Has It Really Been a Semester?

Long time guys!

I can't believe my last "real" post was back in July!!  Wow.  Sorry about that.  This last semester of school kept me pretty busy and next semester (my last semester) will be even worse!  But, I'm almost done so that is good!

In other news...

It's that time of year again!  Yes, the time of year when it's cold outside and my creative brain starts thinking.  I have had an itch to work on my Destroyer Series for the last couple of weeks.  And now I'm finally getting back into it.

You know what the biggest problem about working on a story only once a year?  You sometimes forget all the different directions your story is taking.  I know it sounds absurd, but when you have a story that is spanning three (to four) books, the story lines easily become one.  I was looking over my mountain of notes and written scenes earlier tonight, and I'll be honest, it's rather overwhelming.  This story (the "Destroyer" story) has been with me now FIVE years.  You would have thought I could have had it written and done.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) every time I work on it, new things come to pass and cause changes within the story, giving it more depth, more meaning.  I absolutely love it!  But I really want to get it written so I have it preserved for years to come, you know?  As of right now, my "story" consists within the pages of five notebooks, multiple sticky-note collections, some Word documents, and iPod playlist of songs, and random scenes written on scraps of paper.  NONE of it is in order.  So even if I fill four entire notebooks with just Destroyer stuff, it is never in order.  I may have been writing a scene from Book 1 and it suddenly sparks an idea for Book 3 that I want to connect.  So I go off of the creative tangent and everything falls out of order.

Have I attempted to organize and condense my thoughts?  Yes.

Have I tried to write out the general outline of each book?  Absolutely.

Does the outline change?  All the time.

Which is the problem.

My original story idea from the beginning of 2009 is soooooooo different from what it is now.  It's as though the story has grown as I have.

Does anyone have recommendations for organizing ideas and stories into a concise outline?  I am reading about story structure and I've thought about using that as an outline, but I'm interested in what others do for outlining their story--whether it's an actual written outline, or if they use index cards (which I have attempted and it's just as chaotic as my writings), or if there's another method that works even better?  I am open to suggestions!  Thanks!

With that, I'm off to find more inspiration to work on my story.

Peace!

Light Years

Light Years 

Xenia

You know just how to take me there

And I know I would go anywhere

But when times become hard

And we're left with the scars

And we're all bent up

It's so good to let go and run into your arms

Yeah it's just enough

So I'm counting on the stars to take me near or far

Travel any day, light years to find you

Anywhere you go, only to be close

Believe me, I will roam for light years to find you

Light years to find you

You got every little bit of me

And I got this feeling it's meant to be

Not a word, not a phrase

Not a night, not a day

Could keep me away

I don't know where we'll go

What this ticket will hold

But that's okay

So I'm counting on the stars to take me near or far

Travel any day, light years to find you

Anywhere you go, only to be close

Believe me, I will roam for light years to find you

Light years to find you 

I have one condition alone in my head

Just one decision, I have no regrets

I've made my prediction to end up with you

Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' and runnin'

Counting on the stars

To take me near, near or far

 

So I'm counting on the stars to take me near or far

Travel any day, light years to find you

Anywhere you go, only to be close

Believe me, I will roam for light years to find you

Light years to find you

Light years to find you

Light years to find you

Returning to Sand

"The light after the storm, shows that hope was never gone."

You have seen this line all over this blog, in posts as well as the description to the right.  It was also one of the main inspirations behind the title of this blog, "Dancing Through the Rain."  This amazing line belongs to none other than David Hodges who co-wrote the song "Returning to Sand" with Tamar Kaprelian back in 2009.  He later released a re-recorded version on his December Sessions, Vol. 1 album.

This song has given me much strength over the years and has become a motto for life.  So even when times are tough, I know that  if  when I make it through the storm, there will be sunlight again.  Like Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians states, "Do you stop believing in the sun when clouds block it out?"  Hope is the exact same way.

When times are tough, the storm seems so dark and so oppressive.  But through our belief, we know the sun is still shining above those clouds, and we simply need to have faith and wait for the storm to pass in order to see the sunlight once again.

Don't be afraid to fall.

Don't be afraid to change.

Don't be afraid to feel.

Don't be afraid to learn.

Don't be afraid to grow.

Don't be afraid to love.

Don't be afraid to be you.

Don't be afraid to face the storm.

Returning to Sand

David Hodges

Tamar Kaprelian

Fate driven deep under the waves

An empire of gold

Returning to sand

Falling asleep to the rhythm of days

Watching the tide

Pull back again

I'm not afraid to fall

I've lived without water

I've walked through the fire before

I'm not afraid of change

'Cause I've dined with kings

And I've watched it be taken away

Leaving this town with wings and a prayer

These helpless streets

Are too dead for dreaming

The past made of thorns is a cross I must bear

At the edge of defeat

Miles from believing

And time will let mend we've broken...

I'm not afraid to fall

I've lived without water

I've walked through the fire before

I'm not afraid of change

'Cause I've dined with kings

And I've watched it be taken away

The light after the storm

Shows that hope was never gone

Fate driven deep under the waves

Empire of gold

Returning to sand

I'm not afraid to fall

I've lived without water

I've walked through the fire before

I'm not afraid of change

'Cause I've dined with kings

And I've watched it be taken away

Yeah, I've dined with kings

And I've watched it be taken away

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo...

If you are a writer, I am sure you have heard of it.  But if you are not familiar with the term, let me enlighten you:

National

Novel

Writing

Month

It is a national challenge to write a book of 50,000 words (novel length) in one month.  Crazy, I know.  This normally takes place in November.  Why is it November?  I have no idea.  Some say it’s because it’s the end of the year, so we are to let go of all our apprehensions that have kept us from writing all year and just DO IT!  To me, November sounds like a horrible time to write a book (I mean, the stress of the holidays?  Finals?  Eeck!).   In my opinion, some time in Spring or Summer would work best.

Therefore, I am taking the challenge... In the month of July.  I am calling it:

My Novel Writing Month!

Yes, indeed.  This month I intend to write a book!  And not just any book, but after some deliberation I have decided to write my Destroyer Series Book 1: “Tainted” (which may or may not turn into a single book--instead of a series--depending on the flow of the story).

If you have been reading my blog, you know that my Destroyer Series and I have had an “on again, off again” relationship for the past four years.  Yes, FOUR years.  I have written and rewritten the outlines and scenes multiple times... I just haven’t sat down and wrote the story from start to finish before.  I have scenes, snippets, and a general plot outline, but that is all (but these little bits of information fill three notebooks).

I think it’s about time I get my butt in gear to write this story!

As I look back at the notes I have made over the years, it is interesting to see how the story has changed and evolved.  In my opinion, it went from a childish, elementary story to something much deeper, much more personal to me.  In a way, you could say the story has matured as I have matured.  It is neat to see characters grow over the years; not to mention all the plot twists that have even caught their author by surprise! :)

This month will be a crazy one, but I think it will be good; definitely better than November at any rate.  I can’t wait to tell the story of Leah, Kael, Zak, and Red!  It’s going to be good.

Oh Amazon...

**Note: This is going to be a ranting blurb...

I have never experienced any problems with Amazon before.  Maybe it's because I have ordered more items recently (therefore increasing my odds) but I had an order delivered two weeks ago that had defective items.  Are you kidding me?

The book I ordered said "New" but it arrived clearly used and/or possibly bargain (scuff marks all over the  cover, the book "fell" open, which new books don't do, etc.).

NONE of the five 100-pack decks of card sleeves fit my Dominion cards.  Sure the cards would go in them, but then it would bow the cards causing them to not lay flat... which is kind of crucial in a deck building game.  You would think at least a pack or two would have worked.  I should say, I have purchased the exact sleeves before from a local store and they worked fine (hence the reason I was ordering them again).  But the first time I order them online, they are all defective.  Talk about luck!

So I sent the two items back with my explanation the day they arrived (June 11th).

And just tonight... I found out my Dominion game (from the same order) had a duplicate deck and not the correct third deck that it needed.  I didn't realize this until I had sleeved an entire deck already (100 cards--sleeves were ordered directly from the manufacturer's site and work great).  So I checked what was supposed to be included... and proceeded to un-sleeved all the cards I had just sleeved.  And all this time I was wondering where the randomizer cards were... Go figure!

And what makes this specific defect so incredible? 

IT WAS THE LAST ITEM IN THE ORDER!!!!

I ordered a total of 3 items, all shipped in the same box, arrived on the same day, etc.  Seriously?  Every item in the order?  Really???  I must have had some bad "joo joo" going on when I placed the order because it seems so rare for this kind of thing to happen.  I'm just blown away.

I am however, very grateful for the customer service at Amazon in helping me resolve these issues and get my money back or switch the items.  Thank you Amazon Customer Service people!  You are awesome!

Let's hope my replacement Dominion game isn't defective this next time around... *sigh*

Eden

You know those moments in life when you realize you have become your parents?  Yeah, totally had one of those the other day.

I decided to buy a new music album off of iTunes to help me tackle a very large cleaning/organization project.  After it downloaded, I stopped to think about how my music interests have changed over the years.  In high school, if you even mentioned the word "pop" around me, I would have walked away.  But as time has gone by, my interests have gone from hard-rock/punk to alternative to pop... to instrumental.  And the funny thing is, this is exactly the kind of music my parents listed to when I was younger!  I grew up with a lot of Yanni, Kenny G., Jim Brickman, and Donny Osmond playing in the house.

In a psychology class I took years ago, I heard that as people age, they actually revert into what they experienced as a child when it comes to personal tastes, etc.  Boy is it ever true in my case!

Anyway, one of my favorite artists is Piano Guys.  They are phenomenal and made listening to piano music fun again (not to mention how David Hodges has influenced me in my choice of music as well).  As I listen to their stuff on Pandora, Paul Cardall kept coming up, and I really started to like his piano music.  So I purchased one of his CDs this last week: Living For Eden.

Within twenty seconds of the first song, I knew I was in love.

It hasn't changed after hearing the entire album.

I looked at the CD artwork and found this on the back:

"Music is a means to an end for me.  It's a gift that allows me to share emotions that reflect my life's philosophy.  Johann Sebastian Bach said, 'The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.'

Life is full of surprises.  There are ups and downs, happiness and pain.  But, through it all there exists in my heart the comforting assurance that faith in a loving God and loyalty to family creates a Garden of Eden, or refuge, in our lives.  I've learned that long-term happiness does not come from any accolades, money, or advancement in society but by putting our whole heart into love, sacrifice, and service to those in our home, extended family, and community.

This album [Living For Eden] is a celebration of my 35 years.  I love life.  I am reminded every day through my experiences of the gift of life.  However, I think of the millions of people suffering in the world.  Pain and loss is all around us.  Poverty, disease, war, the list goes on.  It's overwhelming and devastating.  My heart turns to these people.  I believe we should trust in the message of Jesus who more than 2000 years ago taught us how to live and love all people.

We should focus all our priorities in actively building homes with love and also extend that love to our communities.  And then, maybe, this world once again will become a peaceful place like the Garden of Eden."

- Paul Cardall

I want to add my testimony to his about how our priorities need to be within the home.  It is in this sacred place that we learn the basic values and morals to function in life.  This is where we should feel safe and be able to escape the concerns of the world.  I have been blessed to live in such a home.  Though it is not the Garden of Eden, it is my Eden.  I am proud to call it Home.

What will your Eden be like?

Children & Christ's Atonement

Today I had the awesome opportunity to attend my cousin's mission homecoming.  Now normally I attend a Single's Ward (individuals aged 18-30 who are not married).  But today, I attended a home ward where young families abound.

What struck me, and the thought I wish to share with you today, is the love I felt as I looked around the room at the little children (some of which belong to my cousins not much older than myself, I might add).  I looked at those little children and was thinking about the Atonement as the Sacrament was being passed.  I realized the Jesus Christ Atoned for everyone, including the innocent three-year-old two benches in front of me.  Now, children are innocent and I (as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) firmly believe that if a child dies prior to the age of accountability (age 8), they have a freeway pass to Heaven.  So, knowing the Atonement takes away sin, I asked myself, "How would this innocent child utilize the Atonement when they haven't sinned?"  Well, I was quickly reminded that the Atonement is not only for the sinner, but also for the saint.  Christ Atoned for us so that we have the opportunity to return to our loving Father in Heaven.

Jesus Christ Atoned for everyone no matter their age, race, gender, or lifestyle.

On top of that, I think about the love the father has of this three-year-old sitting in front of me.  I think about the cousins closest to me in age, who now have children of their own, and I can imagine the love and pride (the good kind) they experience when they look at their child.  Take that warm fuzzy feeling of love and magnify it by infinity.  That is the love that Heavenly Father experiences as He looks down upon us.

This love is why Jesus Christ came down to this Earth and died for our sins; so Heavenly Father has the chance to be reunited with the children He loves so very much.

As I continue to look around at the children, and feel the warmth of love, the Spirit quietly whispers to me: "He doesn't love them more than you.  You are loved just as much as that small, innocent child."

The Lord loves all of us unconditionally: the sinner and the saint, the poor and the rich, the mean and the kind.  But I think He has varying degrees of (wholesome) pride when we choose to follow Him and when we think of Him and His Son.  It is similar to when a parent sees their child succeed in life.  Obviously they are going to feel a sense of pride from that child and rejoice in their successes.  How much greater could that feeling be from our Infinite Eternal Father in Heaven?  How much more are you willing to do to please Him?

When I was a child, I made mistakes.  Some of these mistakes hurt my parents dearly and I still remember the shame I felt at seeing them disappointed with me.  How is our relationship with Heavenly Father any different?  Likewise, I think when we choose a different path, stray away from Him, He feels sad and wishes we would choose differently.  But He knows it is ultimately our decision (that's why He gave us agency), but He still feels sad.

Think of the loss He would have felt during the War in Heaven, when he lost a third of children!  That's billions of children!  I easily can see Him upset at the loss (yet, having the infinite knowledge He does, He realizes the power of agency in His children).  I cannot fathom a parent who loses even one child not to experience some sort of great loss.

But that is why we are in this life.  We are here to learn and prove ourselves to Him, so that we may return to live with Him someday.

Christ sacrificed His perfect life so that all may be given the chance to succeed.  Some may not partake of His gift, others will abuse it, and yet there are many others who will cherish the gift we cannot fathom, and return gratefully into His loving arms as we fall down at His feet.

I long for that day.

"Dating: No Guts, No Glory" Book Review

Title: Dating: No Guts, No Glory: A Novel
Author: Joni Hilton
Series: N/A
Number in Series: N/A
Copyright: 1989; Covenant Communications, Inc.
Genre: LDS Fiction: Romance / Self-help/ YA
Pages:154
ISBN: 9781555033279
My Rating: 0.5 / 5
Content Rating: G

Yes, I rated this book 0.5 (a half) star.  No, I am not joking.  Seeing as relationships are an area of interest of mine (*cough*mymajor*cough*), I thought this book might be enjoyable for a quick read.  Boy, am I glad I only paid $1 for it!

There are very few books I strongly dislike; most are a result of too much swearing/vulgar language or sexuality.  However, this book had neither of those (it being an LDS novel and all), but there was one HUGE issue I had...

It lacked any kind of a story-arc whatsoever.

Where was the build-up?  When did the climax occur?  What about the conflict?  Are you kidding me?

This book revolves around the main character experiencing different relationships--none of which add anything to her character, nor do they have any significant impact on the story (in other words: the scenes existence was useless). I felt like every relationship she had could have been it's own story so-to-speak (with build-up, conflict, climax, resolution, etc.).  Instead, the author skims over them, as they are trivial to the "over all story."  Hate to break it to you, but if you want the story and characters to be remembered, make the interactions with their self and the environment meaningful.  Personally, I only recall a handful of other characters--most of which being the family members that are continuously around. 

Now, I should probably stop and tell you that Hilton often "pauses" the "story" to directly address the reader  in lecture-like format.  This really bothered me.  I felt like I was reading a nonfiction book on dating with a few fictional stories thrown in as examples of the concept being addressed.

The other huge issue I saw with this, is because it is a "novel," whenever the characters within the story quote someone (such as a general authority), there is absolutely no reference.  Isn't that plagiarism?  Now, granted this book was first published back in 1989 and rules have become stricter since then, but still!  A reference to a talk would have been nice.

I don't mean to rant on this book, but if you call something a novel, it should serve at least one basic purpose:

To tell an engaging story.

Good Omens

The other day I was on Goodreads.com and looked at my recommended books.  Needless to say, this book grabbed my attention.  I laughed out loud for a good five minutes after reading the synopsis and decided I ought to give it a read.

Not to mention it had a VERY high rating (4.5 stars out of 5) with thousands of reviews.  This book, is none other than the masterpiece entitled...

"Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (1990).

Here is the synopsis straight from the back of the book:

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday.  Next Saturday, in fact.  Just before dinner.  So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing.  Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring.  Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.  Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. 

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist...

It has been quite some time since I have read out of my genre (YA paranormal/fantasy) so I figure it might be time for a change of pace.  And what better book to make the transition than this one involving the end of the world, angels, demons, and comedy?  It has been around for a long time and the story sounds phenomenal! (Hence the reason it is still around!)  I can't wait to read it this weekend!

Blurbing

I want to blog more.

Really, I do! I just caught up on all my friends' blogs and it really helped motivate me.

One of the greatest things I notice was the fact that these posts were not long posts.... Rather they were "blurbs" of some event during the day. Well, shucks, I could do that! And I think that's how blogging SHOULD be... Blurbing!!

So here is my blurb from today:

You may have not noticed the smile I had on my face as your little three-year-old raced up to the counter to purchase his beloved candy bar; his young eyes tried to peer over the vast green edge that separated us. Overly excited, he threw his money pouch on the counter and proudly exclaimed, "Here's my money!!" The two of you smiled, amused by the brightness of your child in learning responsibility so early in life (which is becoming very important with this day and age).

You sneak some bills to me while he is digging through his coin pouch for the $1.04. As I gave you back the change, you pat the child on the head and say he did a good job.

He was devastated.

Desiring nothing more than to pay with his own money.

Tears may have been close to the horizon.

Then you handed him his candy bar and he lit up all over again, his devastation a forgotten memory.

"Thank you!" he proclaimed in a cute voice, walking away with the two of you in tow.

You may have not have noticed, but my smile lasted the entire day.

Fangirl Moment

I'm about to have a fangirl moment...

"Pitch Black" by RattledMachine on dA     [Image Source]

The Random Guardian Kitten Graduates!

It feels like forever since I have written!  A lot has happened (other than school...)

Remember this post I did back in February about Panser and how great she is?  Well I just so happened to send her a package in the mail...

The poster of Panser and magnets I made for her.
The poster was purchased at DistrictLines.com

Just the magnets...

Magnet Pikachu close-up!

I wanted her to sign the poster and keep the magnets.  I also included a hand written letter to her.  She gets a lot of stuff in the mail and I wanted to give her something unique.  On top of that... check this video out where I am mentioned in the first 1:35!

Great, right????  I was ECSTATIC!!!!!  And she said she was going to send me something back (on top of the signed poster!). Well yesterday... guess what arrived in the mail finally?

Yep!

"Melissa, You're in my [hearts] ^_^  /2 Panser"
(For those who don't know, "/2" is her TradeChat logo)

So she sent the poster back signed, utilizing her famous "sign-off" saying ("I love you all, you're in my hearts").  She also sent back one of her handmade hair bows (super cute!) and her business card (the cute animated Panser) that has all her contact information on the back of it.  Needless to say, it made my day!

And in other news... for my birthday my dad gave me something truly wonderful:

Birthday 2013

My dad knows how much I love "Rise of the Guardians" (2012) and I was so excited to start reading these!  I actually finished a few weeks ago and they are GREAT!  They help to shed a lot of light on the characters in the movie (mainly their back stories).  I found Bunny to be very different, but I LOVED the book version of Bunnymund and especially his "rivalry" with North.  Though the book series isn't finished yet (the movie is supposedly years after the books end), I am anxious to see how things turn out.  I'm also surprised that NONE of Pitch's back story made it into the movie!!  It's so heartbreaking...

These books are a great and easy read, especially if you enjoyed the movie or like C.S. Lewis' style of writing (as though you are sitting on your grandfather's knee and he's telling you a story).  The world Joyce has created is fantastic and magical!


Dad and I also adopted a new cat!  Needless to say, her and Squeaky have yet to get along...

Meet Abbi!

She's one year old!

Now that she is more familiar with the environment, we have found she is an incredible talker.  We have decided she is mostly mane coon because she displays a lot of the characteristics of that breed, including talking and loving water (she plays in her water dish).  She also has the pointed ears (see first picture) which is a sign of mane coon.

Hopefully she will get along with our 9 year old cat soon... I think they would make great companions for one another.

Switching topics!  (Do you like my transition there?) ^-^

School is keeping me super busy (hence the lack of posts).  But I found out something amazing last week...

I may be able to graduate with my  

Bachelor's Degree next spring!!!!

Whaaaa???  I was rather overwhelmed and had a quarter-life crisis!  I don't know what I want to be when I grow up!  What am I supposed to do when I don't have to worry about homework or paying for tuition?  Does such a world even exist?

I just don't know.

These are just a few of the things that have been happening in my life recently.  A lot of changes have occurred and a lot of growth has happened.  This semester seems to be rushing by!

So until next time!  Go out and enjoy the sunshine!  (If you are experiencing it, that is.  If not, enjoy the sunshine when it decides to come out!)

Long Time

I apologize that it has been so long since I've made a post.  I'm really going to try and do better at blogging more often, preferably at least once a week.

A friend of mine is a writer.  He's very good at it and he made a commitment to write a chapter a week on his book and post it online for his friends to read.  Every week he makes a post (usually every Monday).  Oh how I would like to be disciplined like that!  (Josh, you're amazing!)

Speaking of writing, I have been working on a new story concept.  A while ago I came up with an idea I am terming, "Relative Reality" and is based on dreams.  (No, it's not quite like Inception.)  Well, for the first time in all the years I have written stories... I did research.

A lot of research.

I have learned about Schizophrenia, nightmare disorder/dream anxiety disorder, sleep paralysis, personality disorders, OCD, Asperger's Syndrome, and even numerology!

It has been an incredible journey!  I have never had so much fun learning!!  (I'll be darned if the stuff they teach you about researching in school is actually applicable to real life situations!  Study hard, kids!)  I really have enjoyed researching all the different things mentioned above, partly because half-way through researching I might come up with an idea that will spur on a scenario.  Amazing.

This book is different than my Destroyer Series in that I'm trying to view it as only one book instead of three or four.  I think it is helping with the planning process.  I am not putting my Destroyer Series away, I'm just focusing on this dream story for a time, planning to return back to Destroyer Series when I feel more experienced.

And in other news...

School is crazy.  It has been Spring Break this week and it's been lovely weather outside!  Spring is indeed on the way!  But we go back to the grind of school, work, homework, and no life again on Monday... *sigh*

Random Panser

For a while I have kept my "obsession" with this vlogger to a minimum... but I figure it's finally time to let the cat out of the bag so others might enjoy in her epic randomness!

Meet Panser.

She's my age.

And she has pink hair.

(Though she has been known to change it quite often)

She's also a complete gamer.

(Her favorite games being World of Warcraft and League of Legends)

Who even has a YouTube channel
dedicated to gaming news (Tradechat)

 

Not to mention,
she's a huge Pikachu fan.

Even competing in the TBS series, "King of the Nerds."

So why do I like this girl so much?  She's hilariously funny.  Panser has such an addicting personality.  I can't help it that time seems to slip into another dimension when I watch her videos.  She has brought more smiles to my face than any other YouTuber.

Speaking of smiling, she also promotes making the choice to be happy.  You have to make a conscious choice to have a good day.  I firmly believe in this because I try to do it everyday and it works.  Seriously.  To quote Panser, "You just have to be like, 'Oh wow, that happened and that sucked.  Now I'm going to go eat a cupcake.'"[Source] ^-^

Panser is also a source of inspiration when it comes to doing crafty things.  She makes a TON of things, especially these amazing SpiritHood feather accessories:

The feather accessory I purchased yesterday.
I can't wait for it to come!!!! ^-^

Her creativity has stirred within me a desire to try new things.  I'm quickly becoming a fan of DIY (do-it-yourself) projects.  In fact, I have an entire playlist on YouTube dedicated to creations I want to do sometime.  I thank my own mother for the crafty hobby she had, but I also blame Panser for igniting that spark within me.  I wish it would have ignited sooner, because I could have done so much more with Mom while she was here...

But "No regrets!"

Anyway, even though I don't understand most of what Panser says when she talks "gamer," (aka: mentioning specifics of games I have never played, leveling up a certain character, or why it is difficult, etc.) I do understand enough--and I'm entertained enough--to keep watching.

Aside from gaming, much of what she talks about is complete and utter...
  

 

...but I still enjoy it.

I recently re-watched nearly all of her Vlog videos... (Multiple sittings, of course).  But it has made me appreciate vlogging and the uniqueness of her style in particular.  Maybe I just haven't seen very many good vloggers, but I enjoy hers because unlike the normal vlog, hers are always in one take... so we see everything, even the bloopers.  That's one of the reasons her vlogs are so funny.

So as I was re-watching her videos, I decided it would be fun to create a sort of collage of my favorite parts in some of the videos.  These are the moments where I laughed the hardest; the events that make me appreciate Panser for her unique, spunky personality.  If she lived near me, we would be friends.  Anyway, enjoy!
  

Disclaimer:  She does swear occasionally in her videos (not in the one above, however).  But she's normally pretty good about not swearing too often (unlike some other YouTubers I have seen).

"I love you all.  

I hope you are having a wonderful day.

You're in my ♥ ♥ ♥ (hearts)

And I'll see you so soon!"

~ Panser

Rise of the Guardians & Symbolism

As you already know, I am a huge fan of Rise of the Guardians.

But did you also know that one of the reasons I love it is because of the symbolism I see between that story and the Gospel?  Here, let me share some examples.

(The following should *NOT* include spoilers.  You're welcome.) ^-^

Jack: "Darkness.  That's the first thing I remember.  It was dark, and it was cold... And I was scared.  But then, then I saw the moon.  It was so big and it was so bright, and it seemed to chase the darkness away.  And when it did... I wasn't scared anymore."

First of all, talk about an awesome opening scene.  Beautifully written.  Now for the symbolism...

This world can be a very scary and dark place.  All you have to do is look at the news and see what's going on.  But, the light (Jesus Christ) can chase that darkness away.  When I turn to my Savior at times when I am scared of the uncertain future, I find peace and hope.

[Image Source]

Continuing along that same thought (of the Man in the Moon symbolizing Christ), later in the movie after longing for something he didn't have, Jack looks up at the moon.
"If there's something I'm doing wrong, can you, can you just tell me what it is?  Because I've tried everything... You put me here, the least you can do is tell me, tell me why..."

When life isn't going according to our plan, how often do we look up at Heavenly Father and say those same words?  How often does He respond with silence or "Patience, my child"?  For me, it's far more than I can count.  Ten years ago, I honestly thought my life would be different; for starters, I thought I would be done with college (still working on it), Mom would still be alive (but she's in a much better place now), and I would be married...  Well, none of those three things have happened yet.  But I have learned to have patience and recognize that the Lord has His timing and we have ours, often they are different.

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And when we don't receive an answer, but someone else does (through the Holy Ghost and inspiration), we then question why we were not told...

Jack to the Guardians:
"The Man in the Moon, he talks to you?  But why, why wouldn't he tell me that himself?"

Sometimes Often the Lord will work through other people in order to bless our life.  If we are too focused on what we want and not what He wants, how could we possibly hear Him?  It takes someone else to speak up and act in His behalf.  When I have had this happen, I stop and question myself, wondering what it was that caused me to be so "unavailable."  However, sometimes it isn't that we are to blame; sometimes the Lord simply has other plans.  Even if, like Jack, we are trying our best but we still can't receive inspiration, perhaps it's because He has a greater plan in store (So-and-so needed to talk to you because they needed it, etc.).

[Image Source]

North: "I don't know who you were in your past life, but in this life you are Guardian."
Jack: "But how can I know who I am, until I find out who I was?"

No, I am not endorsing reincarnation.  =P

What I love about this is that it doesn't matter what your past is like, you can still become who it is you want to be.  Thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, your past can be healed.  Yes, the scar may still remain for a time, but the pain will be gone, and we can move forward with the life we desire to live.

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Another aspect of this movie that I enjoyed was the concept of "What's your center?"  What's your purpose?  We are all here in this life trying to find our center.  For some it may take longer than others, but eventually I think we all find it.

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And don't even get me started on Pitch...

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This entire movie is also based on the premise of faith and believing in something you cannot see, which of course goes hand-in-hand with the Gospel.  So...

"Believe it."

~ ~ ~

Fear Not

I came across the picture above on FaceBook and shared it.  One of my friends commented and asked, "So what would you let go of?" and it caused me to stop and think...

If I could live my life without fear...

What would I do?

That's a very good question... and I'm not really sure I have the answer to that.  There is so much to fear in this world (especially since I keep hearing about school shootings).

Then, in Institute on Monday, my teacher referenced a talk by Elder Holland entitled, "Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast."  This is the section that spoke to me the most:

"I say this because in recent times—post 9-11 times, I suppose—I have heard very fearful and even dismal opinions coming from some in your age group... I have heard some of you say that you wonder whether there is any purpose in going on a mission or getting an education or planning for a career if the world we live in is going to be so uncertain. I have even heard sweethearts say, "We don’t know whether we should get married in such uncertain times."

Worst of all, I have heard reports of some newlyweds questioning whether they should bring children into a terror-filled world on the brink of latter-day cataclysms. May I tell you that, in a way, those kinds of attitudes worry me more than Al-Qaeda worries me.

I have just two things to say to any of you who are troubled about the future. I say it lovingly and from my heart.

First, we must never, in any age or circumstance, let fear and the father of fear (Satan himself) divert us from our faith and faithful living. There have always been questions about the future. Every young person or every young couple in every era has had to walk by faith into what has always been some uncertainty—starting with Adam and Eve in those first tremulous steps out of the Garden of Eden. But that is all right. This is the plan. It will be okay. Just be faithful. God is in charge. He knows your name and He knows your need.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—that is the first principle of the gospel. We must go forward, as it says in K. Newell Dayley’s hymn commemorating our pioneers of the past, “with faith in ev’ry footstep.” But like those pioneers, you do have to keep taking them—one step and then another and then the next. That is how tasks are accomplished, that is how goals are achieved, and that is how frontiers are conquered. In more divine language, that is how worlds are created and it is how your world will be created.

God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.

God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe."

[I encourage you to listen to Elder Holland's talk and read along with him.  He emphasizes words in such a way that it will touch you on a deeper level.]

I absolutely LOVE that last statement.  We need to believe in the future and have faith that Heavenly Father will help give us strength to face it.  As Elder Holland goes on to say...

"...God not only lives, He loves us. He loves you. Everything He does is for our good and our protection. There is evil and sorrow in the world, but there is no evil or harm in Him. He is our Father—a perfect father—and He will shelter us from the storm."

Fear of the future has been a concern of mine.  In fact, I have expressed it in previous posts.  The future is scary, but it's going to be alright... if we just believe.

We cannot let our fear of the future withhold us from reaching our potential in this life.  We have so much going for us, and we can do it.

So I am going to leave you with departing words from a song by David Hodges (yes, everything does relate back to him somehow).  It is entitled, "Little Juliet."  He is singing as a father (to his daughter), but the song has a much deeper meaning: There's another Father that is telling us (everyone) the words of this song whenever we are going through a difficult time or are scared.  This song speaks peace to my soul.

I can't imagine while you're waking
From a dream, the darkness
Is making you so scared
Honey, I've been there
But I know it won't be long
So baby, hold on

I know you can't understand
I know it's hard to trust these hands
When you're so scared
Honey, I've been there
Please believe it won't be long
So baby, hold on.

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Just Because...

[**Disclaimer: This is a fangirl moment.  Thank you.]

TA DA!

Came across this image last night and it made me laugh. XD

Now... imagine that image with the following song:

Video by: FlameyLovesFrank on YouTube

In a way, I can't wait for the DVD release on March 15th (yes, I do know the exact day) because the videos on YouTube will simply explode with good RotG videos.  Currently, most are using bootlegged footage which has horrible quality.  Besides, in the video above, there are shots where Pitch's head is cut off... Sad day!  But the dance he does on the globe is pretty epic... just saying.

Pitch Black is an amazing character and I simply LOVE all the small movements the animators did with him (like a little shake of his head there, the body language and posture here, etc).  Oh yes, Pitch is amazing.

The end.

♥ ♥ ♥

PS:  This video is also pretty cool.  This editor did an amazing job telling a different kind of story.

(**SPOILERS!!** View at your own discretion.)

Video by: AmberSpirit11 on YouTube

And I have to admit, after seeing RotG for a third time this holiday season, it has officially passed Megamind in my top favorite movies.  Rise of the Guardians is my 2nd favorite movie, with Tangled being the first.
 Though that gap is quickly drawing to a close.