My First PURSUE Article

Hey, everyone!

My first article for Pursue was published yesterday! Click on the image to read the article. Thanks so much for your support of our ministry!

- Maddie

Tag: Books + Chocolate (Basically Pure Awesome)

Why, yes, I did find a tag that involves both Chocolate AND Books! Yeah, "found." No one tagged me. Get over it. ;)

Oh, and before you go all crazy and think, "Hey, Maddie, didn't you do a free post last week? Doesn't that mean that this Tuesday's post should be your Monday's Minutes Challenge entry???" let me answer your question. In response to your query (before you ask it), yes, this is supposed to be the Tuesday where I post my MMC entry. However, a new challenge has not yet been posted, so I am obviously not capable of posting a story for it. :) So now you know what's up. Let's move onward!

Dark Chocolate

a book that covers a dark topic

I'm really not having a hard time with this one. Brave New World all the way. Yeah, this book was... interesting. I was going to read it for school, but then I started it and my mom didn't make me finish it. I think it was a really interesting and thought provoking idea, but I was just uncomfortable with actually reading something like that. Maybe later...

White Chocolate

your favorite light-hearted/humorous read

I think I'm going to have to go with Howl's Moving Castle. You could take almost every quote from the book and it will be funny, okay?

Milk Chocolate

a book with a lot of hype that you're dying to read

Hmmm. Let me think about this. I honestly don't know. I don't usually read popular books:P I know, I know. I'm an uncultured swine. But, truth be told, when I hear that a book is popular, I usually think, "Okay, what does it have in it that would make a lot of kids who usually don't like to read, read it?" And then I come up with a notion of what I believe the book contains in order to attract the modern teen, and when I do, I decide that if my list is correct, I am not going to read said book. Because what I think people believe are some (or all) of the things that YA fiction "needs" nowadays is romance (that doesn't stay pure), language (I mean the naughty kind, and not English or German, or whatever you were ready to sarcastically come up with, thank you very much), and/or teens saving the world (because when you're 16, you totally have the maturity, wit, and wisdom to do that, right? That was an issue that was foremost in your mind when you were that age, wasn't it? No? Oh.) And most of the time, I really would prefer to not read that stuff. Not that I have never enjoyed a single book that contains any or all of those things. I enjoyed The Hunger Games and The Book Thief... and anyone who has read them knows that the first is about teens saving the world, and the second has a lot (like, a lot, a lot) of language on almost every page and one scene that was absolutely unnecessary to the plot (aka something that sort of went along with not so pure relationships.... Not that it went to that great of an extent, but... I'm still including it.) So, I did enjoy those books, but I also felt like they had themes that were worth reading for. And when I read the synopsises (anyone know how to spell this???) of popular books, I just feel like they would be pointless + have junk in them, and that, therefore, I would be wasting my time reading them. Does that make sense?  

Chocolate with a Caramel Center

a book that makes you feel all gooey in the middle while you read it

Can we just appreciate how funny this question is? A book that makes you fell gooey in the middle. I always read books and think, "I just feel really gooey as I'm reading this book. And, what's more, I feel it in my middle." *Sarcasm off* Okay, so I don't know if I should say Downright Dencey or The Golden Thread. Just take both of them. I don't usually like romance in books, but those are hands down my favorite books with love stories. Howl's Moving Castle is also a romance, but I don't feel gooey - plus I've already used it.

Wafer-Free KitKat

a book that has surprised you lately

Oooh, I know! Hamlet and Macbeth! The only Shakespeare I'd read prior to these was A Midsummer Night's Dream, and let's just say it was not one of my favorite books. For one thing, there was no translation into modern English, so I was confused for the majority of the book, and I read it in 8th grade... and not considering those things, it wasn't the greatest story, anyway. So I just brushed Shakespeare off as dumb and bizarre. But I had to read Hamlet and Macbeth this school year, and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed them. And I own Hamlet now:)

Snickers

a book that you're going nuts about

Basically all the books I've read by Karen Hesse so far: Out of the Dust, Witness, and Safekeeping. Gosh, so good. Also, The Golden Thread, and Moon Over Manifest.

Hot Chocolate with Cream and Marshmallows

a book that you would turn to for a comfort read

I think that the Book of Psalms really gives me peace. I feel so connected with David, and I love how he's so honest with God. It makes me feel like it's okay to just express my true feelings to God. Other than that, my favorite picture book has been Tea with Milk since my mom read it to me and my siblings when I was about nine. I haven't read it in ages, but I would really like to again, and I remember that it has a comforting feel to it.

That was really fun! It gave me a chance to explain why I don't usually read books that have a lot of hype, and which book (books, actually, cause I'm a rule breaker like that) make me feel like a caramel covered in chocolate, and also which ones I'm going ridiculously mad about. Now you also know which books to buy for me on my birthday, based on what category you're planning on picking them from. So, how about you? What's the book (or books, if you're like me) that you can turn to when you need soothing? A book that has surprised you lately? What are some books that you are dying to read? Do you share my opinion on YA fiction? (I'm not saying that all YA is horrible or that I don't like it all, by the way. Because I really do love some that I've found. A lot of times, I just need to be introduced to them. In fact, I would love it if you decided to recommend some YA books for me!) Let me know all your answers in the comments!

-Maddie

Coffee Shop Chats - The Second

Hey, everybody! How's your week been? I, uh... Well, I'm sorry for not posting my MMC story. Life started to happen, and I didn't have time. I made the image for it, and I started writing it, but I did not have the time to finish it. Forgive me, please? Look, I'll show you the cover:

Does that make you feel any better? :)

Okay, so today I'm back with Coffee Shop Chats. Find out more at Tessa Emily Hall's blog here.

What I did this week

Guys.

Guess who took a step towards becoming an adult this week?

Me. That's who.

I got a job as a CNA at the nursing home in town! It's only 3 days a week, but it's the 12 hour night shift. I haven't started on nights yet, because I needed to be trained in using the lifts and things, but I'm starting tomorrow night. I have to try to stay up as late as I can tonight so that I can sleep all day tomorrow so that I can wake up and go to work and not have to have stayed up for 24 hours. So if this post ends up being published at 2:45 in the morning, you will know why. Also, prayers that I will be able to adjust well to the change would be greatly appreciated. :)

Pictures taken

I don't think these were only from this past week, but here are some of my favorite pictures that I have taken recently. 

Coffee, family, and Bleak House? I think yes.

New Job + Candy Gift
Can this get any better?

#shadowselfieatsundown

Baby Brother's First Birthday
#whenyourbrotheriscuterthanyou
#mybrotheriscuterthanyours

Taken on St. Patrick's Day.
Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream.
New Travel Mug.
#freshandgreen

And I have a lot more that I want to post sometime, but it is not this day. Maybe when I need a quick post and I need to throw it together really fast, I'll post some pics from the March For Life and other of my favorites from this year. 

Music I've enjoyed

I put together the Energy playlist as featured on Pursue Magazine in this post by Caroline George, and have been really liking it so far.

I'm working on putting the Life Vibes playlist together. Hopefully that will happen this week.

Grateful for

Life.
Family.
Chats with friends.
Learning more about the Myers-Briggs personality types.
My job.
Adoration.
Being able to venerate relics of more than 150 saints (a post on that soon to come).
Music.
The library.
The Season of Easter.
Late night talks with my Mom about what really matters.

Prayer requests

I would like to ask for your prayers, and possibly even your financial support, of an elderly couple who are dear friends of my family. Nanay and Tatay (grandma and grandpa in Filipino) Ludi and Lupe didn't live very far from us when we lived in Malaybalay, Philippines. Nanay Ludi taught us Visaya (a Filipino dialect), and knew very good English because she'd lived in the States for 10 years. She was even friends with Mother Angelica. We helped her and her husband open a small store in the front of their house so that they could support themselves. Not too long ago, their landowner came and kicked them off of the property. They lived with relatives at first, but when the situation became stressful, they moved out and slept out in the open for a few days while their grandchildren built them a very basic shack so that they have a roof over their heads - but not even any walls. 

VIA Romeros On Mission

The rainy season is coming, and the little structure will not be able to provide protection from the winds and rain. Our missionary friends, who are currently stationed in Malaybalay, are asking for donations for this couple so that they can build them a proper dwelling place. Please pray for them and consider making a donation so that my Filipino Grandma and Grandpa can have a home. To donate, please go here. If you want to read the blog post from our missionary friends, the Romeros, go here. Thank you, so much. 

Quotes I'm enjoying

I needed this tonight. I really did.

(All of these were from Pinterest.)

What are your favorite Christian music albums?

             

            

            

             


You asked for the albums. I gave you the albums. :)

How many books have you read so far this year?

Let me consult Goodreads.

Books Read in 2016

I've read 13. And most of these are super awesome:)

 And now, a package of questions for you.

• I'm an ISFP. What Myers-Briggs type are you?

• Is there something you've been dying to say to someone, anyone, but there hasn't been a good time to say it? Go ahead. I'm giving you permission to share it now. Just keep it nice, of course.

Whew! That took me just about forever to put together. It was loads of fun, though, even though I wasn't able to say all that I wanted to because of the time. How has your week been? Are you going to join us as we sip our coffee (or tea or hot chocolate) and discuss our lives? What are your favorite Christian albums? How many books have you read this year, and which ones are they? Do you have a reading goal? Do tell all in the comments!

- Maddie