There are some things that just don’t shape. Pine nettles and corn chips are two of them. A third is book characters. Other writers might say I’m wrong and maybe this is because I’m an amateur, I don’t know. All I do know is that they don’t shape into what you want them to once they are ‘dry’.
I always start out with an idea, a saying they will say all the time, a secret that they will carry. Something of that sort. This is when they are ‘wet’. This first scene is where you can mold them as best you can. After this first scene they take on their own route and they find their own characteristics. I just type and it comes naturally. It’s like chopping a piece of wood. You can chop it but only if you go with the grain. If you don’t go with the grain, it’s possible but the result is messy. I’ve come to the conclusion that what God wants written is what I’ll write and He’ll use it. This means that characters don’t always turn out exactly as I planned. Then again, some do. It all just depends.
This is just another place in my life that I’ve realized that I must say, “God, what ever you want! Use me; show me what to do. Help me.” I can’t form the characters, but I can give them nudges in the right direction. God will just have to show me what to write. Without Him, I’m nothing. If He is not with me in this, then why am I doing it? If it’s not for Him, then I have no reason to write.
I write for You, Lord. Show me what to do!
Mandy
Our Fireworks
I took this picture at a fireworks display a few years ago.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Our Visit to Edgemont
Mom and Dad wanted quality time with us kids so they packed us into the car and we disembarked on an hour and a half drive to Edgemont. Megan got car sick and moaned in the back seat. Melissa helpfully sat and read the whole time. Jon picked on me and ate. And Julie complained about something or other every three minutes. Real great quality time!
An hour and a half is a surprisingly long time in a car with that many people. Somewhere in the ‘red zone’ Julie was commenting on the pretty yellow flowers. Jon then informed her it was a weed. Dad then informed him that it was alfalfa not a weed. So, the most interesting topic on the way there was alfalfa. This does not mean there wasn’t a constant blare of voices (mostly Jon’s).
We finally reached Edgemont, a nice little town with a park, library (LOVE the library!) and a museum. Us kids went to all three while Dad looked at a job for some friends. The air smelled like boiled eggs which isn’t bad if they really are boiled eggs but it’s just not a natural smell for the air in a park.
After those stops we went back where we were fed ice cream. I never before knew it was a crime not to have seconds when dealing with ice cream but when the friend of our parents got done with us it was obvious that not eating seconds was bad form. We ate seconds.
And then we were off again. After all that ice cream we were hyper. If you have ever gone in a car with a champion football team you probably know how we sounded. We sang every song we could think of and as loud as we could. We were off key but we didn’t care. We sang all the louder!
Can you guess what we did then? We made up poems. Actually, my siblings came up with lines and I wrote them down. This is not a small feat with four kids telling you a different way of putting the line, with the car bumping and with random loud snatches of songs every few minutes added in just for fun. You’d think it was confuse Mandy day. Anyway, here is what it turned out like. I think it’s pretty good, even if I say it myself. You’ve got to keep in mind it was written by five hyper children, in a car.
A Poem by Us:
There once was a badger named Fred,
By chance he was rather red.
He really loved to eat bread.
But one day he ran out and said,
I have now run out of bread!
So, he tried to eat duck tape instead,
But he got it wrapped around his head,
And now he is laying in bed.
That is the story of poor, poor Fred.
There was also one about a cow but it’s too long and ridiculous to write, so I won’t.
An hour and a half is a surprisingly long time in a car with that many people. Somewhere in the ‘red zone’ Julie was commenting on the pretty yellow flowers. Jon then informed her it was a weed. Dad then informed him that it was alfalfa not a weed. So, the most interesting topic on the way there was alfalfa. This does not mean there wasn’t a constant blare of voices (mostly Jon’s).
We finally reached Edgemont, a nice little town with a park, library (LOVE the library!) and a museum. Us kids went to all three while Dad looked at a job for some friends. The air smelled like boiled eggs which isn’t bad if they really are boiled eggs but it’s just not a natural smell for the air in a park.
After those stops we went back where we were fed ice cream. I never before knew it was a crime not to have seconds when dealing with ice cream but when the friend of our parents got done with us it was obvious that not eating seconds was bad form. We ate seconds.
And then we were off again. After all that ice cream we were hyper. If you have ever gone in a car with a champion football team you probably know how we sounded. We sang every song we could think of and as loud as we could. We were off key but we didn’t care. We sang all the louder!
Can you guess what we did then? We made up poems. Actually, my siblings came up with lines and I wrote them down. This is not a small feat with four kids telling you a different way of putting the line, with the car bumping and with random loud snatches of songs every few minutes added in just for fun. You’d think it was confuse Mandy day. Anyway, here is what it turned out like. I think it’s pretty good, even if I say it myself. You’ve got to keep in mind it was written by five hyper children, in a car.
A Poem by Us:
There once was a badger named Fred,
By chance he was rather red.
He really loved to eat bread.
But one day he ran out and said,
I have now run out of bread!
So, he tried to eat duck tape instead,
But he got it wrapped around his head,
And now he is laying in bed.
That is the story of poor, poor Fred.
There was also one about a cow but it’s too long and ridiculous to write, so I won’t.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Suffer for God
On Sunday, Pastor Nick's Sermon made me think.
God says that we should say, “Lord, if it be Thy will, let us do this or that.” So, if someone asks at a job interview, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” We should reply, “Where ever God wants me.”
Being a Christian is not easy. If an easy life is what you want then you are not cut out to be a Christian. Christians are beaten, their belongings ruined, their dreams smothered, and killed. You think it only happened in the Bible? I dare you to look around at the world. It’s happening now. Right now, this minute, people are dying for God. This isn’t easy and if you want easy then don’t come here.
Why do people become God’s people then? Because, God is bigger than the biggest problem. God is love so pure that we need Him. God is grace, the only grace that will save us from sin and set us free. Because in the end, after all that suffering, we’ll get a reward so much better than anything anyone can imagine. Why do we stay when in that much pain? Why? Because we have faith and because when standing for God there is so much more to life. And nothing, not pain or death, can take away the peace, the calm, the love, the hope, the wonderful feeling to know beyond any doubt that God loves us. And no amount of pain can take us away. No amount of pain could make us regret. Not if you are truly God’s.
Even when we have no more strength. Even when we have nothing left. Even when we’re at life's darkest hour - we have God’s strength. He gives us what we need to go on one more day. One more week. One more year. Just one more for Him.
But if you want to sign up, beware. For you must give it all, not just some. Going to church and giving money isn’t all it takes. You better be ready to do God’s will, what ever it is, where ever it is.
God, whatever you want. I’ll do it because I love you. I’ll do it because you loved me first. I’ll do it because failing you hurts worse than any other pain can. I’ll do it because I want to help so much. But, Lord, first you must show me. Show me, Lord, please.
Mandy
God says that we should say, “Lord, if it be Thy will, let us do this or that.” So, if someone asks at a job interview, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” We should reply, “Where ever God wants me.”
Being a Christian is not easy. If an easy life is what you want then you are not cut out to be a Christian. Christians are beaten, their belongings ruined, their dreams smothered, and killed. You think it only happened in the Bible? I dare you to look around at the world. It’s happening now. Right now, this minute, people are dying for God. This isn’t easy and if you want easy then don’t come here.
Why do people become God’s people then? Because, God is bigger than the biggest problem. God is love so pure that we need Him. God is grace, the only grace that will save us from sin and set us free. Because in the end, after all that suffering, we’ll get a reward so much better than anything anyone can imagine. Why do we stay when in that much pain? Why? Because we have faith and because when standing for God there is so much more to life. And nothing, not pain or death, can take away the peace, the calm, the love, the hope, the wonderful feeling to know beyond any doubt that God loves us. And no amount of pain can take us away. No amount of pain could make us regret. Not if you are truly God’s.
Even when we have no more strength. Even when we have nothing left. Even when we’re at life's darkest hour - we have God’s strength. He gives us what we need to go on one more day. One more week. One more year. Just one more for Him.
But if you want to sign up, beware. For you must give it all, not just some. Going to church and giving money isn’t all it takes. You better be ready to do God’s will, what ever it is, where ever it is.
God, whatever you want. I’ll do it because I love you. I’ll do it because you loved me first. I’ll do it because failing you hurts worse than any other pain can. I’ll do it because I want to help so much. But, Lord, first you must show me. Show me, Lord, please.
Mandy
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Cruising At 0.5 MPH
My day started out just as it always does. I got up, dressed, eat and wrote. Completely normal. After that it was just normal as the rest of the days of this week, and several of last week. I went to paint with my mom and dad and Melissa well the other kids stayed here and did random things about the house.
Painting didn’t end the same, though and it ended short and with us sopping wet. It rained and near about ruined our hard work. That was the end of the painting venture.
We left about 1:00 but that was nothing new because it had been 1:00 every time we got in the car all week, our clock still being broken (sort of).
Afternoon was a bit less eventful. Actually, it was down right boring. We were all just waiting for the grass to dry so we could mow and get it over with.
So, there I was, mowing through the three feet of grass at the pace of a snail. Our lawn mower, despite how old and unreliable, can cut practically anything. When it is running, that is. At a low-ish part, about one and a half foot, I could go at two, which was close to half a mile per hour. I was cruising at the pace, compared to the original 0.2 miles per hour. I spent a spell at two and got myself to move the lever, despite what my little voices were yelling (you know, those voices of reason that aren’t always reasonable) ‘what are you doing? Three is too high!’. I was practically flying! A whole mile an hour! Before the end of the day I was going at four and was kind of comfortable. Note the ‘kind of’.
My thoughts during these hours were rather random. Okay, they stayed on one thing and by the end of mowing I was so bored of it I could have screamed. My mind did not get the memo, obviously, when it refused to move on. It remained stubbornly routed there.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted. At the beginning I’d been tired but now I was just plain worn out. But…there is always a ‘but’, right?...I was happy. Why? One, that subject I was stuck on was Mom’s, which is never a bad subject. Two, I had a ton to be happy about, I was going home, I had some ideas for book scenes, and the hope that tomorrow I might get a letter from one of my three pen pals. Last, but definitely not least and if I’d been smart I would have put this as reason number one but I didn’t, God loves me always!
So, even though my day wasn’t all that grand, at the end of the day, I got lots blessings. Thanks, but I’m too tired to count them all and I doubt you want to sit here for the next year.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Painting didn’t end the same, though and it ended short and with us sopping wet. It rained and near about ruined our hard work. That was the end of the painting venture.
We left about 1:00 but that was nothing new because it had been 1:00 every time we got in the car all week, our clock still being broken (sort of).
Afternoon was a bit less eventful. Actually, it was down right boring. We were all just waiting for the grass to dry so we could mow and get it over with.
So, there I was, mowing through the three feet of grass at the pace of a snail. Our lawn mower, despite how old and unreliable, can cut practically anything. When it is running, that is. At a low-ish part, about one and a half foot, I could go at two, which was close to half a mile per hour. I was cruising at the pace, compared to the original 0.2 miles per hour. I spent a spell at two and got myself to move the lever, despite what my little voices were yelling (you know, those voices of reason that aren’t always reasonable) ‘what are you doing? Three is too high!’. I was practically flying! A whole mile an hour! Before the end of the day I was going at four and was kind of comfortable. Note the ‘kind of’.
My thoughts during these hours were rather random. Okay, they stayed on one thing and by the end of mowing I was so bored of it I could have screamed. My mind did not get the memo, obviously, when it refused to move on. It remained stubbornly routed there.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted. At the beginning I’d been tired but now I was just plain worn out. But…there is always a ‘but’, right?...I was happy. Why? One, that subject I was stuck on was Mom’s, which is never a bad subject. Two, I had a ton to be happy about, I was going home, I had some ideas for book scenes, and the hope that tomorrow I might get a letter from one of my three pen pals. Last, but definitely not least and if I’d been smart I would have put this as reason number one but I didn’t, God loves me always!
So, even though my day wasn’t all that grand, at the end of the day, I got lots blessings. Thanks, but I’m too tired to count them all and I doubt you want to sit here for the next year.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Poem for All
God bless you all today,
Each of you in your own way,
And if an answer did not grace your prayer,
Yes, my friends, He did hear.
Sometimes He says no,
And sometimes yes,
But what we all know,
Is that God does bless.
May your day be a happy one,
Mandy
Each of you in your own way,
And if an answer did not grace your prayer,
Yes, my friends, He did hear.
Sometimes He says no,
And sometimes yes,
But what we all know,
Is that God does bless.
May your day be a happy one,
Mandy
Friday, June 10, 2011
Conversation
Yesterday Missy and I had a awsome conversation with our wonderful aunt. I thought it brilliant and funny enough to share.
So this is for my wonderful, great, terrific, brilliant, loving aunt. As always, the names have been changed. Hope you enjoy!
Aunt C.: another Excel question!
Us: Hello? Hello? Anybody there? Echo!
Aunt C.: who wants to know?
Us: Us
Us: Meaning we
Us: Two people
Aunt C.: in a house of 7, that is too many possibilities to guess which 2
Us:
Us: Our names start with M's
Us: So, what is an excel question?
Aunt C.: did I ask you?
Aunt C.: thought I was asking Chari
Us: Nope
Aunt C.: guess I hit the wrong name
Us: Oh, that's okay
Aunt C.: I was trying to search for something and couldn't figure out how to do it
Aunt C.: are either of you Excel experts?
Us: No
Aunt C.: WELL! What good are you then?
Us: Writing! Reading!
Us: Fun stuff
Aunt C.: fine then, be that way
Aunt C.: leave me, lost and alone, wandering through thousands of rows of data
Aunt C.: unable to find what I need. (sniff, sniff) I feel so alone
Aunt C.: I think I'll go eat worms
Us: Don't do that! They taste horrible and they are not nutrious!
Us: ....Or so i've heard
Aunt C.: you have to get the variety called "gummy"
Aunt C.: esp. the sour species
Us: You're a genious!
Us: Well, you'd better find Aunt Chari.
Us: Since we're so unhelpful
Aunt C.: ah, yes, a genius I am
Us: We totallt agree
Aunt C.: some days and on certain subjects
Us: Precisely!
Aunt C.: but alas, on Excel I am sadly lacking and lost
Aunt C.: and seeking help from the wrong source, I see
Us: Same here (sniff, sniff)
Aunt C.: all I get here is my ego puffed up
Aunt C.: telling me how smart I am while not solving my problems
Us: He he he he ha! We're great at that
Us: Puffing up ego's is our specialty
Aunt C.: tell me more!
Us: (spelling is obviously not)
Us: I guess we're all just genious with God's help.
Aunt C.: we can't all be good at everything
Aunt C.: spelling I need no help with
Us: Good for you.
Aunt C.: unless I have to type about gastroesophagealduodonescopies
Us: What on earth is that? A paragraph?
Aunt C.: a medical procedure yu'd rather not have done
Us: Why can't they name stuff things that the patient can actually say? Like Fred or Bob or Mark?
Aunt C.: ahh, but that is what they get paid the big bucks for
Us: Hay, i can com up with huge names! How does Helomartoperdagraphmentation sound?
Us: It's lightening here so i gatta go. Bye!
Aunt C.: what an enlightening situation!
Aunt C.: Bye
So this is for my wonderful, great, terrific, brilliant, loving aunt. As always, the names have been changed. Hope you enjoy!
Aunt C.: another Excel question!
Us: Hello? Hello? Anybody there? Echo!
Aunt C.: who wants to know?
Us: Us
Us: Meaning we
Us: Two people
Aunt C.: in a house of 7, that is too many possibilities to guess which 2
Us:
Us: Our names start with M's
Us: So, what is an excel question?
Aunt C.: did I ask you?
Aunt C.: thought I was asking Chari
Us: Nope
Aunt C.: guess I hit the wrong name
Us: Oh, that's okay
Aunt C.: I was trying to search for something and couldn't figure out how to do it
Aunt C.: are either of you Excel experts?
Us: No
Aunt C.: WELL! What good are you then?
Us: Writing! Reading!
Us: Fun stuff
Aunt C.: fine then, be that way
Aunt C.: leave me, lost and alone, wandering through thousands of rows of data
Aunt C.: unable to find what I need. (sniff, sniff) I feel so alone
Aunt C.: I think I'll go eat worms
Us: Don't do that! They taste horrible and they are not nutrious!
Us: ....Or so i've heard
Aunt C.: you have to get the variety called "gummy"
Aunt C.: esp. the sour species
Us: You're a genious!
Us: Well, you'd better find Aunt Chari.
Us: Since we're so unhelpful
Aunt C.: ah, yes, a genius I am
Us: We totallt agree
Aunt C.: some days and on certain subjects
Us: Precisely!
Aunt C.: but alas, on Excel I am sadly lacking and lost
Aunt C.: and seeking help from the wrong source, I see
Us: Same here (sniff, sniff)
Aunt C.: all I get here is my ego puffed up
Aunt C.: telling me how smart I am while not solving my problems
Us: He he he he ha! We're great at that
Us: Puffing up ego's is our specialty
Aunt C.: tell me more!
Us: (spelling is obviously not)
Us: I guess we're all just genious with God's help.
Aunt C.: we can't all be good at everything
Aunt C.: spelling I need no help with
Us: Good for you.
Aunt C.: unless I have to type about gastroesophagealduodonescopies
Us: What on earth is that? A paragraph?
Aunt C.: a medical procedure yu'd rather not have done
Us: Why can't they name stuff things that the patient can actually say? Like Fred or Bob or Mark?
Aunt C.: ahh, but that is what they get paid the big bucks for
Us: Hay, i can com up with huge names! How does Helomartoperdagraphmentation sound?
Us: It's lightening here so i gatta go. Bye!
Aunt C.: what an enlightening situation!
Aunt C.: Bye
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