie comes face-to-face with the full force of Zack's influence. Zack believes this may be his chance to win her, but can Mollie ever accept this man and his whirlwind effect on her life, especially with her treasured company on the line?
(It's what's on the back of the book.)

Star Rating:

      4.25 stars (I liked it a lot.)

Content Rating:

     PG (recommend to 15&up)

My Opinions:

     What I liked/loved - This book kept me reading. It was interesting, exciting, and romantic though clean. I loved seeing the interaction between our two main characters, even if I sometimes wished I could strangle them. The ending was sweet too. And the Chicago fire? What a nightmare! Camden's scenes, I felt, were very believable and seem realistic to what it would have been like to experience such a catastrophe.

Camden did a wonderful job with Zack Kazmarek, I definitely loved his character and how enduring he was. Mollie made things interesting, and it was fun to be inside her head. Getting to understand their relationship from both perspectives made this book stand out for me because it wasn't too cheesy. I knew what she didn't know, and what he didn't know, and despite their rough patches, I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked how their relationship panned out; it wasn't full of only sweet, tender moments or fake over-the-top angst. It was a bit more realistic, though still fictional. Try reading this book and not falling for Zack... it's almost impossible.

     I would recommend this novel! And will definitely look forward to reading another novel by Elizabeth Camden.


The Quality:
     Once again, this is a book for pleasure reading. I have not read any of Camden's previous novels, so this was my first read of hers. I was impressed with her writing, though I think it still has room here and there for improvement. Her crafting of sentences gives the writing variety, but it is easy to follow along and read. What I have found is that the reading level of some romances, even historical romances, can easily become too young and feels dumbed down, or are full of long, complicated sentences. Camden created a novel that was easy to read and understand, without feeling like it was a 6th grade reading level.

     Her descriptions were blended in well, without overpowering the story. She is also consistent throughout her novel. I did not find any mishaps or inconsistent facts. Well done! I look forward to reading the next novel she publishes in hopes of her writing improving even more, because I see a great potential for beautiful, enjoyable storytelling from her.

Content (For Those Who Wonder):

     Language - None that I know of.

     Sensuality - Some, a little kissing, or an embrace here or there. This novel is very clean, making it appropriate for most ages, though it will obviously be more enjoyable to older teenagers and adults.

     Violence - The Chicago fire adds an intense element to this novel, and while realistic, it is not too graphic or gruesome by any means.

     Other - This is a Christian, historical romance and faith is incorporated into this book. Thankfully it seemed to fit in fairly well, and was not something merely added on top or worse seemed phony and overpowering.

Check out this book on:  Amazon or Barnes&Noble!!

Have you read this books? Any related books? What were you thoughts?

I'd like to know!

Book Review: 31 Days of Praise

31 Days of Praise: Enjoying God Anew

By: Ruth Myers with Warren Myers

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Shifting My Focus

Number of Pages: 158

Overview:

    "I know I should praise God, but I don't know how . . . I don't have time . . . I just don't feel like it." Christians who long to experience God in a fresh, deep way will treasure this powerful, personal praise guide. Every day for just one month, a Scripture-based devotional cultivates the "heart habit" of praise and worship. Readers will be gently inspired to appreciate and adore the Lord in all things - yes, even in the midst of pain, disappointment, and heartache. A deeper intimacy with God - and a greater love for Him - is the sure result.
(Summary taken from Goodreads and is also what's on the back of the book.)

Star Rating:

     5 stars (I really liked it.)

Content Rating:

     G

My Opinions:

     What I liked/loved - I started reading this at a time in my life where I felt like I needed my focus to be more on praising God. I was struggling in my life, and now dealing with tiredness, anxiety, and discouragement. It was the perfect time to start reading this book. It has been a wonderful tool in helping me realize first hand and experience the benefits of praising Him, and how my praise in turn further enriches my life. I would highly recommend it! I will most likely be reading and using it again.

Check out this book on:  Amazon or Barnes&Noble!!

Have you read this books? Any related books? What were your thoughts?

I'd like to know! I am always open for new reading suggestions as well.

Book Review: Amanda Bell

Amanda Bell

By: Jeff Minick

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Fiction; Adult Fiction; Modern-day Fairytale; Catholic Faith

Number of Pages: 349

Overview:

    "I get the job done." This is Amanda Bell's credo, the bedrock principle she ruthlessly embraces as a supervisor at Saxon & Henle, an Atlanta Law and accounting firm. Ambitious, tough, and disciplined, Amanda demands the impossible from herself and her subordinates. Despite their hostility--their kindest nickname for her is "The Immaculate Perfection"--her success in the corporate world seems assured.

But is it?

What happens when carefully-laid plans unexpectedly explode? What happens when a storm demolishes cherished dreams, when dreams themselves are blown to dust? What becomes of the heart when it hides behind the walls of an interior castle, locking out friendship, affection, and love?

Twenty-seven-year-old Amanda Bell is about to find out.

In this modern fairy tale, a woman devastated by crushed hopes and a vicious assault finds herself on a strange new path, searching for release from her self-imprisonment. On her journey Amanda encounters characters usually associated with the Brothers Grimm: a wicked witch of a homemaker, a best friend witty and sharp as an elf, a wise old priest with a bag of wizard's tricks, an architect in the dented armor of a knight-errant, a ghost offering solace and light, and four motherless children. Amanda's life will never again be the same.

(Taken from Goodreads, and it is what's on the back of the book.)

Star Rating:

     4.75 stars (I really liked this!)

Content Rating:

     PG-13 (recommended to 18&up for adult content)

My Opinions:
     (Before I even go into the "I loved this" and "I liked that" let me note that this novel does contain some adult content, and thus I would not recommend it to teens. Keep that in mind as you read this review.)

     What I liked/loved - I wasn't sure what to expect when I began reading this book. Mr. Minick is an old school teacher of mine and I was glad to support his first self-published work.

When I finished this, I must say I was so happily surprised.

This is a bit different from what I typically read, and I don't usually pick up adult novels regularly, except for Ted Dekker's stuff. Also, Mr. Minick is Catholic and incorporates this faith into the book, but it was not offensive at all and we actually see this religion from Amanda's point of view-- who doesn't practice a particular belief. We read her questions, doubts, and disbelief; we see the things she doesn't agree with, and that helped me to accept the differing religious views of this book.

The characters in this story were wonderful, realistic, and so very well written! I fell in love with them; Mr. Minick has done an impeccable job of fleshing out his characters. I don't know how he did it. *applause*

Why read this book? Because it's one of the best modern-day fairytales I've heard of/read/watched, without all the cheesy-ness. Seriously, I was a bit surprised how this book tied in the word fairytale since it is obviously a modern-day book. This book also takes the risk of exploring real love, not the stuff of Hollywood.


     What I didn't like/hated - There was a fair amount of language in this book, something I wish had not been there, but it doesn't stop me from having enjoyed it so much. Otherwise, nothing that I just didn't like.

There was one or two characters who really got on my nerves, I wanted to slap them. Hard. But they were supposed to be characters who weren't very nice, so this isn't a downfall to the book. Mr. Minick just did a good job at making them rub me the wrong way. A really good job.

The Quality (of Writing):
     By the second half of this book I was falling in love. Though this story is not perfect, its strong points redeem any and all of its low points. For his first published work, Mr. Minick has reserved a spot on my bookshelf and I will be on the lookout for more by him.

This book began a little rough, there were so many descriptions that I felt like it was way too much, but after about 50-100 pages in, the flow slowly started to change pace and improved greatly. I realize the book started out viewing things the way our main girl, Amanda, did. Thus, there was a reason it was written that way. So I would let it slide because the book did start out well-- there was just a thing or two I didn't care for.

The first third to half of the book was a bit intense, but after that things settled down, though stayed interesting. Somehow Mr. Minick has written about everyday life in a way that was entertaining and thought-provoking, kept me wanting to read more, and made me feel happy.

What a unique blend of intensity, romance, suspense, and reality.

Now the last thing I will mention is how well this was edited, I would shake hands with Mr. Minick if I could and tell him: Well done! Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to catch those little mistakes... For not being one of those self-published authors!

But something that did get me was that a dozen or more times I found apostrophes or closing quotation marks that were backwards/the incorrect ones. I know this is silly to complain about, and I can probably explain how it happened (though I won't bore you). However, I still caught it. Every. Single. Time. There may have been a word missing in one of the sentences too, but I can't remember exactly and sometimes I read stuff wrong. Overall, this book definitely shines some positive light on unprofessionally edited novels.

     My final words, read this book! Even if you aren't Catholic, I would highly recommend this to adults (because of the content). Seriously, give it a try. There are some really refreshing thoughts, discussions, and chapters in this book that can get you thinking while giving you an escape. It's a magnificent blend of modern-day and fairytale, it connected these two words together beautifully... Just try it and support a new author.


Content (For Those Who Wonder):

     Language - There was quite a bit of language. Half a dozen "b" words, a couple "d" words, and a few other degrading names for females. The Lord's name was mis-used twice, which really seemed unnecessary to me and bothered me. An offensive slang term, and mention twice of someone "cursing". "Go to h*ll" once, and someone is called a "witch" a few times.

     Sensuality - Yes, there is quite a list of things that could go here, though nothing descriptive really. There is some kissing, maybe a little passionate but it's not too titillating. One character is r*ped, this scene was not too descriptive, but we were there with the character right up until the act nearly (r*pe itself is something that deeply touches and offends me, so that did affect my opinion of the book for a little while and was hard to get over). I feel this was a necessary part of the book though. The character the suffers from a couple nightmares after that, where at least one is of her boss atop her n*ked-- nothing else said besides that.

A character meets someone who had a one-night-stand, but nothing is said past that, though that character advises them not to tell his wife about it. Mention of a town having homos*xuals, and a woman who "seemed angry about having a v*gina." The word "breast" though not used sensually, appeared in the book a handful of times-- I just wished he would use a different word and not have mentioned her bathing or putting lotion on (again, it's not sensual).

Now, after all that I must bring up one more thing. The word s*x is not absent from this book. A character is r*ped, she asks/talks about the church's perspective on s*x, and we also have characters who are spreading around gossip that two characters might be sleeping together (simply because they're under the same roof). Two characters are tempted to be together, but they don't, despite what they want.

     Violence - A character is beaten up pretty badly by two other men before she is r*ped. A woman was supposedly murdered accidentally, but no description, the murderer jumped off a bridge and was killed by an oncoming vehicle.

    Other -  Though there are no dealings with drugs, it is mentioned that a neighborhood's alleys are "home to drug dealers and prostitutes." There is mention of people getting drunk, but no situations with them. There is quite a bit of alcoholic beverages consumed throughout this book, mainly a glass of wine or occasionally a beer-- again it was not offensive and did not involve bars or pubs.


     So, as always, I let you know what was in the book and you decide what to do with it. I hope this helps! Despite some of this "iffy", though realistic, content-- I recommend this book for adults!

Check out this book on:  Amazon or Barnes&Noble!!
You can also get the Kindle Version from Amazon!

Are you considering reading this book? Any related books?

I'd love to hear from you!

The Story Begins in 2013

2013 “Today is the first blank page in a 365 page book. Make it a good one.” - ???

I read something like that somewhere today. (<- Yes, very descriptive, I know.) I plan on doing that, making this year’s story a good one, because this book character decided to make some New Year’s Resolutions. First, however, I need a trusty sword for this journey through 2013 and mine is my survival kit.

Here’s what my survival kit for 2013 looks like:

1) I need some goals. New Year Resolutions suit this purpose quite well.

(1. Read 50 books.  2. Draw 1 picture a month.  3. Exercise a minimum of 2 hours a week.
4. Stop biting my nails...  5. Try something new every month.  6. Write 300 words every week.
7. Get a car.  8. Keep up with all the stuff I do via either blog, journal, picture, videos, voice recordings, etc.  9. Read my Bible everyday.)

2) To make it in 2013, I also need The Book Lover’s Journal. (If you take a look at my New Year’s Resolutions, particularly the first one, you might understand why.)

Now this is a book where I can record and review everything that I read. I stumbled upon it one day in Barnes&Noble and fell in love. Blessedly, I received it as a Christmas gift. I cannot wait to use it! Below is a little sneak peek of what it looks like on the inside. Anyone interested in a book review of a book reviewer??? ;)

3) I need my faith in a God who sustains me. With all the moodiness and adventures that come with being a character in my book, I need more than just something or someone to get me through. (Sorry, Prince Charming, you just aren’t going to cut it.) I need the One who created me in the first place, who loves me enduringly, and made me the secondary character in His story for me. (More plot development on that secondary stuff later.)

4) Do not forget plenty of grace, mercy, and love to go around. . . Did I forget to mention I’m not perfect? Yeah, I’m not and I need a lot of that stuff up there (grace, mercy, love).

5) Words. Bunches of words because I really like them. A lot. <3

I already have a great family, some of the best friends out there, a healthy dose of schooling (yuck), and plenty of books to keep me occupied. But this year is going to be different. This book character has some life changes coming her way between turning eighteen, graduating, starting college, and writing (which is always an adventure). So why not keep track of it? Why not write down my experiences somewhere like. . . I don’t know. . . a blog? I know, I thought it was a clever idea too. ^_^ Well, sort of, I greatly dislike being unoriginal and blogs seem to be pretty popular nowadays. So I am still iffy about the whole idea of blogging.

Am I the only one that thinks of Gollum, in J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels, coughing on that word?

“Blog-blogging. . . Blogging. . .”

Anyways, why not give it a shot though? See what comes of it? I have 365 blank pages to fill, and a wonderful plan that God has written just for me. Seems like the perfect set up for an interesting novel.

How does it feel to be the secondary character in His story?

Come along and we’ll find out.