NEW SONGS (Lorde and Carrie Underwood)

Some songs came out today! The first one is "Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde. It sounds weird, but it's actually great and I can see MockingJay in it!

This is the start of how it all ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I'm speeding up and this is the
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We're at the start, the colors disappear
I never watch the stars there's so much down here
So I just try to keep up with them
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
I think all the Hunger Games fans will appericate it.

Another song is "Something in the Water" by Carrie Underwood. Carrie Underwood is mostly country, but once in awhile, she sings a Christian song. This one is probably the most Christian of all, telling the story of someone's conversion. It's very powerful.

And now I'm singing all along to amazing race
Can't nobody wipe this smile off my face
Got joy in my heart, angels on my side
Thinking about it, I saw the heart and looked their head
No turning back, leave everyday, give it all that I have
Trusted someone bigger than me
Ever since the day that I believed I am changed

This is from her Greatest Hits album! Oh, and BTW, Alex and Sierra's new album, plus 1 Girl Nation's Christmas CD comes out next week. You might have heard me talk about Alex and Sierra. They're amazing:)

Hope you guys have a great week! What's your favorite song right now?
In Christ,
Sarah

About My Weekend

Hey guys! I don't have an idea for a post or anything, but I thought I'd tell you about my weekend.

For my birthday, we went skating. It was so much fun. I adore skating and though it has took many years, I'm more than decent at it. I'm not amazing of course, but I actually skated the whole time it was open (3 and a half hours) and didn't fall once. I was surprised since we played this one game and I was skating super fast. Four of my friends came with me too, including my best friend who I hadn't seen in a long time. We had a sleepover and stayed up till 2 talking.

Minutes ago, I finished The One by Kierra Cass. That's such a good series. It wasn't as clean as I wish it would have been, but I loved the morals it promoted. The ending was a little rushed, but I was beyond excited when I found out there is going to be two more works. THE HEIR is coming out next year. Yay!

I'll be 15 officially Friday, which is a little hard to believe. But I can't wait:) I'm not going to get my license until I turn 18, a family rule. My dad did say that I can talk lessons next fall. I could have this year, but you needed to sign up in April and he didn't know about it.

Tomorrow the lead single for the soundtrack from Mocking Jay comes out! It's by Lorde. I'm not a huge fan of her, but I love her voice and I think she's perfect for the soundtrack. I adored her cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" last year. Hopefully, Taylor Swift will also contribute since they're friends. Fingers crossed:)

Well, I hope to post a lot this week so stay tune. Thank you for reading!:)

P.S ONE MONTH TILL 1989!

Blogging Confessions:P

Today, I actually thought of something fun and original! Yay! I'm having a good week. Tomorrow's my party and yesterday I won Tessa Emily Hall's giveaway. I won an autographed copy of Purple Moon, plus some other great stuff. AND an autograph copy of Purple Moon!!! Let's just say I'm a little excited.

Today, I decided to write a post with blog confessions. If anyone wants to write a post about their own personal blog confessions, go ahead. Okay, I'm going to try to make this as interesting as possible.

1. I get 90% of my blog posts ideas in the shower.

I'm not sure why this is. I usually like to relax in the shower. Whenever I relax, I make a point to make sure my brain is hard at work thinking of new ideas. For some reason, there are blog posts. An idea pops into my mind and seconds later, I'm speaking out loud in sentences... yeah, I'm weird. But I'm related to Bernie, so what do you expect?

2. I don't comment on other people's posts like I should.

I feel terrible about this. You guys take time to post this wonderful comments that make my day and I haven't repaid you like I should. The best excuse I can think of is that I read a lot of blog posts on my iPod and it's a tad bit different to post comments on your iPod. BUT, I DO read them! Make no mistake about that. And I will try to get better about this.

3. At times, I've considered giving up this blog.
Let's just say it took awhile for me to get regular readers. I used to rarely get comments or any other indication that my blog was being read. (other than my stats.) But the thing was, my love for writing always seems to overrule my common sense. When other people would say, "This is pointless. No one reads my posts!" I say, "No one reads my posts, but writing is so much fun!" There were times when I seriously almost gave up. But now, I'm so happy that I didn't because I have so many good friends on blogging. Thank you guys so much for taking time to read my posts! So, new bloggers, don't give up.

4.   If I ever become a famous author, I never want to stop blogging. Like ever.
That is a MAJOR "if." I guess what I'm trying to say here is, no matter what happens in my life, and no matter how busy I get, I always want to blog. Especially if I become an author. The main reason is because I think it would be so cool if some of my favorite authors had a regular blog. Yes, some of them do and I know the popular ones are busy. But if I ever write a story that's good enough to be published, I always want to blog.

I was originally planning to write five, but four's a nice number too. Today is my "birthday" party. My birthday is actually next week, but I'm doing it a week earlier because this week is when my best friend is going to be in town. I haven't seen her in a few months so it's going to be so much fun.

Yesterday, I happened to watch "Ella Enchanted" for the first time in many years. And wow... it wasn't as bad as I remembered. The truth is, it was much worse. I hold Ella Enchanted dear to my heart because it was one of the books that got me into writing. The movie producers made it into some stupid comedy, when anyone who has read the book, will know that it is much more.

Well, I just felt the need to get that off my chest. Thank you reading this post:)

I Like Warm Hugs: A Song and a Frozen Thing

Hello! How are you? I'm happy to announce that I got a good grade on my science test. (I'm not to trying to brag, just excited:) Originally, it was written, I am trying to brag, but I meant to say I'm not trying to brag! Sorry! :P

 And... I will fifteen less than two weeks. Yay! I'm not sure what I should do on this blog to celebrate, but I'm thinking about a book tag that I could do. How does that sound?

Last night, I came across an old, official Frozen trailer that I don't think I'd ever seen before. I think there's a few things that aren't in the movie that are in the book. Like when Olaf says, "All you got to do is survive this blizzard." And Anna replies strongly, "That's not a blizzard. That's my sister."

I've seen the movie quite a few times and don't remember that part. They should have kept it in though; it's awesome. I also adored the poem at the beginning. If you're a die hard Frozen fan, like myself, I know you would enjoy this video.

I also came across this wonderful song by Sabrina Carpenter. If you watch Disney Channel, you know her from Girl Meets World. I absolutely love her style and voice. This video is so cute:)

 

So what's up in your life? What's your favorite song right now? Has anyone seen the Maze Runner yet? I won't see it until it comes out on DVD. I don't go to the movies often. I just watched Captain America 2: The Winter Solider. It comes close to being my favorite Marvel movie. The plot twists were so amazing:)

 

If you have time, comment and tell me what's up in your life! Thank you for reading!

In Christ,

Sarah

Purple Moon

I’ve done a post like this before, but I’ve decided to talk about how Purple Moon again, the amazing book by Tess Emily Hall.

Selena's life isn't turning out to be the fairy tale she imagined as a kid.

That hope seemed to vanish long ago when her dad kicked her and her mom out of the house. This summer might finally hold the chance of a new beginning for Selena ... but having to live with her snobby cousin in Lake Lure, NC while waiting for her mom to get out of rehab wasn't how Selena was planning on spending her summer. She soon begins to wonder why she committed to give up her "bad habits" for this.

Things don't seem too bad, though. Especially when Selena gains the attention of the cute neighbor next door. But when her best friend back home in Brooklyn desperately needs her, a secret that's been hidden from Selena for years is revealed, and when she becomes a target for one of her cousin's nasty pranks, she finds herself having to face the scars from her past and the memories that come along with them. Will she follow her mom's example in running away, or trust that God still has a fairy tale life written just for her?

What I loved about this book was how much God was in the center of it. Though Selena wasn’t a Christian and she did sin, I saw God clearly working in her life. At the same time, it wasn’t preachy. Austin wasn’t an unrealistic, flawless Christian. He had a story too and he had changed by the grace of God.

I read this book last winter after following Tessa’s blog for awhile. I couldn’t put it down. I really think it could influence someone’s conversion. Selena was a very relatable character. Even though we didn’t have many similarities, I could understand her.  She was just searching. She wanted to stop doing bad things, but she was trapped. We’ve all felt that way some time during our life.

Another thing about it was Selena’s love to draw. I stink at drawing, but I was fantastic by how Tessa used her gift to contribute to the story. Up until then, I didn’t think your main character’s talent was a significant detail, but she used it in an important way.

So whenever you can, read this book. I downloaded it on my Kindle app on the day it was free, but it’s still inexpensive and totally worth it. If I had the money, I’d buy an actual copy of it. Even if you are a Christian, Selena’s story is a wonderful reminder of God’s love for us and how he can truly change a life. If you’re not a Christian, do not hesitate to read it. It’s not preachy and it’s very relatable to everyone.

But, I will add, that this book does include some content that you would have to understand before you read. It presents all this content as sin and honestly talks about the consequences, but I still think you it needs to be understood. So definitely talk to your parents before reading.

To learn more about Tessa Emily Hall, read her amazing blog. It's also not too late to enter her giveaway!

 

A Book that Affects Me

As I mentioned in my previous post, I planned to enter Tessa Emily Hall's giveaway. One of the ways you can enter is to write a post about "a time when a book greatly affected me." Since I've been wanting to write a post like that, I decided to write one.

There are many books that have greatly affected me, but I think I only have time to write about a few. Of course, if you've seen my blog title and have been following me, you know I am a Christian. I believe the Bible is the truest, most life-changing thing you could ever read. Sometimes Satan tempts me. A tiny voice in my mind whispers, "How do you know this is true? What if you're whole life purpose... is for nothing?"

For a minute, I listen. But then God remind of this: I see Jesus everyday. Okay, I don't see him physically.  I see Him in the world. I read his stories. I see how He works in people's lives, not just in the Bible but today. I see him through other people's testimonies, music, and art. . I see Him in biology too. The only I would be able to see him, or even try to look for him, is through His Word. That's why I thank God for His book. Ultimately, I see him when he refuses to give up on him, even I rebel against him. He loves me.... the mess I am.

My parents have always strived to teach me about God. The Bible has always affected me for my whole life. Being a sinner, I don't always take the words to heart. More than often, I could have read something and forgotten about it minutes later. The wonderful thing about God is that because Jesus died, He doesn't count that sin against me. With him, I can find peace.

When I rededicated my life to Christ more than a year ago (about the time I started this blog), I remember reading these verses that have always stuck with me. Like a lyric to a song, only much more than that.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ---by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4

Do you realize what this verse means? It means that God loved us first, not before we had asked for forgiveness, but while we were still sinning. It never fails to blow my mind.

And now, this one. It's so unique and wonderful. I just love it.

"And I will have mercy on No Mercy. And I will say to Not My People, "You are my people." And they shall say to me, "You are my God."  Hosea 2: 23b.

God is talking to the Israelites who rebelled against him time and time again. But He still was willing to call them "His" again.

I am affected by the Bible every day. I must confess, I don't run to it like I should. I constantly fail.  Nearly everything in life is inconsistent. We all make mistakes. Things change. But the Bible stays the same. God stays the same. That's what's amazing. So if you don't have a relationship with Jesus, I encourage you to look into it. Life is never full without him. There is no hope without Jesus.

So can you tell me how the Bible affects you? I'd love to hear it! Thanks for reading!:)

Meeting Deanna Francis

Hi guys! We had an awesome time in St. Louis. It was a super close game and we won. Since it went into extra innings, we were able to go down next to the bullpen and watch the rest of it. Originally, we were on the highest floor.

Now I'm finally talking about meeting the teen author on Monday. She was at our library, talking about how her book, her writing process, and how she got published. Her name was Deanna Francis. She wrote a book called Taking Chances. Not only is this a well written book, it also greatly emphasized the horrors of child abuse. I liked it a lot.

Naturally, she was a good speaker and interested us. I wasn't bored for a minute. My favorite thing she said was that she didn't have an agent. She was her own agent. Almost every publishing advice I've read from authors is that it's impossible to get published without an agent. Honestly, I didn't know how that would happen for me. Hearing that you didn't;t have to have one was music to my ears!

Instead, she explained she did the Adopt An Author program. Basically, she said that it was a free program where amateur writers get mentored by a writer. When I went on the site, it sounded different from how she explained it, but I haven't figured it out yet. She got mentored by an author and they worked on her book. He recommended to his publisher.

The coolest part was when she was almost done. A man sitting near us asked, "Were you as young as them when you started writing?" He pointed to me and my friend, Mila. She said yes. "What advice would you give to them?" he asked. She told us never to stop writing, no matter what people think. Her mom thought she was weird for writing a book. Of course, she said it's good to listen to your parents, but if anyone tries to stop you from being creative, don't listen to them.

My parents are supportive of my writing, but I'm sure that's some of you out there that have family and friends that think you're nuts. Like what she said, don't listen. If it's something you love to do, go for it. That's what she said.

It was ironic because Mila and I are writing a book together. This might be off subject, but Mila is an amazing writer. If you read what she wrote for our book, you would think she's in college, but she's actually little younger than I am!

Afterwards, I had her sign my notebook page. I hadn't read her book then so that was all I had. Then we rushed out of there to do some quick editing before the library closed. We came pretty close.

Sorry if this was boring. I'm entering Tessa Emily Hall's giveaway and plan to do a series of posts according to that. I hope to have another post up today. Thanks for reading! IF you have time, comment and tell me what you think:)

In Christ,
Sarah

A Tiny Post

Hi guys! I promised to do a post about meeting the teen author, which was awesome, by the time. But... since we're going to St. Louis for a night to go to a Cardinals game, that will not be possible until this weekend. Sorry, stay tune. I only have one Cardinal shirt and I lost it. To improvise, I'm going to wear my red Taylor Swift shirt. Heehee.

Has anyone seen the Mocking Jay preview? It sounds awesome. I need to ask my mom for permission to watch it. The Maze Runner movie comes out tomorrow. It looks great, but I can already seen some errors in the trailer.

Right now, I'm reading the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. So far, they're awesome. I'll be reading them in the car on the way up to St. Louis. I'm also starting the Heist Society series which look so good. I am one happy bookworm.

Watch the Maze Runner trailer. Watching the trailer actually convinced me to read the book. It looks amazing!

I'm off to do my 100 for 100 Challenge. I'm having so much fun:)

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me

Alright, so I figured I owned you guys a post and... well.. my creative juices are fried from a stressful day at school. So instead of writing something completely original, I will have to do this very fun tag that I saw on one of my favorite blogs, The Wonderful Word of My Life by MaddieJay.

The Rules:

1. Copy and paste the questions below and then answer and turn them into a blog post. Or, record a video answering these questions and upload it to your blog post.

2. At the bottom of your post, tag anywhere from 2-10 bloggers you want to see answer these questions. (I also suggest hitting up your tagged people via social media just to let them know you tagged them to do this tag challenge.)

3. Use the title: 20 Things You Might Not Know About Me Blog Tag. Once you’ve hit publish, leave a comment below with the link to your post.

4. Use the hashtag #20ThingsBlogTag when sharing on social media so we can all find your awesome posts!

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, here are the questions.

 1: How tall are you?
Last I checked, I was 5.'4. Everyone used to think I was going to be a extremely tall person, but... no. That didn't turn out to be the case.

2: Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?
Hmm... well, I love to play piano, but I'm not that good at it. Other than that, I write some pretty good reports and I love to skate. I'm getting better at that, but it's favorite leisure activity other than reading and writing.

 3: What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?
Sometimes I write a long post and for some stupid reason, the time I try to publish it, it won't appear. I have a long blog post that I cannot post due to that reason.

4: What’s your biggest non-blog related pet peeve?
When people make mean assumptions. Earlier in the summer, I was at VBS talking to my friends. Somehow, the little kid show, Bob the Builder was brought up. Out of habit, I started to sing the theme song. I said, "How do I remember that?" One of my friends, who is the judgmental one of our group replies, "Because you're homeschooled." I wasn't that offended. Part of me thought it was humorous.  Mostly likely, he was getting back at me for laughing at him when he explained to me the reason why he doesn't like homeschooling.
5: What’s your favorite song?

6. What’s your favorite Etsy shop that isn’t yours?
I might sound weird, but I don't go on Etsy. I'm not sure what it is.

 7: What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone?
 Write, read, talk to myself, and hook my iPod up to the surround stereo and have my own private dance party.

Question 8: What’s your favorite junk food?
This is hard one. Probably Doritos.

9: Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?
I have a beagle named Rudo, (which means "love in South Africa) Before that, I had numerous cats, but now that I have a dog, I love it a lot more. Rudo and I are besties.

 10: What are your number one favorite nonfiction and fiction books?
You guys know this, The Hunger Games Series, but I also like The Charmed Life Series by Jenny B. Jones. Nonfiction book? Maybe Extreme Devotions by the Voice of the Martyrs?

 11: What’s your favorite beauty product?
Eyeliner. I barely wear it, but when it do, it's fun.

 12: When were you last embarrassed? What happened?
Bernie and I were looking for our dad at Walmart because he said he was going to meet us somewhere. A lady looked in our direction and said, "Have you looked over there?" I answered something like, "No, ma'am, we're just waiting for our dad." She walked past us and told us, "I was talking to her." I looked behind me and saw another lady. So... yeah

13: If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Does smooties count? If it doesn't, I love Root Beer.

14: What’s your favorite movie?
When I was younger, it was Camp Rock 2. But now, I would have to say it's a cross between The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug and maybe Thor 2: The Dark World.

 15: What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?
I guess I would be a cross between a nerd and a loner. I like to be myself a lot. But I'm still a freshman and once again, I'm homeschooled.

16:  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Maybe in the country near Nashville. It will be quiet and I can still go see all my favorite singers in concert.

 Question 17: PC or Mac?
I think we have a PC, but I'm not sure what the difference is.

 Question 18: Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?
I choose not to comment on this question.

 Question 19: Favorite celebrity?
Other than Taylor Swift, I would have to say Gabby Douglas. She's awesome.

 Question 20: What blogger do you secretly want be best friends with?
I'm friends with quite a few bloggers. Jessica and Lauren, perhaps:) Love you guys:)

I'm going to tag a few people, but if you're not on the list, don't take it personally. I don't have a lot of time to post. And if you're not on the list, by all means, do the tag please. If you want.

Lauren at Loving Our Creator
Emily at love, emily
TW at Ravens and Writing Desks
Eve at Eve of Womanhood
Sarah at The Very First Page

The Questions:

 Question 1: How tall are you?
Question 2: Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?
Question 3: What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?
Question 4: What’s your biggest non-blog related pet peeve?
Question 5: What’s your favorite song?
Question 6: What’s your favorite Etsy shop that isn’t yours?
Question 7: What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone?
Question 8: What’s your favorite junk food?
Question 9: Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?
Question 10: What are your number one favorite nonfiction and fiction books?
Question 11: What’s your favorite beauty product?
Question 12: When were you last embarrassed? What happened?
Question 13: If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Question 14: What’s your favorite movie?
Question 15: What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?
Question 16: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Question 17: PC or Mac?
Question 18: Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?
Question 19: Favorite celebrity?
Question 20: What blogger do you secretly want be best friends with?


**This blog post is a part of the ’20 Things You Might Not Know About Me’ Blog Tag started by April from Blacksburg Belle. She began this blog tag experiment to build community among creatives, help us bloggers to connect more and get to know each other better. This month’s topic is all about sharing just a little too much information about yourself. If you’d like to participate or want more info,check out the beginning post right here.** This is from Maddie's blog. I wasn't sure if I was suppose to put this on here.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you do it, tell me in the comments. Thanks:) I'm going to meet a teen author today. I might post something about the advice I learned. Oh, and BTW, I signed up for the Go Teen Writers 100 for 100 Challenge. I'm very excited about that. Today's the last time to sign up and if you love to write, I highly recommend that you do!
In Christ,
Sarah

Stuff Going On....

Hello friends and fellow book lovers!

Alright, so school hasn't gotten much easier. I have this hard science test that I didn't know was so hard until yesterday. Now that I know I'm doing my best trying to study for it. Since I don't plan on going anywhere tomorrow, I do plan to post something better than this. But why dwell on sad things?

Well my birthday's coming up. *squeal* It's less than a month actually. Oh how time flies! I'm going to be 15. Now I can finally go to the sating rink and ask them to play "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift. (A beautiful song by the way) It took me awhile to understand that song but now I do... let's just say I love it! And since it's my birthday, I can ask for the new Percy Jackson book!!:)

Has anyone seen the new Mocking Jay trailer poster? Well, save you the trouble. Here it is. Isn't it MINDBLOWING??? Okay, so I'm not allowed to watch the movies, but with some convincing, I might be able to convince my parents. Fingers crossed. And Katniss's pictures in the movies are always awesome.

So have you heard about 1989? I'm getting more and more excited about it. So many reasons to be excited for October. Taylor Swift has revealed titles tracks for quite a few songs for her new album, including one called "Style." I'm sorry. I have to laugh. I have to admit.... I'm a little nervous. Her Rolling Stone interview was a bad. But every one of these songs sound great. I guess I'll just have to see. I don't think Taylor's going down Miley's road or anything. Look at this quote:

"[Being nice has] always been important to me, that's always been a priority. Every artist has their set of priorities. Being looked at as sexy? Not really on my radar. But nice? I really hope that that is the impression. … I don't care if that's not cool, to seem nice or not. I'm not that focused on being cool and I never have been."

Isn't that awesome? Don't find many people like that in the secular industry. Without the bridge, "Shake it Off" would be perfect. "It's like I got this music in mind saying it's going to be alright." I love that line. It might be my favorite Taylor Swift line.

I have all-year-long science project that requires me to find fifty different kinds of birds. So far, I have four and this is by far, my favorite. The ruby throated hummingbird. Isn't it adorable? I've never been much of a bird person, but this project has opened my heart up to the beauty of God's creation: birds.


Thank you for reading? What are doing in school? What are some new things that you've learned that interests you?

 

Besides being a very sweet song, this song reminds me of a few of my novels. So I love it:)

Well, I got nothing now. God bless!

Reading: Wuthering Heights

Just finished: Pride and Prejudice, Outcasts by Jill Williamson

Want to read: Taking Chances by Deanna Francis. (She's a teen author I'm going to meet Monday.)

We Are Broken

I have something to confess. I cry a lot. It doesn't take much for me to cry. Though I'm not a drama queen, it doesn't take much for me to shed tears The weird thing is, rarely do I cry while watching a sad movie or reading a depressing book. (But I will admit, I cried a little during Captain America, when he and his girlfriend talked for the last time) Maybe it's just my nature, but at times, I feel like a weakling because of it.

Usually, it just takes someone to scream at me to make me cry. It doesn't even have to be an insult. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not a strong person. Like in the poem I've published, unkind words are said to me that still live in my mind. That's my fault.

But what I have to realize is, even the strong people have their breaking point. People have different ways of showing their emotions: some by spilling out and others hiding it. (I'm a little in between the two.) Stories, music and ultimately real life has shown me something the world tries to shut out of our minds.

We are broken people.

Yes, we can be happy. We can be strong. Through it all, we do have insecurities. You don't have to cry to be sad. You don't have to break down physically to be broken. Many try to hide it, but no matter how well we keep it hidden, it will always come back to us in the end. Like a slap in the face.

We are broken.

This week in Sunday School class, we read a passage in Revelations. In it, John takes about seeing the Son of Man. At first, he is terrified and falls to his knees. But then Jesus does something interesting.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But He laid his right hand on me saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore..." Revelations 1:17-18a.

Isn't that amazing? There he is, like a worm in front of the powerful, amazing God. He doesn't scold us for our mistakes. He doesn't comment on how weak we are compared to him. He lays his right hand on us and tells us not to be afraid. That's the God I serve. And wow, does that make me happy.

The world tries to tell us otherwise. Feminism songs tell us that we don't need a man. Hollywood tells us that we are strong, that we deserve a great life. The truth that we avoid is, we're not strong. We are needy. Jesus knows this. Despite our pride, He tells us to fear not. He encourages us. He tells we are loved, we are wanted. Does he deny that we are helpless? No. Instead, He gives us life.

So yes, I am a weakling. I do cry more than I should. But Jesus doesn't turn me away. He forgives me, the mess I am. The great thing about this is... we don't have to be broken to come to Jesus. We can be the biggest mess in the world and He loves us anyway.

This song, though not Christian, is so true and honest. I love it so much.

Yes, I've posted this song before, but it's amazing. Other than being catchy, the meaning behind it is life changing.

Hope you like this post! Comment and tell me what you think. It would mean the world to me if you do:)

In Christ,
Sarah

A Poem About...

This is a poem I wrote for Literature Class. This is my first time taking Literature and it's already my favorite subject. It was inspired by William Blake's style of poetry, among other things. I wrote it about how the meaning of justice has been twisted in our country. It's heavy, but I hope it makes you think.

We say we are the land of the free;

But sometimes I feel we are too dense to see

The sorry, the pain, the unjust happenings

All in the name of liberty

 

Innocent voices, small and frail, are shut out

While we live happily, without any doubts.

Do we have compassion? Do we have sense?

Good is forgotten for the sake of convenience

 

Things that used to be shameful are put in the light.

The darkest, disgusting things now seem to be bright.

And if, by chance, you happen not to agree,

You are judgmental, but it is not what it seems.

 

I wish they could possibly know

The consequences of what they have sown,

The pain they have caused for generations to come,

If it makes you happy, then you may hurt someone.

 

By no means, do not cease to tell them

That right has been twisted and good is seldom.

Yet we still say we are the land of the free;

But justice has gone and so has liberty.


My awesome dad decided to publish this in his weekly article for the newspaper. (not our local newspaper) He also added some comments that I've decided to put on here. My dad is a great writer and his teaching is one of the inspirations to this poem. I would be so delirious without him.

Dad’s comments:  The type of liberty promoted in pop culture still has rules and control.  While the freedom to sin requires many behaviors, it restricts many others as well.  That is the deception of sin.  It promises every desire satisfied – but can never deliver.  “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness (Romans 6:20).”  To live a sinful liberty is to forgo the pleasures of Jesus, forgo receiving and giving mercy, to not grow in divine wisdom.  Sinful liberty opposes the fruit of the Spirit of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and longsuffering.  Joy in suffering is foreign to a devout sinner.

When we are free from what is right, we are slaves to what is wrong.  When we are slaves to what is right, we are free from the power and allure of sin.  Either way, we are controlled by a power greater than us.

Christian liberty includes limits and boundaries as well.  Those restrictions save us (and those around us) a lot of pain.  As for choices, the field is wide open to enjoy God’s world as He sees fit.  “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalms 16:11).”

No one is his own sovereign, for there is only One.    

Thank you for reading! Comment and let me know what you think, please. Thanks:)
In Christ,
Sarah

Captives Book Review

Well, I finally got around to doing this! Yay!

Author: Jill Williamson, who has a great writing blog here.

Captives is the first book in the Safe Lands Trilogy. She also just released the final book in the trilogy, Rebels.

Back cover: In a dystopian future, eighteen-year-old Levi returns from Denver City with his latest scavenged treasures and finds his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many–including his fiancée, Jem–taken captive. Now alone, Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.

Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Lands has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago … and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar’s dreams.

Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only the people of his village, but also possibly find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone within the Safe Lands’ walls. Will Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Lands’ façade before it’s too late?

What I liked: As I might have stated before this, Jill Williamson is an amazing author. This is my third book I've read from her and it was just great. I read on the way up to Savannah last month. I wanted to save it, but it was just too exciting. It captured my attention and didn't let go until the end. The plot was unique.

The romance was well done. It wasn't in your face and mushy. Instead, it was sweet and believable, even though I didn't see the couple before they were engaged. More than that, it showed the consequences and the pain that can come out of a relationship with no commitment. It opened my eyes to see the problems of rejecting traditional family.

Even though this book was narrated by three boys (and a girl), I still loved it. The POV characters were at particular age levels. I liked all of them. Each was different. Like all her other books, God was played a big part in this story as well.

What I didn't like: Some of the advanced technology was hard to understand. Most of the time, Omar was an idiot. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when he finally did come around, it was a last option thing. I wasn't sure if he wanted to help or if he just wanted revenge. There were some details about taking drugs (an advanced, future world way to take drugs. I'm unsure if it was real) that I thought didn't have to be mentioned.

Content: Instead of showing the actual sinful scene, Ms. Williamson showed what happened afterwards. A girl asks Mason to spend the night with her after he spent the evening at her house. (They're friends at this point) He firmly refuses. On the other hand, Omar, who is much more immature, apparently does spend the night with his girlfriend. The actual scene is not showed, but the aftermath is. I didn't know this until it was mentioned in Outcasts, the second book. I missed it. There quite a few kisses with married and unmarried couples. All of this is showed as sin and the consequences are made clear.

People are shot. Omar beats up someone. (not shown, just mentioned) There are a few other violent scenes, nothing graphic. Omar does drugs and drinks. Other characters do as well, but he does it mostly. Women are described to be dancing in immodest outfits since they go to a "dancing club" some of the time.

Conclusion: I loved this book. It was spiritual and down to earth. The sin was showed as evil so much that it didn't bother me as another normal book would have. Realistically, it described a world that has rejected Jesus and the traditional family. I love the characters and the plot. This is a great book,  but I would definitely discuss the content with my parents first. I'm almost finished with Outcasts and love it too.

Have You Heard?

Hello bloggers! I'm so sorry I haven't be on my blog in so long. To be honest, school kind of hit like a ice bucket of water. Apparently, I have to get used to it... four more years. And then college. Ah. The life of a student.

Well, let's be positive, shall we? On a much happier note, I went to a used bookstore today in search of a bird identification book for my science. Not only did I find the book, but I also bought used copies of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and... The Book Thief. Since The Book Thief is heartbreaking and beautiful in many ways, I was happen to search for it and I found it! Yay!

Oh, and did anyone hear? Last night, it was announced that Disney will be making a Frozen animated short (mini movie)! And a new song! Apparently, it's not coming out till Spring 2015, but it's something to look forward to? Did that not just make your day?

If school doesn't kill me, I plan to write a review of Captives by Jill Williamson. (A great book, by the way) I should have it up tomorrow. Sorry for the wait.

Thank you for reading this post! Hope you're having a good school year so far!:)

In Christ,
Sarah

Reading: Outcast, by Jill Williamson and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (again)
Want to read: The One by Kierra Cass and Rebels by Jill Williamson
Listening to: "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift. "My Everything" Ariana Grande