In Which I Think Out Loud about Earthworms

A couple of weeks ago, I made a bold statement.

I. Hate. Earthworms.

At my biology class, our teacher made us draw an earthworm. And not like anything you would imagine. On that cold afternoon, she handed us a simple outline of a earthworm's body... before preceding to walk us through the drawing. We had to fit in 22 parts of the earthworm in that little space. Yes, those little slimy things actually have 22 parts!

By the end of the walkthrough, my mind struggled to process thought. Many times before this, I wondered, "How is knowing how to draw an earthworm going to benefit my future? It's not like a publisher is going to walk up to me and say, 'I loved your book, but because you lack knowledge in the invertebrates of Kingdom Animalia." 

Uh, no.

I'm sure you relate. Not only is school difficult and time consuming, but sometimes I wonder... why? I want to go into journalism. Why must I be forced to memorize the definitions of the parts in a snail? (I did have to do that)

But, recently, I think I figured it out. It hit me in the way that was obvious.

God made the earthworm.

Okay, okay, that might sound silly, but just think about it. God, the omniscient, all-knowing, Creator of the universe thought of an earthworm. Actually, he did more than that! He gave it those 22 parts. He gave it life!

God, the deity that hung the stars in their place, imagined an earthworm. No one would blame him for dismissing the idea of an earthworm as a silly idea. After all, He is God.

But He didn't do that.

He created something so small and so insignificant to us, for a purpose. Earthworms loosen the ground and help farmers. They might seem too tiny for consideration to me, but they do make a difference in this huge world.

Maybe I won't use my knowledge of the earthworm in a critical way. It won't get me into college or get my book published. But the earthworm is a living thing. God is so amazing that even something as little as earthworm reflects his glory!

So, God gave the worm all the things he needs to live. Imagine how much He cares for you.

Renew My Desires

Lord, what I have is not enough

But still, I just can't give it up. 

I know you're everything I need.

But words are easier than deeds.

I am so selfish sometimes

Caring first about myself

Even though I keep it in

It's nothing less than sin

I need more than a little help.

Father, please drown me in your mercy
And quench the flames of my flesh
By myself, I can't get out of this mess
I'm trapped in a silly fantasy
But You are more than I can see.
So, by your grace,
Teach me to walk in your ways.
It is only with You I can inspire
And renew my desires.

Awhile back, I went through the motions often. I read my Bible every day, but it was more of a chore than a passion. I confessed my sins and prayed, but I did not have the relationship with God that I wanted to have. The problem was, as hard as I tried, I didn't have the desire to pray. I didn't want to study the Bible the way I should have. Honestly, I dwelled in it, not knowing what to do about it.

But I grew and I realized something. It's not me. By myself, I do not have the desire to do the things I had to do in order to learn from God. I would rather listen to music than memorize a Bible Verse. But I prayed for a long time that God would give the desire to do it, to feel the need for Him. I think I finally have that. He has given me the desire to walk with Him, a desire I could not possess without Him.

Thank you for reading. What has God shown you recently?
 

Beautiful Words #4

God is bigger than the times we fail. So why can we not forgive ourselves?- Francesca Battistelli, You Never Are

Mini Reviews:P

This post was originally meant for Monday, but due to the business of life, I got it up a little late. Hope you like it!

Hello, friends! Around here, kids are Spring Break, but not me! I’m recovering a bit from a tough week, due to most our family being sick and more freezing snow. I’m sorry, but I’m a little sick of the winter. Spring is on its way though—Yay!

To help with my blogging slump, I decided to get a little more consistent with my posts. I love reviewing books, but (shocker) I read a lot, way too much to go into depth about everything. So I decided to do the next best thing… Mini reviews! Every other Monday, or sooner, depending on my time limit, I’m going to start a Mini Review Monday, in which I will review the interesting entertainment I decided to invest my time into.

Let’s get started!

Book: All Fall Down, by Ally Carter

Genre: Action/Adventure, Young Adult, Suspense, Mystery, etc.

Pros: Ally Carter never fails to deliver a totally intriguing story world. So many countries, yet one place. I must confess, it took me longer than normal to actually grasp it, but it really is genius. And the team! A set of diverse characters all working together for the same goal always brings a story to life, don’t you think? Who isn’t more of an expert in writing lovable teams than Mrs. Carter herself?

Grace was rough around the edges, but I ended up liking her. Alexei was good in his own big brother/cute romantic interest sort of way. But none of this chumps compare to Noah. From the second he broke into Grace’s bedroom, Noah had my love. He was hilarious beyond belief, but also down-to-earth and relatable. He brought Grace to life and never failed to give my heart a spin.

Cons: Honestly, it was a little hard to connect to Grace. I was on her side, but at the same time, I wished she would have lit up a bit. It would have been easier to trust people if she would have left her own pity party half the time. Still though, she was probably the most broken protagonist Ms. Carter ever imagined, and for that, I’ll forgive her.

Rating: 5 stars.

Book: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairytale retelling

Pros: I hesitated to read this book at first because the whole idea unnerved me. Cinderella as a cyborg? Whenever I think of a “cyborg,” I picture those creepy bugs in Wreck-It Ralph. But this book surprised me! I love surprises. For starters, the story world was another amusement park. Aliens always rub me the wrong way, but I really liked the idea of people living on the moon. It was very well developed and easy to understand.

I adored Kai. He was sweet and real for a prince. This author was not afraid to shed blood and make her characters suffer. That made the story all the more heartbreaking and memorable. In the end, I loved Cinder. So many people underestimated her, but she chose to move forward.

Cons: But seriously, the “plot twist.” Who didn’t see that coming?
Rating: 4 and a half stars

And last, but definitely not least… Big Hero 6! Normally, I don’t review movies, but I had to make an exception for this one.

Pros: You think Disney couldn’t get much better with Frozen, but they come really close! Big Hero 6 was awesome! I heard people talk about Baymax and how he was “the next Olaf.” I thought, “Yeah, right.” While Baymax was not quite as adorable as Olaf, he was perfect. He such a unique concept, being a “personal healthcare companion.” Apart from him, all the characters were so lovable and original. The message portrayed in the story was surprisingly meaningful, that revenge is always a destructive road. Will anyone agree that this is the best animated movie of 2014? Apparently, the Oscars do! This was the best!

Cons: Nothing, really. Watch this movie!

What have you been reading/watching?