Two Turtle Doves: Every Eddy Christmas

As far back as I can remember, (except for those annoying years when Christmas ends up on a Sunday *cough*) our Christmas Day goes something like this:

Ironically, we hardly EVER get this much snow...so the picture (taken this year) is not accurate to the title bestowed it. ;)

I wake up to the sound of voices downstairs and my dad's knock on my bedroom door. One eye cracks open to test the surroundings. Am I dreaming or is it really Christmas morning?
"Coffee's up and on the counter," Dad says. Ok, so it's not a dream. Mixed feelings on that. 
I roll over and open both eyes. If I don't get up now, my coffee with get cold. Which would be almost as bad as a sudden tornado hitting our house. Almost. So I get up and put on my bathrobe and stumble downstairs, half asleep. 
Younger siblings are already running around the tree with way too much energy for their own good (and they haven't even had any sugar yet!!), the living room is lit up with various Christmas lights and I can now smell the coffee. Also, I think Mom is running some kind of essential oil in the diffuser, because the whole downstairs smells like pine trees and cinnamon. 
Holding on to the steaming mug, I carefully make my way to an open corner of the couch, avoiding the ecstatic younger siblings who have already found all the gifts with their names and created small piles of them next to their unopened stockings. 
Finally, all the older kids are up. (Parents and younger kids have been up for more than an hour already...what can I say? We're not really morning people.) No gift wrapping flying across the house? Not yet. Be patient. That part is coming. First, we have our Christmas Bible time. 
Dad takes out his Bible and opens it. The excited voices quiet down and I can begin to hear my own thoughts again. I suddenly realize that our Christmas music playlist is going in the background...something I didn't hear up until now. 
After clearing his throat, Dad begins reading Luke chapter two, that beloved tale we all know and love. In some ways, a "rag to riches" story, in other ways one of those "only this hero can save the world" stories, and in still other ways a romance. The true story of a baby King who was born in a stable only to grow up and die in order to save us from our sins, then be raised from the grave and into glory...all because of His infinite love for us. 
Like every family Bible time, we end with us praying around in a circle. THEN, and only then, do we start opening our gifts. Stockings first, youngest to oldest. A few smaller gifts, a candy cane, an orange, and a few snacks are usually what we find within the personalized stockings. 
Now come the bigger gifts (and, coincidentally, the gift wrapping all over the living room floor part) which are either under our Christmas tree or piled up on the window seat (if we are unable to get a Christmas tree that year). A few middle kids help with handing out the various presents, and then when they're all distributed, we open them in as organized a fashion as a family with ten kids can. Ooooos and aaahhs are given to each gift, and hugs to parents/siblings who gave you them. 
My gifts, now opened and sitting in a pile beside me, are put away as soon as my coffee is finished and Mom mentions the word "breakfast" so I can skillfully avoid having to eat the Christmas Tea Ring (given to us by a sweet older lady of the church each Christmas Eve for us to eat on Christmas morning) because I don't like candied fruit. *shudders* 
We begin to be able to see our floor again as everyone pitches in to clean up the brightly colored wrapping paper, tissue paper, and bags after breakfast is finished. 
At this point, it's practically lunch time (I TOLD you we weren't early risers) and we barely have time to clean up the breakfast dishes before its time to make sandwiches for the younger boys and get the middle kids working on their own. 
Gradually, the various gifts make their way into their new homes and we spend our afternoon either playing with new games/toys, reading, checking email/blog, or in my case, writing as well. Sometimes, my Mom has us watch a Christmassy movie or read out loud. But the afternoon is usually spent doing restful things like I mentioned above or spending time with family. 
Evening arrives and us girls make dinner. Sometimes it's special, sometimes something ordinary, but whichever it is, we probably enjoy it while we talk and laugh at the table. Clean up happens inevitably, and we girls try to persuade Mom into giving the task to the boys...
Upon occasion, there is some sort of dessert...though not every Christmas, in which case we might have cousins or grandparents over to share it. Otherwise, the evening is spent quietly. Towards our bedtime, we brush our teeth, certain siblings care for certain animals, Mom reads aloud to the younger kids, and after they are safely tucked away, we older kids have some free time until our own bedtimes. 
I go to bed after taking a shower. I put in my earphones, turn on my iPod, and play the Christmas playlist. That's when I begin thinking...and thinking...and thinking...and then I become drowsy...
And that's about five to ten minutes before I fall asleep. 

So, how did you enjoy that sneak peak into the life of the Eddy family? Is it anything like your family's Christmas, or is it completely different? Hope you all are having a wonderful day! :) 

(Only ten more days until Christmas!!! :D :D Who else is excited??)

A Partridge in a Pear Tree: 12 Days of Christmas Introduction

I am joining a whole passel (why is that word not used more??) of bloggers in flooding your blogger feed with Christmassy posts. This link-up was hosted by the lovely Faith P. (from Stories by Firefly and Chosen Vessels) so be SURE to click on the links I provided and visit her blog to find links to the other people participating and all the information if you want to join!!

Now, onto how I plan on spreading Christmas cheer each day. :)

Day 1 (TODAY!!): I'm going to give you a favorite Christmas song
Day 2: Every Eddy Christmas Ever (what Christmas looks like in the Eddy household)
Day 3: Christmas Book Spotlight
Day 4: Favorite Christmas video
Day 5: Another favorite Christmas song
Day 6: A few wintery pictures from our life here in Washington
Day 7: A Christmas video
Day 8: A Christmas song
Day 9: The titles of my top 5 favorite Christmas movies
Day 10: The titles of my top 5 favorite Christmas books
Day 11: A favorite Christmas song
Day 12: (CHRISTMAS DAY!!): A special Christmas poem...written by Yours Truly. ;)


Here we go...*drum roll* 

One of my very FAVORITE Christmas songs EVER is "Leaving Heaven" as sung by Matthew West. The music, the words, the message...*hugs* I just love it. ;) So here it is for you to listen to and add to your favorite Christmas song list. 

This song played a part in the inspiration of my Easter poem "The Journey of Christ" I posted earlier this year. :) I loved it that much. Have you ever heard this song before? (The answer should be "Yes, I just listened to it..." :P) Hope you all have a wonderful first day of the twelve days of Christmas. See you back here tomorrow!!! ^_^

Pet Peeve Post (Take Two)

TWO alliterations in that title folks. Yes, I'm FINALLY posting the next part...which contain a few of my very TOP pet peeves. (And may gain me some flack from people because I'm not going to be politically correct.)

WARNING: IF YOU ARE AN OVERLY SENSITIVE PERSON...READ NO FURTHER.

Annnnnd... I probably just offended those people with that warning. Bother.

For ease of reading, I'm going to give you five serious pet peeves, and then end the post with some "this is probably just my quirkiness, but..." peeves which will leave you with a smile. (Hopefully.)
*rubs hands together* Lets get started, shall we?

The Serious Ones:

1> Abortion:
This is probably THE biggest pet peeve of mine. Killing babies...no matter how small...is downright murder. And no, it's not just tissue and a collection of cells. Those are precious lives. Life begins from conception.

2> The Theory of Evolution:
Open your eyes and look around you! Just like a bunch of bricks, mortar, and dynamite don't create a school when blown up, so our amazing world wasn't created with a few cells that exploded. Only an intelligent Creator could make all this.

3> Hypocrisy:
Easy as it is to be the world's best older sister at church or out in public, I find myself being a hypocrite. To be brutally honest about myself, I can be both bossy and a total control freak at home. I've yelled at younger siblings, and torn family members down with my words. Yet, every Sunday I can smile and act as if I'm the perfect PK everyone expects me to be.
I have to convict myself into acting better at home...and slowly and surely with God's help I think I have been. Hypocrisy bothers me whether it's me or another person.

4> Manipulation:
This is actually something I don't do much myself...although I have caught myself in the act before. It really irritates me when people try to use manipulation on me, and tends to influence my response in the OPPOSITE way.

5> The idea that our world is over populated:
Guys, I think God would do something if our planet was in danger of getting over populated. Take a deep breath and relax. It's ok to have ten kids. The polar bears will survive.

Maybe it's just me...but it bothers me when:
6> People don't wash their hands before baking something:
It doesn't matter if you think the germs will cook out in the oven...WASH THEM ANYWAYS.

7> People read over my shoulder:
If I want you to read what I'm reading/writing...I'll let you know. Otherwise don't. Just don't.
If you value your life...

8> People text while driving:
Kill us all why don't you? This can't be so important you have to endanger everyone around you as well as yourself. Shut it off and focus. Please.

*cough* Not that I'm picking on any ONE movie in PARTICULAR

9> Movies don't follow the book:
Why create a movie "based" on a book unless you plan on having it FOLLOW the book. Seriously, some of the movies out there are like: "So you used the title and the character names...but what on earth did your movie's plot have to do with the book's plot??" It's worse when it's a book you really loved.

10> People think Christmas music should only be listened to/played during the last half of November and December (and MAYBE the first half of January. Maybe.):
So...why are we only allowed to celebrate our Savior's birth for six weeks? We sing Easter songs all year, why not Christmas songs? (Besides, "Joy to the World" was originally written about the SECOND coming...trust me. And if you don't, Google it.) 

11> I'm told "Happy Holidays":
What should make Christmas and New Years Day the "happy holidays"? Why not tell people "happy holiday" on St. Patrick's Day or Valentine's Day or the 4th of July? Christmas ain't the only holiday. (Thank goodness. 'Cause if Easter hadn't happened we'd be in a heap of trouble.)

12> People think teenagers have their life planned:
Maybe we have no idea what our future has in store? And possibly we're tired of people asking us who we're planning on marrying or what college (if any) we're going to attend?

13> I read/watch anything in the Romance genre:
a) Kissing shouldn't require a whole scene or page. b) The descriptions are completely unnecessary. Please. Spare us the awkwardness. And c) why does the best looking guy always end up with the best looking girl? That is SO not reality. Cut the cliché.

14> The pictures on a wall are crooked:
Could...could I just straighten that please? Otherwise I probably won't be able to focus on what you're saying to me.
(I'm not OCD, but things aren't symmetrical and SHOULD be, or are crooked when they SHOULDN'T be...it distracts me.)

15> People assume extroverts are flirting when they talk to people of the opposite gender:
I'm usually a bold person, but my biggest insecurity is what other people think of me. So I will avoid situations where I have to talk to guys. You want to know why? Because I'm afraid people...either the guy I happen to be talking to or the people seeing us talk together...will assume that I'm flirting when that is literally the LAST thing on my mind. I MIGHT just enjoy his company as a friend. #mindblown

16> People dye thier hair:
Guys, you look better in the hair color God gave you. Just saying. I think after creating a whole universe, you can trust that He knew what hair color would go best with your complexion.

17> There's rude humor in books/movies/media:
Any movie looses a star in my personal rating if it contains rude humor...even if there's only a little bit. The more there is, the lower it stands in my esteem. Movies are the worst (especially kids movies) but there are books that have it too, and they also go lower in rating the more they have. There's also gifs and memes that use rude humor. When those scroll by on my Pinterest feed, I just keep scrolling. They aren't even worth a second glance.


And there you have it. I finally posted it. After like what...four months? Something like that. But I did it. Now it's your turn: are any of these pet peeves also pet peeves of yours? Any ones to add? Give YOUR top 5 pet peeves in a comment below! :)

21 Answers to the Question: Why Aren't You Dating Someone?

Ever get this question? Please tell me I'm not alone. Maybe it's a question more like: "So....are you getting to know someone special?" or "Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend yet?" or "Why aren't you allowed to have a relationship yet? Your parents are so strict." or "YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ON A DATE???!?!!" or other variations of the same basic question: Why aren't you dating someone? Or in other words: WHO ARE YOU FREAK???!?!!!

Well. I got sick and tired of everyone wondering about this. So one night while trying to go to sleep (my other writing friends know how THIS works) I cooked up 21 responses to this FAQ of homeschooled teenagers. 

1: Hey, I'm not the one who's supposed to propose. Give me a break!

2: What's dating? And why would I do that to someone? 

3: That's between my Dad and God for now.

4: I think my boyfriend is lost. And they probably won't get UNlost for another three years or so.

5: Why do you keep using that word? I don't think it means what you think it means.

6: I actually have no idea. Little help?

7: Oh look! It's sunny outside! Wow!

8: Do you want some of this pizza? It's very good. Homemade. Bring some to your family.

9: *spontaniously break into song and dance off into a handy sunset*

10: Oh...about that...uh, could I get back to you on that one?

11: I have six boyfriends: my dad and my five brothers. I wouldn't recommend messing with me.

12: I'm kind of busy right now, so unless God decides to drop someone in my lap...never mind, that would be awkward.

13: Well, it didn't seem to work out very well for YOU, so...

14: Is it just me, or did you hear a fire alarm go off just now?

15: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

16: Really? No. Just no. Goodbye. Our friendship is over.

17: Maybe I don't want to date right now? Or ever?

18: This is not the 1800s. Single sixteen-year-olds are no longer considered "old maids".

19: Why do YOU want to know?

20: Do I look like I NEED a relationship? 

21: Correction: it's called COURTING.

This is sort of a sequel to my "21 Answers to the Question: Why Aren't You In School?" post I wrote last month. If you guys are interested, I may do one of these every month. *cough* IF I can pull my scatterbrained self together into doing something that scheduled. After all, you've seen how good I've been at this monthly book review I'm supposed to be doing. But ANYWAYS. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing other posts like this in the future by commenting your opinion below and give me YOUR favorite response to the question "Why aren't you in a relationship?" 

Thanksgiving, Writing, and All My Friends Freaking Out Around Me

Can you believe Christmas is in less than a month? AND 2017 IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY??!?!?!? Tell me I am not the only one completely freaking out about this!!! I mean, really? Who asked 2016 to go by this fast? I know it wasn't ME. So 'fess up thou guilty party who doth plead for such a year to go by as speedily as it hast. (Oh my word...that was horrible. Ignore that sentence please...)

Well, *cough* lets jump right into how last month was, shall we?

Life:
Slightly...but only slightly less hectic than the last few months have been. I know all my NaNoWriMo friends are a bit jealous of that, since they have been frantically upping their numbers all throughout last month. However, that doesn't mean I didn't get anything accomplished. But more on that later. ;)
Hmm...what things went on in the Eddy household that is interesting enough to record on my blog? Well, we had Thanksgiving...which is always exciting in a big family. And usually involves a lot of pie. Which is always very tasty.
Also, I was able to be a substitute secretary at our church a week of November, which was...shall we say, interesting. Despite popular opinion, I do NOT like talking on a phone, and when I have too, I usually end up getting a good mile of walking in at the same time. And making the bulletins...well, its not as easy as it looks. Neither is editing and downloading one of your Dad's sermons. But, hey, I survived. Which is good. ;)
Just a couple days ago, I went with my mom, my sisters, and my cousin Jubi (who's five and very into sparkles and nail polish etc.) to see the Nutcracker preformed. We had a blast! The dancers were very talented, and mostly stayed in time with the music. ;P I could never do anything like that, so I applaud them.
Our church always does a Christmas (and Easter, but that's for another month) cantata in which our whole family takes part. So we've been practicing for that...because IT'S happening THIS month. Sam through Marta are in the Children's Choir, Tabitha through Margaret (excepting me) in the choir, and I'm in the orchestra. Though, I usually am in the choir...but this year I'm playing the flute because a flute player was needed, and there's always plenty of sopranos to fill in for me. ;)  
Other than that, we did a lot of school, began looking forward to Christmas break, and started buying various siblings presents. Oh, and listening to Christmas music as much as possible. Gotta cram it in.

Writing:
I FINISHED WRITING "OCEAN MIST" GUYS. It feels so good to finish a book, typing those two beautiful words: "the end" at the bottom of a story you loved, hated, and cried over for six months. But, like you would expect, after about two self-advised days of rest, I took pen in hand...figuratively...and began writing again. This time, on a short holiday story I'm hoping to have finished this month. But we'll see. :)

Reading:
I didn't quite read five books this month, but the ones I DID read were awesome. Five stars all around. :) Here they are if you want to check them out for yourself! (Come on, you KNOW you do...)






Editing:
As usual, my team of editors have been awesome...well some of them have been a smidge distracted with NaNoWriMo and their own writing, but I totally get it. ;) We will be jumping right back into editing this month, but it'll probably keep being sporadic since this little thing called CHRISTMAS will be keeping us busy.
I have a tentative release day for "The Princess & I"...but that is an announcement for another blog post. I know, I'm so cruel... }:) *cue evil laughter*

Music:
Funnily enough, there's been some Christmas songs stuck in my head this last month. But, because I'm planning on posting some of them during the 12 Days of Christmas (hosted by Faith P.) I'll save you the trouble of listening to them twice. :)

Quotes:
Man, Pinterest is just SO FUN. I've probably spent too much time on there for my own good...but it can be helpful, if a time waster. Here are some favorite quotes of mine from the month of November:

Goals Reached:

1: Continue the editing process with

"The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa"
Did it!!! :D Well, not ME so much as my EDITORS...bless their poor hearts. ;)

2: Finish "Ocean Mist" (for reals this time!)
YES! FINALLY!!!

3: Publish a guest post
Yep! Special thanks to R. Franklin for graciously writing one for my little ol' blog.

4: Write a poem
I did, and its a Christmas poem called "I Don't Believe in Santa Clause"...so be ready to read it sometime this month. ;)

5: Read at least five books
Well...better luck this month.

6: Write a book review
Does it count if I do it on Goodreads? Bother.

Goals for December:
1: Continue the editing process in "The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa"
2: Finish short story "Alone"
3: Do a Pet Peeve Post
4: Read at least five books
5: Write a book review (I'm going to just keep putting this on here until I finally get around to DOING it... -_-)

So...there you have it. My monthly review...only one day late! ;) Hope you all had a fantastic November, and are having a great December so far (the whole day that we've had). :)
Have a wonderful day! (That's me trying to sound like those people in the checkout lines at grocery stores...you know, those annoying ones. Yeah.)

A True Thanksgiving Story: Guest Post

Today I have a special treat for you all. A good friend of mine (also a missionary kid and currently residing in Brazil) wrote this short story. You may know her as R. Franklin because she haunts a few of your blogs. B-) Yes, I have trained her well...
E-mailing back and forth was a little complicated, but I still managed to squeeze this story in before Thanksgiving was embarrassingly past. I mean, it's still November, right? ;) #pocrastinatorforever 
Long introduction short, I think you're going to enjoy this story...hence this post. Read on and let my good friend know how much you loved it!! 

P.S. THIS REALLY HAPPENED TO HER AND HER FAMILY

Small Miracles
By R. Franklin

What a way to spend Thanksgiving! But before I actually begin the story, let me introduce you to everyone.
   First off, my family has six members: Dad, Mom, Ruth, Becky, Renee(that's me), and Grace. We are missionaries in a South American port city where my Dad teaches at a Bible school, SIBB. When this story takes place my maternal grandma, Aunt Rose, cousins Katie, Jean, and Sammy were visiting. My Aunt Rose is a photographer and as such walks around with a bulky camera, bag of lenses, and . . . whatever else photographers use. 
   It was the last day of classes (the school-year here goes from January to June, then August to November with many holidays in between) and Ruth, who had been taking a few classes at SIBB, was going to take the final exam. So without her and Dad, the rest of us took off for Areia Preta, meaning Black Sand beach. 
   We parked the old green pickup and gray sedan then clambered out in a blizzard of flip-flops, sunscreen, boogie boards, and the ever-present camera. The sidewalk was falling in at several places where the waves had erroded away the foundations. After climbing down a staircase onto the red sand, we kicked off our flip-flops and bee-lined toward that scintilating-blue web of light that some have called an ocean. We had to walk down the beach a little, and finding out that there was a path up to the road, created by a promontory of rocks, Mom went back up to re-park the sedan closer to where we were. She saw several policemen up there.
   Meanwhile, Katie, Becky, and I exploded into the water with the boogie boards. To our left was the rock barricade where several fishermen took advantage of deeper waters. To our right was open waters puncuated by several black teeth and gums that defiantly rose up out of the water closer to shore, sometimes being drowned by saliva. It was to our right, deeper into the water, where three teenage boys were surfing (or rather, attempting to).
   Mom came back and began talking to a JW teen named Anderson. 
   I glanced behind me; a perfect sized wave wobbled and whitened. Kicking up from bottom, I leaped in front of it and leaned slightly forward. Water crumpled over my face, and the sting of salt tried to assail my eyes. I edged my weight on one side and guided it toward where I saw Becky standing. The familiar grating of sand scratched beneath. 
   Becky was crying! 
   "What's wrong?"
   The wind carried away her words. I asked again.
   "Someone stole our camera!"
   She held up a thin camera strap that shivered dilapidatedly.
   This took some thinking. Becky pointed up to where the three surfers were messing around in the bushes that grew half-way up the hill. 
   Becky kept pointing to the sky, her eyes, then them.
   God sees you.
   I do not know if they understood because later Grandmama said that it looked like Becky was beating her fist in the air like she wanted revenge.
   I walked over to my mom. The Anderson guy was talking on his cell phone.
   "Mom, someone ran up behind Becky and stole the camera. She was facing the waves and he just tugged at it. The string broke, and he ran away yelling voce perdeu like it was her fault.
   Becky told Aunt Rose what happened, Katie came in from the water, and soon all of us were gathered together. Jean, Sammy, and Grace were playing the shallow water nearby.
   One of the teens (not the one who stole the camera) with curly dark hair dotted on top with a blob of died eggy blonde sauntered up with another pal. Both had earings that looked like large red sewing pins in fashion of the Quechua. There was black writing on the first boy's arm. The second boy stood a little behind the first.
   "Do you know that guy," Mom asked the first, indicating the teenager that was still messing around in the bushes.
   "Yeah."
   Aunt Rose suggested that if we paid him, he might convince his friend to return the camera.
   "If we give you twenty reals will you return the camera?"
   The two went of to discuss something then came back.
   "That's not enough money."
   The guy in the red shorts inched closer to Aunt Rose, glancing at the camera. Feeling nervous, she went to sit down on her big black bag and wallet where they lay at the base of the rock dike.
   He sat down next her, then suddenly lunged at her neck, tugging wildly at the camera. The thick canvas strap held.
   In the blur of those first few seconds, she landed on her knees. Quickly she decided to fall down and shield it.
   From there it's hard to remember.The boy in the red shorts began beating her. I recall punching him only to get the same treatment to my stomache. I grabbed the hard plastic boogie board and began ineffectively hitting him on the back. Katie and Rebecca did the same. Grandmama rammed into one and that well mannered dude slugged her in the mouth, cutting her lip. At one point, one of the teens (the second one who had mostly stayed out of it) landed near to where the younger ones had been playing. Jean grabbed Sammy and took Grace farther into the water.
   The teen in the red shorts picked up a large rock, dribbling his feet with a vicious look in his eyes.
   We then realized how very, very dangerous this was.
   I dropped the board and screamed with terror, with rage that they'd try to hurt us.
   Mom took up the call.
   "Policia! Policia!"
   Inwardly I was sobbing: go away! Go away!
   They took off running, and relief, gratitude replaced their presence.
   The boy mom had been talking to was up on the dike, yammering on his cell phone. Several fishermen rested up higher on the beach, staring at the scene they'd just witnessed.
   "Let's go now," several of us cried. We grabbed everything in reach and scrambled up the rock promonitory. None of us voiced our concern: they might come back.
   "I think my flip-flops are still down there," Jean said.
   "I don't care," my aunt yelled. 
   "They've caught him! They've caught him," people squawked, leaned out of their apartment windows like gawking birds. We stuffed everything into the car.
   "Over here," a man in a light blue coverall told us. 
   We debated whether to follow him; we were not in the mood to trust anyone, but then we caught sight of a group of policemen. The teen in the red shorts had his hands in cuffs, his head against a wall scrolled with grafiti. A man in a blue and white T-shirt also claimed his camera had been stolen. 
   A few people gathered around, staring at this interesting event.
   After asking a few questions they told us to go to the police station. We didn't want to go up to get the truck right then, so the police offered to give us a ride. We saw red-shorts getting into the police car.
   "I am not riding in there," I said.
   Thankfully there was another police car nearby, and Grandmama, Becky, and I scrambled in.
   Then we got into the truck and followed the police. I kept cracking jokes, while Katie was crying. I never have been good with channeling nervous energy into better expressions such as wiggling my foot.
   We got to the tourist police, but after waiting thirty minutes they told us we'd have to go somewhere else.
   When we got to the other station at 10:00, the interrogater was at morning college, and when she did get there, then the police had to go on lunch break. We didn't try to find a restaurant as this section of town was rather rough. Katie and Becky thought they saw two teenagers who looked like red-short's cronies. 
   Dad, Ruth, Pr. Reubens, and a young man from our church (who also studies at the seminary) came and brought some lunch. The receptionist let us use the small station kitchen. We feasted on watermelon and leftover turkey. After a few minutes, Ruth, Pr. Reubens, and the boy left.
   The trains rumbled by each hour, shacking the station.
   After the police came back, they interviewed Mom, Becky, Aunt Rose, and Grandmama. Then it was my turn. Red-shorts was in the same room, so I tried to cover half of my face with hair. I didn't have much to add to the report so I was soon ushered out. 
   The police came in with two boys who fit the description of the other two theives. We weren't sure; they were released.
   By then we had found out that red-short's name was Alan. His family came in, and we were able to give them gospel tracts. 
   It was already dark when we drove to the police hospital to confirm are "injuries". 
   We finally got home at seven o'clock, thirty minutes before the graduation banquet began. Dad, Mom, and Aunt Rose only left at eight.
   The next day the police requested photos to confirm our story; we were able to find the three teenagers in the background of some of Aunt Rose's pictures. Alan was denying charges, resulting in more than the normal twenty-four hour penalty. I wonder. . . what is his story.
   "Six Americans attacked me and tried to steal my surf board."
    But now I certainly have a story to tell. A story of gratitude. Our feast that Thanksgiving may have been watermelon and cold turkey, but I don't think I've been more grateful on a holiday.
   Grateful that he didn't have a knife or a gun. 
   Grateful that he didn't throw that rock.
   Grateful that none of us were hurt beyond several cuts and bruises.
   Grateful that God was in control, and that He is always in control. . .even when we do get things beyond "cuts and bruises."
   God is in control! And that's something to cling to and always be grateful for.
   

Incomplete: A Poem by Yours Truly

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Whoop, whoop! Probably you are all at home eating turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing with family. *cringes* I'm sorry about that. I think I'm going to skip on all that except the family part and go on a pumpkin pie and candy corn diet. Anyone with me on that? ;) 
Anyways, last year I wrote a whole blog post about being thankful. Cheesy and cliche, I know, but I did. So instead of doing that again for this year, I decided to give you a poem about something I am very thankful about: God isn't done with me. He hasn't given up yet (nor will He ever, thank goodness). I keep messing up my life, but God is always there to forgive me and help me move on. I'm pretty happy about that. And, good news guys: He's working on you all too! How's that for awesome? So, sit back with your leftover turkey dinner (since you're probably reading this tomorrow...that sounds weird, but anyways...) and reflect on all the things YOU have to be thankful for while reading my poem.

 *curtains open*
*music starts* 
*mic feedback* 
*waits awkwardly for feedback to stop, then bows*
So now, without further ado *clears throat* I present my poem entitled:

Incomplete:
Written by Rebekah Eddy

I'm not perfect, I'm a sinner
Just like you, I'm a beginner
I've no idea what
Is in my future but
When God is done I'll be a winner!

I'm incomplete and unresolved,
My God's not finished with me yet.
I am broken, and undone,
But God's not finished with me yet.

He takes me through thorny briers
And through His refining fires
The dirt all burns away,
The gold shines bright as day
He never takes a break or tires.

I'm incomplete and unresolved,
My God's not finished with me yet.
I am broken, and undone,
But God's not finished with me yet.

I don't how long it will take
For God to perfect and make
This old self disappear,
To wipe off Satan's leer,
While Jesus pleads for my sake.

I'm incomplete and unresolved,
My God's not finished with me yet.
I am broken, and undone,
But God's not finished with me yet.

There are things I don't understand

I trust that God holds it in His hand

When good and innocent die,

And wicked are left alive

Over all this He has command.
 

I'm incomplete and unresolved,
My God's not finished with me yet.
I am broken, and undone,
But God's not finished with me yet.

My God will give me a chance
To bear fruit like other plants
No matter what I do,
He can make me just like new
So sing with me and dance!

We're incomplete and unresolved,
Our God is not finished with us yet.
We are broken, and undone...
But God's not finished with us yet!


So...*bites lip* what did you think? (And yes, this is a song...since I know that you were wondering. *points at chorus*) I thought this was a pretty good post to have after my rant on depression. ;) 
Enjoy your hectic life and Happy Thanksgiving! :D

Defeating Depression

Everyone has Those Days. Those days when you feel like nothing is going right. Those days when the world seems about to end (or has ended). Those days when you feel like no one loves, understands, or cares about you. Those days when even the weather seems to reflect the hurt and abandonment of your soul. Those days when you just can't stop crying and you don't know why. Those days when you're an emotional roller coaster. Those days when you just want to curl up in your favorite blanket and wallow in self-pity.

I come from a loving, Christian family. I have an optimistic, the-sun-is-always-there-even-if-it's-hidden-by-clouds personality. I'm one of those "the cup is half full...of juice!" people. But even I have Those Days.

Recently...on Election Day coincidentally, I was feeling depressed. After going to bed having a pretty good guess at who our next president was going to be, I just lay there wondering how God could let our country get this bad. I mean, He couldn't WANT this to happen, right? Why would He? What sort of twisted plan would involve such a mess like our nation is today?

Well, thankfully for me (and the rest of the world), God knows what the end looks like. And He actually DOES know what he's doing. And no matter how the future turns out, He is still in control. We all need to accept that. No matter how hard it is to do that.

But back to the main subject. Enough of the political rant for today or I'm going to end up using my own advice sooner rather than later. ;)

I'm writing this post in order to encourage myself and hopefully you as well. So let's do this.

Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, everybody struggles with depression at some point in their lives. Self-doubt, self-pity, lack of self-confidence, and other variations of those things. For some reason, teens are hit the hardest when it comes to struggling with depression. Often times this is because of broken homes, bad friends, or unwise choices. Not knowing that there's a God who loves them also plays a part in that too I'm sure, which is why on a scale of one to ten Christian teens don't get as depressed as non-Christian teens. (Don't get me wrong though, Christians get depressed sometimes.)

As a Christian teenager, and one that comes from a loving, Christian family, I have an advantage over a lot of the teens who struggle with depression. (My cheerful, happy-go-lucky personality helps too...just saying. ;) But even so, there are lots of times when I feel like I'm not understood by my parents, or I feel picked on by the world in general. There are even days when I feel God is far away and somehow unreachable.

Because of this, I'd like to give you a few steps I take in order to climb out of that pit of selfishness we create whenever we throw a self-pity party. Hopefully it will help you like it has helped me in the past. :)

1: Stop focusing on the wrong things. You might have been treated unfairly. The world might be falling apart around your ears. That breakup might have torn a hole in your heart that you think is unmendable. Your parents might be acting unreasonable (although, for the record, I've found parents are usually right...just keep that in mind). But you shouldn't dwell on that. Dwelling on everything people have done to you will only make your depression worse.

2: Logically, if you're not supposed to focus of wrong things, the next step would be to focus on the right things. So step number two is just that: Start focusing on the right things. Phillipians 4:8 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible for a very good reason. When your mind starts to dwell on everything that's gone wrong in your life, STOP. Turn your mind instead to the the many blessings you have. Once you start looking for blessings in your life, it's hard to stop. And the list seems endless. Nothing is more amazing and awe inspiring than looking back on your many, many  thousands of blessings and realizing that your life really isn't that bad. After all, have you ever considered every breath you take is a gift from your Creator? If all else fails, you can thank Him for THAT.

3: Realize that there ARE people in your life who love you. A lot of times when kids (or even adults) are feeling depressed, its because they're having a "I'm worthless, no one cares about me or loves me" day. This is only a lie. A lie you tell yourself so you have an excuse to wallow in self-pity. EVERYONE, I repeat everyone has people in their lives that love them. Whether it's your parents, a favorite sibling, spiritual leaders, or friends. And even if you are a homeless beggar with no family (but apparently some sort of electronic device if you're reading this...) and no friends, God loves you. And He will always be there for you. No matter what. You can always count on Him...He will NEVER fail you. Keep that in mind.

4: Stop degrading yourself. You're not worthless. You're not unloved. You're not "trash" or "useless" or any other name people think up. You are precious in the sight of God. If your heart belongs to Him, nothing can take it away. He will help you overcome every trial that trips you up on the path of life. Sure, you might feel useless at times, but that's only an illusion. God knows exactly what He's doing with your life, and He'll make sure it happens. Read your Bible, keep your mind open to the guiding of the Holy Spirit, and pray often. If you do those things, God will use you to accomplish great things. Trust me on that one.

5: Seek out godly people in your life and talk with them about what you're going through. This might be your parents, your pastor (or you might luck out and have a pastor AS a parent...but I digress ;), or a person from your church. I am blessed to have all three types of people in my life. My parents have always been there for me, which I know is a rare commodity nowadays, and having my dad as a pastor has helped me even more.
He is one of those thinking types...a guy who will read a whole book about something just so he can casually drop a golden nugget in the laps of those who pay attention to what he's saying at any given moment. Yeah, my dad is a personified treasure chest of information. And if he doesn't know something, he'll look it up. Right there. So he'll know next time someone asks him about it.
My mom is less of an informant, but if you want a shoulder to cry on, she's the better choice. She is always willing to hold me, to comfort me, to let me know that she's there for me no matter what I've done or how rotten I'm feeling at the moment.
If you're like me, one of ten kids, competition for one-on-one time with parents is high...and usually the little kids are the ones who end up being the main focus because they have more training that needs to happen. In my case, the stats are even less in my favor because Dad has a whole congregation to lead as well as his family, even though we are his first priority.
However, I figured out a way to fix this. I found a couple godly women in my church who I look up too and admire for their love of Christ and their love for their families. One of these women in particular is our assistant pastor's wife, Mrs. Miller. She has been a huge encouragement to me and we have had a close friendship ever since they first started coming to our church. Whenever I'm struggling with something I know I can confide in her and ask her for her prayers as I go through whatever it is I'm going through.
I would highly recommend you to do the same. Find someone you respect in your church and talk to them. Peer pressure isn't the best way to figure things out. Ask an older person's opinion. They'll have better advice than the friends around your age. Probably. There's always an exception, but as a general rule, older people have learned more from life, and therefore will give you better advice. Just something to think about.

6: Read your Bible. Maybe you don't have one. Well, if you can read this blog post, you can read the Bible. Just Google it. But, most of you have a Bible. (Probably a couple different versions.) Nothing helps me get out of a self-pity party than reading a chapter or two of the Bible. Psalms is a good place to start. It helps you realize things could be a lot worse, our God is in control, and that with Him, you can conquer all things...even depression.

7: Pray. Talk to God. He is always there to listen. He will never let you down. And once you've taken out all your frustration and poured out all your woes on His loving ears...

8: Have a good cry. Sometimes, you just need to cry. Not to sound too sappy and sentimental, but everyone should have a good cry every once in awhile. It's scientific people. Tears have a way of draining bad things from your body (not sure what, but they do). Sure, our tears might make us feel a little silly about ourselves, or perhaps more frustrated because you did not want to cry in front of so-and-so, but they do help. I'm not an avid crier. I tend to bottle up my sadness or depression inside and cover it with a mask of "everything is fine" until the bad feelings dissipate. Which really isn't the best way to deal with it. Burying feelings never helps. Don't do it. Deal with them. Even if it makes you cry.


Well, I hope those steps helped you as much as they have helped me in the past. I know most of you don't deal with serious depression, but these things will help you even when you're just having a bad day (which I know you all deal with. Don't even try to deny it! ;P).

Have a great day, and don't forget: YOU ARE LOVED.

Pinterest, Procrastination, and Plotting

Thumbs up for the beautiful alliteration guys. Take a moment to appreciate the effort I put into that title please...

Ok, moving on.

HOW IS IT NOVEMBER ALREADY??? WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS?!?!? I PROTEST!!!! *waves flags* *climbs walls* *yells* *runs around in circles*
Seriously guys, HOW. JUST HOW??

Two. Months. Until. 2017. Chew on that while I update you on what LAST month was like for me.

Life:

You know, it never really stops being busy. As you can tell from my posting this wrap up post a week late. *cough* I don't even have the "Well, I've been busy with outlining my novel for NaNoWriMo" excuse. However, I DO have the "school, housework, and ministry" excuse, so. But yes, life has been busy. Have I said that before? Well, the truth doesn't change. Basically, we've been learning how to cope with one fewer older sister around the house. Which means everyone has to step up and help more. And that takes time.
Also, I've been taking a college class, so that sucks up time I would have spent reading, writing, or blogging. (And having an account on Pinterest doesn't help much either...more on that later.)
I did get more reading and writing done last month then in September...which is good. Improvement is always good. ;)
My parents attended a conference in North Carolina during the last week of October which put Margaret and I in the babysitter position. That was fun. We actually had a blast while they were gone. To put a very long week shortly: it was a party pretty much nonstop. We are awesome babysitters. ;) I can't believe Mom and Dad left us in charge again after all the excitement of last time we babysat...but apparently we are very popular. XD
Hallo*cough*een came and went. Our family doesn't celebrate it as a general rule, but if you watched my vlog, you would have heard that we do hold a harvest party at our church where we earn candy by playing carnival style games and hang out with all our friends. (Which is waaaay more fun than protecting your bowl of candy from small [or not as the case may be] children dressed as skeletons and ghosts.) And I made the brilliant discovery that the shortened version of "trick-or-treaters" is "tots". You're welcome world. (And yes, I'm totally calling them that from now on...)
While I'm on the subject, here is my favorite Halloween video:

Writing:

"Ocean Mist" is NOT finished yet...but it's on the home stretch. I ended up changing the end completely (which happens quite a bit to me) so we'll see what happens now. ;)
For those of you who don't know, I participated in the "5k in one Day" challenge at the beginning of this month, and killed it with over 7,500 words. And I didn't even start writing until after 2 in the afternoon at which point I was totally freaking out!!!
I started a brand new story that is going to be a futuristic Daniel tale called "A New Name". Which I'm super excited about. :) I'll give you all a teaser in a post eventually, but I've got a couple other posts to write first. ;)
But yes, my writing didn't suffer QUITE as much in October as it did in November. :)

Reading:

I actually feel good about the amount of reading I got done last month. Sure, I didn't read a crazy amount, but I did better than September. (Even though two books isn't very hard to beat...) Here's the list:

 

I also had the privilege to read the work-in-progress by Jesseca Wheaton: A Question of Honor. :)

Favorite book of the month? Probably Navigating Early. But the other ones were really good too! I gave them all five stars on Goodreads, (excepting "A Question of Honor" because that hasn't come out yet) so that says something. ;)

Editing:

I am still getting feedback on "The Princess & I" from my awesome group of editors. It has been so nice to hear their advice! I'm feeling very confident that this is going to be my best story yet! ;) And I can't wait to get it published!!

I've already mentioned this in the books I read in October, but I was able to give Jesseca some feedback on her book "A Question of Honor" which was amazing. I rarely cry while reading (or watching movies for that matter) but her book definitely brought me to tears. I'll be giving a full review of her book later. ;)

 



Music:

(Yes, I'm adding something to my monthly overview post!! :D Because music is a large part of my life!)

Here's a few favorite songs from this month. They also happen to have gotten stuck in my head periodically all throughout October...

Yep, you're welcome. ;) Don't annoy your family with these songs too much now. :P

Goals I Reached:

1: Edit "The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa"

Yes! I did this! Both are still a project in the works...but they're getting there! ;)
2: Finish writing "Ocean Mist"

*cough* Better luck next time, right? After all, I had to stay true to the "procrastination" part of my title. ;)
3: Try vlogging 

Been there, done that, and over all, had a blast! It was so fun to try something new! And I discovered I do very well in front of a camera...things to consider... :)
4: Write a poem

I did actually! I'll probably be sharing it with you sometime this month. :) It's called "Incomplete", and it's about how every Christian is being worked on by God. We're not perfect, but we're GOING to be...someday.
5: Read at least five books

*thumbs up* Whew! That was a close call though. ;)
6: Reach forty blog followers, twenty Pinterest followers

Wow. You guys are so awesome! <3 Not only did I reach this goal, but went over the top! I have 41 blog followers and 43 Pinterest followers! :) Talk about awesome!
7: Get my drivers license 

*cue fanfare* I got it! And I have been driving all over the place now. And it's AWESOME. I'm loving it. ;)
8: Host two guest posts (anyone interested? Comment below!)

I did get the volunteers, and one of them was actually posted last month. But your second guest post will probably come this month. So you have something to look forward to. ^_^

But I did guest post for Faith P. so that totally counts too. ;)

 

Goals for November:

1: Continue the editing process with

"The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa"

2: Finish "Ocean Mist" (for reals this time!)

3: Publish a guest post

4: Write a poem

5: Read at least five books

6: Write a book review

Hope your month is going well so far. For those of you who are doing NaNo, good luck and good sleep (what little of it there is). ;) Watching you guys freak out over word counts and lack of inspiration is kind of funny...but I do feel your pain and can say with full assurance: you guys have got this. :) Do it. Don't give up. Because no matter what you do, however much or little you write this month, you probably will write more than me...so keep it up! :P