Snow in October and NaNoWriMo

Last week, it snowed here. Last Thursday, to be precise.

It was rather miserable, actually.

Because I was sick. And my bedroom has no insulation to speak of. And our heater smells. And it was cold. But anyway.

The snow was pretty, all four inches of it. It lasted until Friday morning, when it all went away, because our weather is mental and can't decide what it wants to do. Right now, it's about 65 degrees outside, which is actually quite nice, because fall has officially arrived. It's nice. Maybe now our trees will actually have time to decide it's time to change.

In other news, tomorrow will be the first day of November! As a consequence, I will most likely be posting either quite often or not at all (depending on my procrastination level), since NaNoWriMo begins!! I'm going to be attempting to knock out my 50k by the 10th of the month. We'll see how it works. It's only about 5,000 words a day, and if I can get in a good starting spurt on the days between Tuesday and Thursday, I should be able to knock it out!

I also have incentives this year, in the form of kitkats, york peppermint patties, 5 gum, and oreos. So yes. We'll see how well I can do!

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

Right on Time

So. Sometimes, I find God's timing nothing short of...well, pretty hilarious, actually.

I mean that in a very, very good way.

Being the control freak and worrier that I am (anybody remember the absolutely frantic posts I wrote back in April? I do.) I've already begun to spazz about the roughly $5,000 I'm going to need for my planned summer activities.

My word, why do I do this to myself?

Basically, I'm going to be focusing on Romania fundraising. That's about $2,000. I'm hoping to be able to go to Zambia on $3,000. But, back in September, it seemed like a smart idea to tell God that I wasn't going to start fundraising for that trip--I wanted to focus on Romania, and if he wanted me to go to Zambia, I'd trust him to provide.

See, this is why I do things like this to myself. I think that I'm actually going to be able to exercise a little bit of trust. But I don't. Silly, silly me.

This is probably more of just a commentary on my character more than anything else. Of course I began stressing about it. I started thinking about all the reasons God might not want me to go to Zambia, then I started thinking about not going to Zambia, and then I thought that maybe not going to Zambia might be better. Then I thought about little African children and their singing and their playing, and that ended that.

Because you see, I love Africa. But I still don't know why I do this to myself.

And so the cycle begins again. Trusting, believing God will provide because, after all, I want to go to Zambia. But what if I want to go to Zambia, but God doesn't want me to go to Zambia? What will I tell the missionaries? What will I tell the people I've told about my potential trip? Will they feel let-down? Am I letting this trip become more about the people around me and my own desires than about God? Will that make God not want to let me go to Zambia? Will I not get to go to Zambia?

But I want to go to Zambia!

So here I sit, full of countless worries, and then the money issue plunks right back into my lap. Almost $4,000 before the first of the year? Please. You've told maybe half a dozen people you're planning to go to Zambia. And your blog readers. All four of them. Woopiee for you. You're not going to be able to go to Zambia. That's simply too much money, and God's obviously not going to just plunk it in your lap. Maybe you should start fundraising. Maybe you should just forget this whole thing you're doing. After all, this faith is passive. It doesn't do anything. It doesn't express itself in works. Sure, you're starting work for Romania, but that hardly counts.

And I think, for just a second, that maybe I should just give it up, forget the whole venture. Just be content with going to Romania.

And then my pastor preaches on the awe-inspiring faithfulness of God.

*"God is faithful..."

All the time, no matter our circumstances, no matter what we think he's doing, God is always, always faithful. He will never forget us, he will never forget our needs.

"That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge...So that ye come behind in no gift..."

As my pastor put it: 'we can have confidence in Him to accompany us as we serve and venture out for him and stretch in our serving Him.'

Ouch.

Okay, God.

Not quite what I expected.

But okay.

I think I'm ready to try out that whole trust thing again.

No, I've not gotten some big check. No, I still have absolutely no idea how God is going to provide for a $2,000 plane flight to Zambia, Africa before the first of the year. Not a single clue. I don't know by what means he's going to send that money. I haven't the foggiest. But one thing I do know.

He is always, always faithful. He always has been, He always will be.

And everything will work out for His glory. So here I am, trying yet again to set out on this journey of faith and make something of it other than a huge mess.

*Scriptures from 1 Corinthians 1:5, 7, 9

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

Waiting for Winter

I love the time of year where winter is just starting to approach. I can taste it in the air, so tantalizingly close, yet still so far away. It's just chilly enough to have to put on a sweater and yet I can feel snow, just waiting to fall, high above.

I love the beginnings of winter, just those barest tinglings that tell us it's coming. And even though yesterday it was 87 degrees (though today it's only in the 60s), I can already feel winter creeping up.

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

NaNoWriMo Characters

So I'm impatiently waiting for the new NaNoWriMo website to come online. If it hasn't already. I don't think it has, because nothing's been wiped yet. 'Tis sad. I want to see my new, shiny, un-purply ticker! Meanwhile, what is there to do but make Polyvore sets of my characters? And so, I present to you, the characters of "True", NaNo '11!!

Jakov Isriel, the amnesiac true king. He has to fight to get his throne back, which is quite a fun process, actually.

Sonakali is the Throne Warden, one of the few remaining in the bands of the Kali. She is a shape-shifter, a magical being that can take the form of a unicorn or a human at will. She mostly chooses to take the shape of a young woman, for various reasons.

Jadira al-Salidin is my heroine! She's a spunky Princess turned Gypsy, turned Princess, turned homeless vagrant. Quite an interesting girl, as you can tell. She is a Yahafin, a group of people something like Arabians. They live in the vast deserts of Kadrah.

This is Tomas Jolend, who is a "bad guy" in the beginning, but really isn't so bad once you get to know him. He's actually quite pleasant. And as you can see from this set, he and Jakov have a bit of a rivalry. Since it's rather small here, here's what it says:

(Tomas is first, Jakov second)

"Well, don't blame me. It's not my fault my forefathers stole from you'rs."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Jolend."

"Really, Isriel? Well, let me make it clearer for you. It was seven hundred years ago, and you're only jealous."

"Really? How so?"

"Oh, I don't know. Because your girlfriend likes me better than you?"

"That's prepestorous."

"Just man up and admit you've lost, Isriel."

"That...that...shut up. Just shut up. I'm your king, anyway."

"Whatever you say, my liege."

I don't know if I'm going to actually be able to utilize this conversation. But I hope I will. Because it is brilliant, if I do say so myself.

Whatever You Say, My Liege

So there you are! My NaNo characters--at least, the good ones. :))

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

NaNoWriMo...

Is almost upon us! The brand new site launch is today...and no, I haven't been checking in every half-hour to see if it's happened yet.

Not even once an hour.

Okay, maybe once an hour.

Possibly a bit more than once an hour.

I'm not pathetic. Honest.

I've had my idea for this year's NaNo novel since...oh...January. December. Possibly November. But it was the tail-end of November.

Once again, I'm not pathetic. I do have a life. It just gets regularly eaten by things.

Like NaNoWriMo.

Anyway. This year, I'm going to be trying fantasy again! The plot centers around a stolen throne, an amnesiac heir to that throne, his cousin, shape-shifting unicorns, an Arabian gypsy, and an evil league of kings and queens who want to keep control of all Kadrah for themselves.

It's going to be pretty epic, and I can't wait to get started. I've written out a plan/outline/thing on my iPhone, which I really need to finish, and I have no less than three versions of a map, including one hanging on my wall that I've not yet finished drawing. Hey, I only hung it up around April. I do have a cover though! See?

The Phoenix on it actually has relevance--one of the legends of Kadrah is that a Phoenix is seen and heard only when a true king is crowned. It has a place in the story, and it's going to be pretty amazing to weave the threads of this story together.

I can't wait. Now if I can just shove the inner editor back into his box (he doesn't like to go very much), and can ignore the feeling that I'm a totally rubbish writer, this NaNo should be pretty awesome!

So. Who else is going to be doing NaNo? (I'd like usernames if you're willing to hand them out--I'd love to add you all. :)) )

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

And Summer 2012 Has Been Booked

If everything shapes up the way I'm hoping, I'll be leaving home the 6th of June, 2012, and except for a few days here and there, will be gone until the end of September, 2012. Why? Because I'm insane like that. Let me break it down for you.

Summer 2012, Dream Plans:

June 6th - leave home for Christian Youth In Action training sessions

June 9th - return home, put clothes through the was and pack for Romania

June 12th - depart for Romania

June 26th - return from Romania, put clothes through the wash and pack again

July 1rst - depart for Zambia, Africa

September 30th (or thereabouts) - return home, in time to start planning for a 2013 trip, hopefully to China.

The trip to Africa is still up in the air: God is really going to have to supply for that, because right now, it looks like it'll probably cost at least $3,000 or so just for my plane ticket. (Romania will cost substantially less, probably in the vicinity of $2,000.)

So. Please be in prayer. I'm going to be focusing on Romania, and I hope to be funded before too long, that way I can focus on helping my little sister, Emma, who is also going to be going to Romania. So far, I have a few fundraisers planned that I'll probably be doing, so we'll see how it goes! But since I will be focusing on Romania, that leaves Africa. So, what I'm doing is just praying. God knows my need far better than I do, and if it's his will for me to go to Africa, then go to Africa I will.

We'll see what happens in the next few months! Please be in prayer. :))

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

I'm In Love...

With a 900 year old alien who travels through time and space.

In a blue police box.

His name is the Doctor. And my mother says I'm obsessed. She's probably right. But I'm in good company. Mirriam (Thoughts of a Shieldmaiden) is just as obsessed. So it's okay.

Speaking of Mirriam, she drew a picture of the Doctor for my seventeenth birthday. It's so purty! I mean, lookitlookit:

Isn't he awesome?! Anyway. This has been a random interruption of our normal programming to inform you that I'm in love with an alien. This is the end of this public service announcement.

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)

Confidence and Glory

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:26-25-31

I find quite a bit of comfort in this passage. I'm not much at all. But through God, I am made wise and righteous...and it's only through him that I can be made so. I can have confidence--or, as this passage puts it, glory--in the fact that I am sanctified by the blood of Christ. I can worship him, glorify his name, with the knowledge that he has made me clean and called me to a great purpose...no matter how I looked before.

Not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called...

He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

爱於耶穌,
~Liberty (紫涵)