No End of Books

I know, the title sounds wrong.  However, I felt as though that was the best way to convey this switch to a new year.  I typically take this time to look back over my year and sketch out my hopes for the coming year.  (Last New Year's Eve, I wrote that I wanted to start a blog in 2017.  Cut it close, didn't I?)  Oh, and by the way, this isn't going to flow neatly or be anything specific.  I just wanted to do something for New Year's, and it grew.  It always does.  :D Anyhoo, I always find it too sudden - this transition into a fresh start.  When I think about it, though, I realize that the New Year is almost a picture of our salvation.  When we accept Christ's sacrifice, we are immediately made new.  No strings.  No return date.  No broken promise.  In the same way, as soon as the clock flips from 11:59 to 12:00, the year is over.  There's no going back, only forward.  And the year is new, clean, fres...

Good Christmas morning to all y'all out there!  It is freezing cold (to the tune of six degrees below zero - *shiver*) but bright and sunny and beautiful.  Besides, it isn't Christmas unless you can't feel your extremities, right?  Of course, right.  (Please imagine the preceding statement in a Yente accent. :)  Anyhow, I'm enjoying the ridiculous amounts of goodies, the amazing music, and the family time.  However, I just wanted to pop in and say: Merry Christmas!  Take a break, eat too many cookies, and take some time to remember, even during this hectic season, that Jesus is the greatest gift of all.  Never forget the true reasons for this glitzy time of year.  One thing I find helpful for me is to take some time by myself, just to pray and think about the true meanings of this wonderful miracle of redemption. Christmas blessings to y'all!  Brianna

Yes, I know it's Christmas, but I didn't think of that until this was fully written.  Plus, six days before Christmas is probably not the BEST time to start a blog off the top of your head.  Oops!  :D  Anyway, this post is kind of inspired by the Rebellious Writing movement.  You could call it Rebellious Reading??  Hope you enjoy! My standards, my friends' standards, culture's standards, what do they all have in common?  Not much.  Swearing, in culture's eyes, is completely acceptable - even regarded as "realistic."  Premarital sex is a part of teenage exploration.  Drugs and alcohol carry no consequences.  Nearly every song on the popular radio stations exalts these behaviors and promotes them as normal, acceptable, right.  But what are Christians called to?  We are called to higher standards, to shine the light over an increasingly dark world.  In John 17, Jesus is praying for believers everywhere.  He says: ...

So, I didn't have anything planned, but I did have a short story which I'd written over break.  I hope y'all don't mind; I'm just trying right now to make sure everything links to what it's supposed to.  Here goes: A mirthless smile creased your face in familiar lines, as you gazed at the city. You relished the sense of belonging, while preserving a total disconnect. The lights from the skyscrapers sang to you. But you ignored their beckoning. Or did you? Perhaps their call turned you forever against them and forced you to this. With ease, that's how tons of concrete and twisted metal fall. Screams are music, laughter pain. The siren's song of sky-scoring structures and sinuous streets has brought you to this utter destruction of all the people hold dear. Ah, the people. They have shunned you to this day. No, not openly, but you hear the constant whispers, see the covert glances, feel the shuddering fear. Power scares them. It intoxicates you. When ...

So, we’ll be tackling an interesting topic today – a question I’ve recently been asking myself as I try to discern what’s important in my life.   Why write?   I’m not even sure that anyone is reading this.   Why am I doing this – putting myself on the web and sharing things close to my heart?   Believe me, when I have an answer, y’all will be the first to know.   Meanwhile, you’ll have to content yourself with my philosophical, rambling explanation, which may or may not include random bits of wisdom (but no promises.)   Here goes.   *deep breath* *produces soapbox from thin air* ·          I believe that creativity is imitation.   “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and we imitate our Creator when we create our own limited worlds.   As we are created, we long to create – to honor our Creator or to fill a need deep inside our hearts.   The best imitation, however, co...

Why, hello!   Welcome to my blog, where you may not find what you’re looking for, but you’ll find something .   No promises on whether it will be helpful, however.   If you are wondering why I’ve started this blog, (after all, there are millions of them out there and plenty about books) it’s to fill a sad shortage that has plagued me for several years.   As a Christian and a homeschooler, I had an extremely difficult time finding good books to read as I grew older.   I would browse our local library’s website for hours and come away with only a few titles.   I found a few resources, ( Redeemed Reader and Plugged In ) but they primarily focused on books for 9-12-year-olds or books for adults.   Unfortunately, I fell right between the age gap.   I was tired of reading short books with shallow plots, but you can only re-read Narnia and Lord of the Rings so many times.   So, after that long explanation, I’ll get to the point.   The ...