NaNoWriMo COMPLETE!

I have officially FINISHED and WON NaNoWriMo!! I didn't quite make it to 50,000 words like I had originally intended, but I did reach my other goal of 35,000 words plus 2!

My novel is called Where I Belong, and is about a sixteen year-old girl named Chloe. Chloe Greene is just an ordinary sixteen year-old country girl living on ho-hum Hickory Lane. She wants to travel and change the world for the better, but someone holds her back. Beau, her long-time crush and brother's best friend, tells her some things that make her reconsider her dreams. Will she decide to try and leave the country someday to start a revolution on her own, or will Beau convince her to stay home and encourage the people in their own community first? Will Chloe do what she wants to do, or will she seek God's will for her life?

I may or may not post the story on here, but I'm not sure yet. Hopefully I'll get some more inspiration for the next story I'm wanting to write. If all goes well, this one will be totally different from the stuff I'm used to writing, with more of a Peretti style to it.

Am I excited? YES.

1 Peter 4:10 says,  "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

And always remember this: "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

Give God the glory for all you do! "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." (Colosians 3:23)

Have a blessed Wednesday!

~Courtney

Aspiring Writer

The month of November, in case you didn't know, is National Novel-Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo. This year I have attempted to produce a 50,000 word novel in thirty days or less. As of right now, I am just getting to the 31,000 word mark. My goal was to at least hit 30K, and now I am just trying to get to 35K, and then as high as I possibly can before midnight, December 1st. This has been a challenge, but also a ton of great fun and a wonderful learning experience. It makes me feel like an unsociable nerd with no life and who lives off of coffee and life experiences to inspire me, but that is totally okay with me. I could live just as happily in a hole, as long as I had some coffee, books, and paper and a pencil. Seriously, that's no joke. So back I go, into my little world of fantasy and fiction, that peaceful place I go to think and sort out my thoughts. I intend to do my very best at writing until I have absolutely no time left. I must finish my story. And even if it isn't my best work, at least I will have completed my first novel. Someday, maybe, with a lot of patience, perseverance, and prayer, I hope to be able to publish something worth reading.

Until next time, everyone!

One of the many aspiring writers,
Courtney Faith

I'm Thankful

Today is the day set aside specifically for giving thanks to God for all He has so bountifully blessed us with. Today we acknowledge all He has done for us, and thank Him for doing so. We have so much to be thankful for here in the United States of America! I am so very grateful to have been born a citizen of this country and the state of Alabama. Though times get hard, we are well off in this country. I have clean water, electricity, heat, a home, and family and friends who care.

I'm thankful that I was taught to always be thankful.

Most of all, I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ, who died for me that I can be free of the bondage of sin, and someday live with Him forever and ever in Heaven! I am so thankful that He loved me enough to save us from the wicked world. I am thankful that He has overcome it all and is now the King of everything. Without Him I would be hopeless, and He is the main reason I am thankful today.

I hope you all have a wonderful day of thanksgiving. God bless!

~Courtney

Dear Future Husband: A Letter

I just came across a sweet letter written by a young lady to her future husband. It's so nice coming across one of these encouraging letters that someone has written to their future spouse. Here is what Jasmine write...

Dear Husband of My Future,

Although I have yet to lay eyes on you, I have faith that you are worth the wait. Contrary to what I used to believe, you will not complete me, but you will compliment the whole person that I already I am. With that said, I have been and will continue to take advantage of my time of singleness because I realize that singleness is not the plague, but a time for me to work on myself and evolve into the woman that I was destined to be. This is why I will not waste this great season of my life sulking and complaining about not having a man. I was taught that patience is a virtue and great things come to those who wait. So instead of doing all that, I am using this time to attain multiple degrees, pursue the career of my dreams, travel the world, learn more about myself as a person and even learn what it means to be a wife as opposed to a girlfriend.

It is in this time of singleness, I have chosen to refrain from certain activities in which most single young adults in my age group engage in, such as sex. On August 8, 2010, which was my 20th birthday, I made a public vow in front of my entire congregation that I would refrain from sexual activity until the day that you and I exchange our vows in front of our loving family and friends, sealing our promises with an “I do.” Most would see this decision as absurd and unrealistic, but I believe that with God all things are possible. I wish to fully commit myself to you as well as our marriage well before we even cross paths. Although I am in no way perfect, experiencing things the way that God truly intended for them to be done is extremely important to me. I realize that sex is not merely for pleasure but it is a responsibility and a bond that should be shared between a husband and wife. I have also been a witness of the detriment that sex before marriage can bring and I wish to give our marriage a fair chance. Sexual intercourse can spiritually and emotionally tie you to a person and I wish to walk with as little baggage as humanly possible in your direction. No disrespect to anyone else and their choices.

With baggage in mind I have also made the conscious decision to refrain from recreational dating because along with physical purity, I wish to enter our covenant of marriage emotionally and mentally pure as well. I will not date guy after guy just because, acquiring broken heart after broken heart just to appease my boredom or to satisfy my temporary loneliness. I don’t wish to come to you with a shattered heart covered in scars and bruises seeking for you to put the pieces back together. I refuse to enter our relationship not trusting you because of something some other guy did or did not do in the past that I could’ve completely avoided had I just waited for you. I will not jump at the first guy who smiles at me. I have been a witness to church hook-ups gone wrong that have even evolved into church marriages gone wrong and have made the decision not to partake in all that. I’ve been the church girl devastated to find out that the church boy she had been dating had been dating every church girl in and within a 25-block radius of said church. That is why I will stay single instead of calling Tyrone as one Madame Noire writer stated. Engaging in frivolous relationships to merely cure singleness as if it some devastating disease is pointless and not worth the trouble that it brings. I will guard my heart as Proverbs 4:23 instructs me to and I will follow the instructions of Song of Solomon by “not awakening love until its time” and setting my affections on no one other than you. Whoever you are.

I’ve been called a dreamer for believing that a man like you exists. I’ve been called unrealistic and impossible. I’ve even been told that I believe that I am living out a Tyler Perry movie, but despite the naysayers, something deep down in the pit of my stomach tells me otherwise. I don’t believe that I am unrealistic for not settling for any old Johnny or Tyrone for that matter. I don’t believe you to be perfect, no one walking this earth is; however, I do believe that we will perfectly balance out one another. Call it picky, but I only wish to be with the one that God designed specifically for me instead of the man who alters himself to fit the mold of what he believes that I want. We may not cross paths for another five years, five months or five weeks, but once again, I have been convinced that patience is a virtue and I am willing to wait.

See you soon, Jazmine"

Have a blessed day! Remember, patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait. God will not forget His children, nor their heart's desires.

~Courtney

Check This Post Out

Today a friend of mine posted a link to our Bible study page, telling us we should read this guy's blog post about girls dressing modestly. I went and read it, and wow, he really does encourage Christian girls to keep being Godly ladies! His post is so great I wanted to share it with you all.
     He simply says thank you from the bottom of his heart to all the girls and women who choose to dress modestly, making life easier for him to follow Christ and keep his mind on Godly things. It's so worth the read. Click here to go to Andrew Romanowitz's blog and here to read the post: To My Sisters In Christ -- From a Grateful Young Man.

     Have a blessed day, and stay beautiful!

So, What About College?

I'm going to rant a little on this lovely afternoon. I am not pointing fingers at anyone; I am simply voicing my opinions and questions.
   
     It's been a month since I've last written, and that's just because I haven't sat down to write what has been on my mind. But this morning as I was getting ready to venture out in to the world (also known as a trip to town), I was thinking about my future, which I'm sure is very common for almost everybody. I think a lot. So this time I was thinking about college, which has been on my mind lately, thanks to the many questions that people I know continue to ask.

     I don't know about you, but when I get asked the same question, or a variation of the same question, more than a dozen times in a short period of time, it gets a little... old. I couldn't even begin to count the times I have been asked "when," "where," and "what for" about going to college. The conversations I have with them usually sound a little like this:
     "So, where do you go to school?"
     "I was home schooled, but I graduated last year."
     "Oh, so are you going to college?"
     "No, probably not. I've never really wanted to go."
     "Well, you should look into it. There are plenty of great classes you could take. Find a career that you love, and go with it. You can do whatever you want."
     This is where the conversation either ends with me saying I'll think about it, or that person goes on about how great education is, what a good thing it is to make a living, etc. I honestly don't mind that everyone seems to have this conversation with me, because it tells me that people care. I love it when people ask me questions, but to tell you the truth, most times they don't understand my answers when it comes to their asking about college.

     Okay, here's the shocker for ya: I don't WANT to go to college. NEVER have! And if I did want to go, I would want to choose a major before I begin, so I won't be wasting money on classes that I may not need in the long run.

     First, let me get a few things straight:
          1. I am not against college. I think in many cases, it is a good thing.
          2. I have friends in college, boys and girls, and I am happy for them. They are all pursuing great careers.
          3. I don't want to go to college, but that does not mean I never will.

     So. In response to all the questions like, "Why on earth would you not go to college?" I have some questions for you!
   
     You tell me that I can do whatever I want, that women can do anything they feel like doing, but then when I tell you my one dream is to hopefully someday get married and raise a Godly family, you think I'm crazy and should go to college before I do anything. WHAT? Why is it that a girl can become anything she wants, even if it means traveling away from her family, but as long as she's making money it's totally okay? Why is it that you think it's crazy that I want to depend on my husband to earn a living for our family? And furthermore, why do you believe I won't ever become anything worthy of recognition unless I go to college for four years?

     Again, I have nothing against girls going to college, or even helping to earn a living. But it does bother me that there are wives and mothers who have full time jobs, make great amounts of money, but don't have time for their husbands, kids, and other duties in the home!

     My one dream my whole life has been to be the best Christ-follower I can be, and to marry a Christian man and raise a family together. I've often said I'd like to be an astronaut, but my parents don't like the idea of me leaving the planet, so that's out of the question. I went through a phase when I wanted to be a teacher, then I wanted to be a cosmetologist, and at some point I thought it might be cool to be an interpreter for the deaf, using ASL. But I don't have to go to college for all of those. Sure, I can learn tons more if I study each thing specifically, but really, if I have kids someday, I'll be able to do all those things and more! A mom has many jobs in her one career alone. Listed are just a few jobs that most moms do on a regular basis:
          1. Chef
          2. Teacher
          3. Cosmetologist
          4. Fashion designer
          5. Secretary
          6. Doctor/nurse
          7. Chauffeur
          8. Seamstress
          9. Psychiatrist
          10. Judge 

     Now tell me, how is being a stay-at-home wife and mother demeaning, throwing my abilities away, or snuffing out my chance for a higher education? Raising a Godly family and seeing them grow up to be helpmeets and soldiers for God sounds like the best "degree" one could receive in an entire lifetime! If they taught how to be the very best Christian wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend in a college class, I'd sign up in a heartbeat. But I've got the textbook I need in order to achieve that goal, and that is the Bible.
    
     So thanks, but no thanks; I'll risk losing my chance for a "higher education" and work on being a humble servant for Christ, following every step of the way He leads me to go.

     "That they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." (Titus 2:4-5)

     "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates." (Proverbs 31:30-31)