Part 1.4: You Were Born for This - Blog Journal of "Writing In the Glory"

"For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew is Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." -Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Phew.  Sorry it's been so long since I've done one of these, but it's just been crazy lately and I've been posting some prewritten posts. 

I might be a little rusty. I've been working on my 'main hoe' novel, A Cactus In the Valley, however, this series is focused around my novel about a school shooting. 

1. What were some of your dreams and desires as a child? 

While my 'dreams' in terms of what I wanted to be have changed, the core value remains the same.  I don't want to be ordinary. I always knew that I want meant to do something more.  Something greater.

When I was a child, I never focused on my career. I just focused on what I wanted to do, what I wanted to be. I had wonderful parents who fostered the music inside of me, and let it play. Whatever I wanted to pursue, they let me, they supported me.  And of course, I had phases.  I wanted to be a figure skater for point-five seconds. But they stuck with the belief and faith that God had placed a gift inside of me, and that it was their job to sift through and search and bring it out in me.  

And I thank them tenfold for this. 

2. How have you seen God's hand in your life, weaving desires from long ago into your present situations? 

My favorite question :). Every once in a while, I will go back and read through old dreams I have had, and listen to tapes of the Good Ol' Christ The King days of people prophesying over me, and I am more and more amazed of how these things are coming true in my life now. Specifically, I remember many people telling me that I was going to be a servant leader. And this is what I'm doing now, in high school.  I am planting seeds of hope in a barren wasteland, preparing the way of the Lord in the hearts of the next generation. 

Not only that, I receive confirmation frequently that this is where I'm supposed to be - despite how much I despise it. I was heavily rejected at PCS, the school I went to from K-6th grade. They never understood my artistic creativity and passionate love.  They rejected my writing, which was blossoming in fifth grade. I became more and more uncomfortable in the tight mold that PCS was trying to shove me in. And halfway through sixth grade, I was convinced that I was supposed to go to public school. Not only was this being prayed about by my parents, but God placed the desire in me to go out there and explode into the woman of God I am today. 

Heh, I could talk about this subject for days. But all that really matters is how I feel right know, being secure and knowing that God's hand is moving in my life, that it's not all happenstance and that there is some meaning to this crazy world we find ourselves in. 

~

Then, it instructs to reflect and repeat a prayer. Following, is a self-discussion starter about releasing the message, etc.  Most of what this is should come out in the passage I write. 

Truly, the largest thing that's come out of me reading and studying along with this book is that this school shooting story needs to happen.  No matter how fetus it is in it's conception, no matter how underdeveloped or weak, it needs to be told.  And it will get there by the inspiration and grace of God. 

But God, I'm afraid. I'm afraid that the world will push back just as hard as I push it. I'm afraid that I'll never reach my goals, that I'll never get my work out there, that I'll be stuck in a dead end job with a life I hate. 

But my dreams are among the stars and my hopes high. I am destined for greatness, and called to love.  Anything else that happens is just a stone on the path of life that You have laid in front of me. 

All praise and glory be to Jesus Christ, to whom I owe my all. 

~The WordShaker

Beta Readers and Life Lessons

"Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself," -Frank Kafka

 Because I have no regrets, I have made another YouTube video - an update on the beta-reading process, which is entirely new territory for me, and as always some encouragement for ya'll.

Beta Readers and Life Lessons

Much love, 

~The WordShaker

Part 1.3: Transformation - Blog Journal of "Writing In the Glory"

"The act of giving voice to this spiritual suffering is the sacred duty of the writer," -Mo Yan

Third times the charm, I see. I'm so glad you're back for the third installment of my ongoing study of 'Writing In the Glory' by Jennifer A. Miskov.

Transformation.

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." -2 Corinthians 3:2-3

1. What impact do you want your life to have on others?

I want my books to speak to the deep places in people.  To entertain is the simplest, the shallowest, the least important of what I want to accomplish.  I want my books to have significance - writing without purpose is like eating just to eat, drinking just to drink - I write because I have something to say and that something is a message of hope that every soul needs.

2. What impact do you want your book to have on others?

I want this book to show people that even the worst of times can turn into the best of times - God turns our mourning into dancing.  That creativity can heal. That there is one thing that binds us together: the human experience - rich in love and hope and pain and fear, and above all, the ability of choice.

~

Much love,

~The WordShaker

Dear Future Husband,

"Look at the blank pages before you with courage," -Unknown

So I had this thing written for a while now, and I was planning on posting it today, but it was Friday and I was feeling spontaneous. So I filmed it. This might be a detrimentally bad idea, but I hope my husband likes it when we watch it later in life.

Enjoy! Let me know if you like this kind of stuff - I might do it again.

Dear Future Husband,

Immeasurable amounts of His love,

~The WordShaker

More

"The scariest moment is always just before you start," -Stephen King

I was meant for more.  I was meant for more than just a 9 to 5 office job.  I was meant for more than to be bound by the alarm clock and my evening drink. I was made for more.  I was built and crafted by the hands of God for more than just this measly, bottom line life where I work just to live nicely and save up for retirement. 

I was meant to live dangerously.  Extremely.  Exuberantly.  Joyfully and thoughtfully and richly. Knowing my purpose and future has given me so much to live for.  Knowing that I have a husband and children and career and ministry of my dreams waiting for me is the voltage that keeps me surviving on the hardest, coldest days. Knowing God's plan for your life is so crucial, because once you know that, everything else will fall into place.  

I was meant for more.  I was destined for greatness only God can bestow upon his children.  And when I get distracted by the fuss of live and discouraged by everything everyone else is doing, I have to keep in mind that this is my story, this is my life and no one else's except for God's. 

We all were meant for more. We are all meant for God's greatness and beauty and love, but we must tap into these riches by following the path he has laid in front of us.  It might not always be pretty or nice or easy on the feet or eyes. 

But hope.  Hope for the future, that things will always end up right because God is leading us stray sheep along. 

I was meant for so much more than this.  And so were you. 

Much love,

~The WordShaker

Poem: Equality Parts 1&2, and an Update on Mobile Orchestra

"Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words,"

-Edgar Allen Poe

A list of small facts about yours truly:

1. I am a bad, pathetic poet.

2. Please refer to #1.

But I was feeling inspired, so here's something I whipped up.

Equality by Olivia J

I.

Somehow, we have this idea

That we could all be the same in this area

But it's not hard to see that we're not all the same

Even though this causes much bane.

In this world,

I have been told

that equality is the answer

when our selfish desires are the romancer.

However, I am not trying to say

that malice is okay

because everyone deserves some basic human respect

but we must remember that diversity makes our world flecked.

The only point I desire to get across,

And I'll make sure not to gloss,

over the fact that human nature

is quite evil, and we should only denature

By the grace of Jesus Christ

because I know that my heart has been a heist.

II.

Equality can never be obtained

unless we are drained

of our imperfections

by the perfect one.

But what is equality, anyways?

Just a rouse to keep our insecurities at bay?

Accept and love yourself.

We shouldn't care about anyone on the lonely shelf.

If you're angry at society,

If this is a source of anxiety,

Why is it any of your business

that your peers make progress?

Even if you don't agree,

why can't we live in harmony?

Because harmony means different notes

and then, we could finally float.

And remember, that variety is the spice of life;

So, if I may ask, could we let go of the strife?

Lastly, I would like to give an update on my review of Owl City's Mobile Orchestra.  Like most of his music, it grew on me.  I like Can't Live Without You much more now.  I realize why Mobile Orchestra is so all-over-the-place, so to speak.  This quote, found on the Owl City website, explains it all.

“Mobile Orchestra is all about variety,” he asserts. “In the past, I’ve set out to make albums that were designed to be a singular listening experience, flowing from track to track. This time around, the songs are like ten rabbit holes that go off in different directions. I had never approached a record like this. I wanted to clear the slate and forget what I knew in order to create a new experience. I spent two years working on it, and it had the time to grow in between every idea. That’s why there’s so much going on.”

I understand the concept behind what Adam is saying here, I just don't know that I like it.  Again, it took me a while to get used to the blend of old and new sounds found on this album, but overall, I really do like it.

Peace, Love and Never Stop Writing,

~The WordShaker