Back to School...Again

I have started school back. Well, kinda--I'm in my third week of school and between different canceled classes, I still haven't had a full school day. The slow start is nice, though. Gives me time to adjust.

My busiest class so far has actually been creative writing. Now, wouldn't that be something--if my elective course turned out to be the hardest. I really enjoy it though. I'm learning a lot about developing characters. For every page of story, there's about a hundred pages of backstory.

Story:
Emily misses Maggie

Backstory:
How old are Emily and Maggie?
How did they meet?
Why does Emily miss Maggie?
What do they look like?
What are their hobbies? Dreams? Fears?
What other friends does Emily have?
Does Maggie miss Emily?
...(I think you get the point)

Anyway, that's all I have for now. There's been a kind of void in my mind the last few weeks--I haven't figured it out yet. But it is impeding my blogging abilities.

Book Review: People of Sparks

People of Sparks

Jeanne Duprau

Imagine coming up from an underground city and seeing the sky for the first time. Everything would seem so strange, so new, so exciting. And survival would be a challenge.

When the residents of the underground city of Ember emerge from their dying home, they find themselves with no provisions and little knowledge of how survive in this unfamiliar post-disaster world. Fortunately for them, they meet the people of Sparks who agree to take these refugees in. That's just where the story begins, however.

The people of Ember are just over four hundred--the people of Sparks are just under. Food is precious, and with twice the mouths to feed, tensions build quickly. An accident occurs and the blame game ensues. The people of Sparks despise their ungrateful guests, devouring the food they worked so hard to produce. The people of Ember cry injustice when they feel they are being treated unfairly. And so it goes, back and forth, back and forth, escalating until the fire is out of control.

People of Sparks is actually the second book in Jeanne Duprau's "Ember" series. The first book, "City of Ember" tells how two twelve year old children, Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet, lead their people out of their dying city before it is too late and the lights shut off for good. I haven't read the third or fourth books yet, but I loved both "City of Ember" and "People of Sparks."

The books are written more for children, but I enjoyed them and the lessons are important for everyone. Finding hope in a dark world--that's what it's all about.

Crazy, Lazy Days

It's been a while since my last post. In all honesty, the book review was filler--my mind was pretty blank. These last few weeks have been pretty crazy and pretty lazy. Visiting friends, getting sick, watching movies and facebooking, blocking netflix and facebook. Oh, and yesterday was Peculiar People Day so, of course, my family had to celebrate.

School starts back in a week, so these crazy, lazy days must come to an end. I've got a short story to write, a website to touch-up, a paper to revise, and a life to live. And my brain is already suffering from laziness withdrawals (laziness is primarily a mental condition, rather than a physical condition). One day at a time...one day at a time. Goodbye, crazy lazy days! Hello Life! (help me, Father)

Book Review: Hunger Games Trilogy

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

What if you were selected to participate in a game of survival, a battle to the death with 23 other teenagers? What if your younger sister was selected for this "honor"? This is the situation Katniss Everdeen was faced with.

Hundreds of years in the future, the American continent is under the rule of the tyrannical Panem. The Capitol has organized the country into twelve impoverished districts. No one may leave their district. Every district must supply two teenagers, a boy and a girl, to participate in the annual Hunger Games. Only one comes out alive. When Katniss hears the name of her younger sister, Prim, read as the next contestant in these cruel games, she doesn't have to think twice about volunteering to take her place. But the Hunger Games turn out to be much bigger and much deadlier than she ever expected.

These books (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) are filled with action, drama, and a little romance, but my favorite part about them is the deep themes Suzanne touches upon. Suzanne explores the power of kindness, the psychological effects of war, and the effect of a symbol. This is the story of a rebellion against oppression and a stand for justice and love. It is the story of a girl who doesn't quite understand the effect she has on people--the power of one small act to change everything.

Once you start these books, you won't be able to stop as the draw you in every step of the way. The characters felt real, the plot was intriguing, and the themes in this book make for excellent discussion. I felt the ending was slightly lacking, but overall, I would recommend these books.

"I think...you still have no idea. The effect you have on people....None of those people we lost were idiots. They knew what they were doing. They followed you because they believed." -- Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)

Survival

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 -- 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith, hope, and love--these are the three most important ingredients to survival, to life.

Faith--Trust. A sense of truth. A foundation. Without some kind of trust, some kind of truth, we are tossed about like a ship in a storm, alone with no one to anchor us down. Faith is our anchor. It keeps us steady and provides a foundation, a lens through which to view everything else. Where is your trust? What do you know to be true?

Hope--A reason to go on. A hopeless man has no chance at survival because he has no reason to survive. Sure, he may go on from day to dragging day, but without hope the spirit quickly dies. Without a promise of something better--of rest and peace and joy and the restoration of all things, what is there? Life becomes the vain emptiness that the writer of Ecclesiastes talks about. Hope is that light at the end of the tunnel, the rainbow at the end of a rain storm. It is the promise of something better. What is your hope?

Love--Kindness. Compassion. Love is at the very heart of our life. It is what binds us together as one in this present moment. It is what gives life to the little things. Without it we turn selfishly inward and cut ourselves off from everyone else. Outside that flow of love, we stagnate and die. We need both to love and to be loved for life to flow through us. Who do you love? Who loves you?

Faith is our past, Hope is our future, and Love is our present. Without these three things, no man can truly live. With them, one can conquer almost anything.

The Little Things

In my latest reading adventures I have been noticing a lot about what makes good writing. One of those things is paying attention to the little things. The polka dots on a tie. A broken fan blade with cobwebs hanging from it. A flock of birds silently passing overhead. Little things that seem totally insignificant and from a logical point of view add nothing to the story. Yet, remove these little things and the story ceases to have life. Why? Because a story must do much more than take you from point A to point B. It must paint a picture.

I believe life is the same way. Sometimes we are guilty of missing the forest for the trees, but sometimes we focus too much on the big picture. Day to day life fades away as the little things are eclipsed by the phantom "big things." But think about it--if all that matters in life is the big things, then most of our lives are filled with nothingness. And if you remove the little things, what really do you have left? Life is in the little things. A silent walk with a friend. Watching the storm clouds roll in. Holding the door open for a stranger. Dancing in the rain and jumping through puddles. Letting your little sister put you in time out just because she says you need one. Life is not simply about getting from point A to point B. It's about the picture you paint with each and every moment you live.

Challenge: Take a week and each night write down one of the little things of that day and what it means to you. Learn to appreciate the little things and you will learn to make every moment count.

People

I've been thinking about people recently. How we look at different people. How we need people. And the simple fact that people are people.

There are so many cloaks that sometimes blind us from seeing people for who they really are. Outward beauty and charm (or lack thereof). Dress. Beliefs and doctrines. Race or nationality. Sometimes we uphold people as idols because we see their fame. Other times we look down on people because we see their struggles and sin. But often times what we see is nothing more than a mask. Can you really judge a person unless he opens his heart honestly before you? And I would guess that in our hearts we are all a lot more similar than we think. Broken, struggling, looking for hope and love and purpose. Wanting to know that we matter, that we are beautiful inside. Seeking something, but we know not what.

We need people. When left on our own, we are easily broken. We need family. Ecclesiastes 4 talks about this. We need people to encourage us. We need people to challenge us. We need people to love us and for us to love.

People need us too. They need us to look past the their appearance, to look past their accomplishments and failings, to look past their race and religion and see them for who the really are. They need to be loved and encouraged and challenged. But most of all, they need a friend.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  -- Hebrews 10:24-25