Two Poems Diverged

One of my new favorite movies, Dead Poets Society, mentions two poems that have struck me in these last few days. One is an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau's Walden about why one would go to the woods, and the other is a poem by Walt Whitman called "Oh Me! Oh Life!" which answers the ever-popular question, "Why are we here, in the world, and what is our purpose?"

The reason why I mention these two poems together is that they both attempt to answer this question with two different perspectives.

Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to 'glorify God and enjoy him forever.'"

Thoreau makes a very good point, that we are here to choose life over death, and to avoid the realization at the end of our lives that we had not lived.

Unfortunately, he says that "most men...have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to 'glorify God and enjoy him forever.'"

What a shame, to believe that such a glorious calling is nothing but a hasty conclusion!

If I were to visit the woods, this would be my purpose: to enjoy God and glorify Him. At this season of my life, I praise God every day for the trees. The leaves and their colors are absolutely captivating, and it my heart skips a beat realizing that God made me ruler of all of it (as well as you!); that you and I are in fact the crowning glory of those beautiful colors on the leaves, the constellations in the stars on the dark night sky, and the brightness that overcomes the cold morning air in the sunrise at the beginning of every day: that all of us were made to top those beautiful sights, and to give our glory back to the Lord (2 Peter 1:3-11, ESV).

I disagree with Thoreau: this is not a hasty conclusion at all. I did not come up with that conclusion on my own. It is in fact what I was assigned to do by the Voice of Truth Himself on the day He gave me breath (Jeremiah 1:5, ESV; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, ESV). It's not a conclusion I made for myself: it's a calling.

I believe that Walt Whitman describes the facts of life much better: that amongst our hurt and pain, our hearts cry out, "Oh me! Oh life!" and "what could I possibly be good for?"

"O Me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring-What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer. 
That you are here-that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."

Whitman knows quite well that we are sad wretches, searching around the earth for an answer to what we are good for, what we were made for, and why we are here, still daring to live. The answer: that we're here! That we are a part of a beautiful story set all around us, and we are important characters in it! And that our lives will contribute a verse to the greatest play of all time.

As Professor Keating very well stated, "What will your verse be?"

Letter to the Readers: Another Blog!

Hello readers, and happy summer!

I have an announcement to make. You may have noticed another tab on the top of the page labeled "Victorious Notebook."

That, friends, is my new blog!

Victorious Notebook is a "spinoff" blog for my reading and writing projects, which I want all of you to be a part of. The first post explains everything, so if you're interested in following the blog, please go to the link at the top of the page and read the post titled, "Welcome to Victorious Notebook!"

I'm very excited to have another outlet for writing, and I hope that you will enjoy it too.

Thanks!

--Hayley

So Much Like You (A Poem)

I'm surprised to find myself posting this poem.

I have a friend who is really into poetry, and I've been thinking about writing more poems myself. 

Today, I had a random urge to write a poem....and I came up with this. I haven't written a poem in FOREVER, mainly because I'm really bad at rhythms and rhyming things, and word choices, and iambic pantameter vs. trochaic hexameter,  stressed vs. unstressed syllables, and line lengths, and subtle vs. not-so-subtle symbols, and things like that.

The really cool thing about this poem is that it sort of turned into my own little psalm of praise, and it talks about how awesome it is that we are made in the image of God.

Feedback would be nice, and if you guys would like to see more of this sort of thing, please let me know! :)

So Much Like You

(a poem inspired by Song of Solomon 4:7)

by Hayley Robinson

“All beautiful you are, my darling.

There is no flaw in you.”

Oh, these words are so thrilling,

and how wonderful, that they should come from You.

You, a majestic and perfect God

who loves me for me and never changes.

How often I’ve fought

to never be thought

of as the strangest.

Yet, You have always sought

and have always pursued me.

You, perfectly and amazingly generous and good,

Who knows all things before they occur,

And so often I nod off to sleep,

Falling into a place where all is a blur

And then I forget who I am in You

Until You help me remember.

Without You,

I never could.

All beautiful am I?

Lord, how undeserving of these words am I,

that You of all beings--

You, among all things--

should find me flawless, perfect, and beautiful…

That You should find me

to be

So much like You.

You, who created time and space,

You who put the stars in place,

You who made the world with Your breath and Your word

With Your words and Your breath, O Lord,

You made the entire world!

You of all beings--

You, who are beyond all things--

Created me

So that I could glorify, worship,

and always be

So much like You.

“All beautiful you are my darling.

There is no flaw in you.”

Yes, Lord, I accept it now.

Surely I must be

If my place is to bow

before You.

Surely You created me

to be

So much like You.

And if my place is to be like You,

Then of course, I must be without one flaw,

Even though I’ve broken every one of Your laws.

You’ve so graciously forgiven me.

And each day you give me the chance to be

So much like You.

To breathe,

To act,

To speak,

and to always be

So much like You.

Question for the Reader: Do you like my poem? :) Do you write poetry? Who are your favorite poets? (Any Dr. Seuss, Emily Dickinson, and George Herbert fans out there?)

"And God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them." --Genesis 1:25b-28a

Photo credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshZF8qrdMLWw9sm39JB-KRBoOSZqCD5RsjKYadXaZFQ1FG_mDqIt-x1hCZnH0_L0fXbyF6Bkf2TlQ3d98HlAoxGZZIr51wrOXgfqBGeruK7FJ_kFLPE0W4bdGL5Jvru5WQlTtotef7qc/s320/forget-me-not_1.jpg

The 30-Day Blog Challenge, Day 25: Current Book List

Prompt: 5 last books you read (or are reading).

Since I'm not reading 5 books all at once, and I can only remember a couple of books that I last read, here is a combined list of 5 books I'm reading and have read.

1) I Kissed Dating Good-bye by Joshua Harris (currently reading)
I'm really enjoying this book. It's put a lot of things into perspective about how I should think about dating, courtship, and marriage in terms of the Bible, not based on what everyone else's actions.
2) Emma by Jane Austen (currently reading)
Reading this book has ultimately come to a standstill. It's been several weeks since I've picked it up. I've just been reading so many other books for school and other purposes!
3) The Bible (currently reading)
I'm trying to study a lot of the Psalms, as well as Leviticus, Numbers, and 1 Corinthians.
4) Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris (read)
When I read this book, it was pretty life changing. As a teenager, the culture so often expects me to be the stereotype of going to school and having a hobby like a sport, instrument, or video games, and that's all we're really expected to do. But what if I chose to be someone so much more than the low expectations of the world? Isn't that what God calls everyone to be?
5) Start Here by Alex and Brett Harris (about to read)
This is the sequel or "field guide" to Do Hard Things. I haven't started it yet, but I can't wait to read it!

If you'd like a more detailed list of what I'm reading, what I've read before, and what I'd like to read, I have a Goodreads account, and I'd love to be friends if you have one too!

Question for the Reader: Do you have a Goodreads account?

Jesus answered, "It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” --Matthew 4:4

The 30-Day Blog Challenge, Day 21: On My Mind

Prompt: 5 things on your mind.

1) Thanksgiving
It's at this time of year that I really begin to think about what I'm thankful for. I know that I'm thankful for the obvious "Sunday School" answers: I'm thankful for my Savior, my home, my family, food, an education, etc. But what are the things that I'm thankful that I normally don't think about?

2) Friendships
When you attend an online school with thousands of kids all over the world, you'd think that you wouldn't feel very lonely. But this is one of the rare times that I truly do feel lonely. Part of that is because I'm an introvert, so I'm not very proactive when it comes to making friends and building relationships. I realized last week that in order to truly maintain friendships and relationships with people, you have to proactively seek out time with them, instead of waiting for natural events to give you the opportunity.

3) Talents
Some of you might be familiar with the mild stress, worry, and concern that comes from college prep in junior year of high school. Almost every college prep pamphlet, website, and program in the world tells high school juniors to ponder what they love doing, what they're talents are, and how to apply that to an expertise for adulthood. Obviously, it's kind of scary to think about. "What if I'm not as good at this as all the other kids my age are, so it's not as impressive to college entrance administrators?" "What if I turn out not to like this particular area of interest 10 years from now, even though I absolutely adore it now?" "How do I choose between these two interests?" "How do I turn as weird of an interest as this one into a career?" Lots of questions, lots of thinking, lots of unnecessary worry, because I know that I have a lot more time than I intuitively think. I just need to keep analyzing what I enjoy, and ask God to help me sort out what His plan is for me.

4) Reading
I used to really love reading a lot, but now I'm not finding the inspiration to do so. I think one of the problems is that I overwhelm myself with school reading by putting it off (because they're not always fun to read) and then I decide that I can't read anything because I feel guilty reading anything else but schoolwork. I'm figuring out that if I catch up and keep up, then I'll have a lot more time to read what I truly enjoy. But for right now, I'm very behind, and I need to focus hard on catching up.

5) 10,000 hours
Back to the talents again. An author named Malcolm Gladwell said that the approximate amount of time that a true expert spends in his field of work is about 10,000 hours, or around ten years. I think I know what I want to spend 10,000 hours in, but to look at that number is both inspiring and daunting at the same time. But that number keeps haunting me... Ten thousand hours of practice in order to achieve expertise. How will I spend ten thousand hours of my life?

Question for the Reader: What's on your mind?

"Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.'" --John 11:9

November Resolutions

It's now time for another round of Monthly Resolutions: November 2013 Edition.

1) Drink at least 6 glasses of water every day.
According to health experts, humans should be drinking about 8 glasses of water per day. On most days, I find myself drinking about half of that, if at all. This is obviously not healthy, and I'd like to make that change.

2) Practice 120 minutes a week.
I've found that if I take a discipline and count the minutes that I'm practicing it and make a goal for a specific amount of minutes every week, it works very well for me.

3) Blog at least twice a week.
For obvious reasons. :)

4) Monastic Project
At school, I was assigned a project of reading through 1 Corinthians, and basically having "quiet time" in the morning or the evening and keeping track of what I learn. It's going to take some work, but I'd like to do well on it, and I think it will help me spiritually as well.

5) Catch-up on Omnibus Reading before Thanksgiving.
I'm behind. If I stick with the plan and persevere, I should be all caught up by Thanksgiving Day. What bliss that will be!

6) FINISH The 30 Day Blog Challenge.
What seemed like a simple blog project that would take no more than 40 days, turned into something that has now been unfinished as of about 4 months later. I need to finish this, guys. Only 10 more posts: I can do this.

7) Teach Youth Group
I'm teaching again on the 7th! So excited! Please pray that the Lord uses me to speak His words for what my peers need to hear from Him.

8) Schedule/Plan/Organize More Often
I spent a HUGE chunk of the summer organizing and making routines for myself so that I'd be a mean-green-academic-machine for this school year. Now...my binders are scarcely organized, my textbooks and notebooks are scattered all over the place: my school office, my bookshelves, my bedroom, my home computer area, my backpack...just everywhere. On top of that, I'm hardly ever using my planner (even though my online task list stays up to date) and things just aren't getting done the way they should! I'd like to be able to fix this, so I'll be well-organized when I get back to school after Thanksgiving Break.

9) Cut YouTube Time on Tuesdays and Sundays
Confession: I'm a big fan of youtube videos. I'm not at a point of obsession, but I watch it a little bit more than I probably should. I'd like to start cutting back on the 3-5 minute videos that quickly become an hour-long escapade.

10) Health
I'm trying harder to do more of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and watching what I eat. I think if I stick to it, it will help me form really good healthy habits for the future.

These are a lot of goals, but I know that some of them will probably be a lot easier than they seem, because I've already gotten a head start in October. Here's to a great November!

Question for the Reader: What is a good habit you're trying to form?

"Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways." --Proverbs 4:26

(Link up to Kelli's She Learns As She Goes)

Photo credit: http://blog.ryanlawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fallTree.jpg

First Blog Award Ever!!!

You guys!!!! I have an INCREDIBLE announcement!
Victorious Heroine got its very first award EVER today!!!!!

How long has this blog been around? 6? 7 months?

That's amazing.

This blog is a baby compared to so many others out there, and yet in its 6th or 7th month it has an AWARD.

So by now you're probably wondering what that award is. It's called "The Versatile Blog Award."

I'd like to thank all of you readers and subscribers for keeping up with my posts that are sometimes consistent, inconsistent, thought-provoking, not-so-thought-provoking, rambling, and hopefully fun to read as well.

But I'd especially like to thank Lois over at "You, Me, and a Cup of Tea" for presenting us with the award. Your blog is inspiring, beautiful, and a treat to read.

The reason I say "us" is because (I know it sounds cliché, but it's true...) I really couldn't write this blog without all of you. It's the comments, suggestions, and thoughts that motivate me even more to write. When I don't write this, I feel like I've let people down. So thanks for sticking with me for the past few months, and reading this blog so far. I appreciate it a lot.

This award, however, comes with a very small price: you have to write something (not too surprising, right? I mean, it is a blog award...).

My prompt is to write 7 things about myself that you might not have figured out by reading this blog. This is going to be harder than it looks, because I share a lot about myself...

1) The arrival of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks mark the first day of autumn in my book.
2) I got all caught up on my Pre-Calculus yesterday (it's a much more amazing feat than you might think if you've never taken Pre-Calc.)
3) My favorite T.V. shows are Downton Abbey, The Mentalist, and The Cosby Show.
4) A song I've had stuck in my head recently is "In My Life" from the movie "Les Miserables." No one sings it better than Amanda Seyfried.
5) I miss the beach.
6) I'm an LBD fan (Lizzie Bennet Diaries on Youtube), and I'm super excited for the premiere of "Emma Approved" coming out a week from now.
7) I'm currently reading "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris, "Le Morte D'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Malory, "The City of God" by Augustine of Hippo, "The Consolation of Philosophy" by Boethius, and "Idylls of the King" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

The next condition for the award is to nominate 15 blogs of your choice for the Versatile Blog Award as well. Here are my picks:
1) Raquel at "God's Daughter"
2) Iris at "Country Girl's Daybook"
3) Lyle and Paige at "...our journey..."
4) Christi at "21 Empire Designs" (Written by one of my friends from Veritas Press Scholars Academy)
5) Anne & Tyler at "Almost There"
6) Sarah at "Camp Girl in the Real World"
7) Emily at "Emily is Smiling"
8) Leighanna Rose at "Fresh Ink"
9) Sarah Thérese at "Footprints on my Heart"
10) Hero at "Heroic Endeavors"
11) Karen at "Positively Ducky"
12) Mae at "Mae Mae"
13) Sarah "Strawberry" at "Rejoice Always" (Written by one of my closest friends online, who also attends Veritas Press Scholars Academy with me)
14) Moriah at "The Hill Country" (Written by my sister)
15) Elyssa at "Popcorn & Purple Ink"

If you have been nominated, the rules for the award are here.

Thanks again to all of you who have made the receiving of this award possible!

August Report Card

It's high time for a report card don't you think?

So so so so sorry for the lateness everyone! It's been pretty busy around here lately, with my brother's birthday, Labor Day weekend, and then my first day of online classes today. I'm finally getting around to blogging again. :)

1. Finish Summer Bucket List: A
I did pretty well finishing off the list. We made cherry limeade, I at least made an attempt to do a vlog post (and I do plan to publish one in the near future!), wrote a story, witnessed my dad and brother build a rocket to launch with Boy Scouts, went to the library, and played hopscotch. Overall, I had a wonderful summer, and I'm glad I could share it with you readers. :D

2. Summer Reading: A-
My goal was to finish the requirements for reading "The City of God" by St. Augustine by the end of August, but I didn't quite make that goal. Fortunately, I completed most of the summer reading requirements.

3. Start 11th Grade: A+
I could not have been more excited to start this school year. Online classes started today, and every one of them taught me something new about how things are going to be, and each one presented me with new challenges to face. I know that God will be with me throughout this year, guiding my every step.

4. Get a job?: A
Ok, I admit: I am currently unemployed in terms of what most people call "a real job." However, I was able to make a decision, that until I get a driver's license in February, I am blessed with babysitting opportunities and enough extracurricular activities to keep me busy enough as is. I do plan to get a job soon, but now is not the time.

5. Publish more blog posts: A++
I am proud to announce that the month of August brought more blog posts than ever before in the history of VH. This month, August had an all-time high of 19 posts!!! This is even more than April 2013(the month right after I first started). I think it's safe to say that I picked up a bit more momentum, and this blog is going to stick around for a little while longer. :)

Recurring goals: 
Music Practice: B+
I think I could have done a bit better on this, but I'm starting to pick up more momentum.

Scripture Reading: A+
I've been called to focus more on God's Word than I normally have in the past. It is my goal for the rest of my life to be active in Scripture, as it is essential to following Christ.

Exercise: D
My focus has been elsewhere this month in terms of exercise. However, I have set multiple fitness goals for myself this month, so next time, I shouldn't have any excuses about sticking with exercise.

Diary Writing: F
Same story. While lots has happened this month, I haven't been keeping a good record of it in my diary.

Total Average: A-

Wow, I'm really happy with the results! I've had a great month, and I'm looking forward to a great start in the  school year. Happy September everyone!

Question for the Reader: How was your August?

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." --Romans 8:1

The 30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 10: Storytime!

This is a children's story I came up with. Even though the first day of fall isn't until September 22, I felt inspired by the beginning of the school year to write a short story about autumn. I hope you enjoy it.

Prompt: Tell a story.

Alice was quite little, but not little enough to fit under a microscope. Just little enough to where she was the size of a big sunflower petal. As a matter of fact, that's where she grew up: in a sunflower. One day, however, it was high time for her to leave the house, or in this case, the sunflower, and blow away to find a new life for herself. 

So that's what she did. When all the petals blew away, that's when she blew away to a far away land, called Winterville. Now, Winterville was a very cold, white & blue place where flowers never grew, but instead, only icicles and snowflakes were the closest to a flower that anyone could find!

This was very unsettling to poor little Alice where so many big and cold things were surrounding her, when she was so used to sunshine, clear skies, and everything bright. 

Alice asked the mayor of Winterville what happened. He said, "It was a great and powerful spell that fell upon the land. This used to be a place called Springville, but when everything fell cold and white, we changed the name because it was no longer spring." 

Alice didn't know what to do! She simply had to break the spell. Because she was so sad at what had happened, she went to a nearby tree to rest and weep. All of a sudden, when a small tear ran down her cheek and fell to the ground, a tree grew! It had so many gorgeous and vibrant colors on its leaves that she ran around with her special water from her sunflower house and planted all sorts of these trees. 

And that, friends, is how autumn came to be: all because of a little sunflower girl named Alice.

The End.

Question for the Reader: What is your favorite childhood story?

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." --Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The 30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 4: Blog Heroes & Buddies

This is the day where I get to talk about the blogs that I look up to, stalk (just kidding), follow, find interesting, and read because I'm buddies with the authors. :D

Unfortunately I won't get to list all of them, because frankly, I probably have about a million blogs on my Bloglovin' account.

Prompt: Blogs you follow.

I recently created an entire page called "My Favorite Blogs" which basically covers the bases of my favorite ones to follow and also blogs which are written by my best blog-writing buds. So, instead of re-writing every single one of those, I'll just ask the readers to go check it out. :D

On the other hand, I follow even more blogs than just the favorite ones on that page. So without further ado, here are some more blogs that I like to follow that are all well-written too.

...our journey... by Lyle and Paige 
This is cute and inspiring to me because it shows what a godly marriage looks like between two best friends who want to grow a ministry of the Lord together. (Link)

Almost There by Tyler Anne and Holli Anne

I love this blog because it's a real life image of what it looks like to chase after your dreams and encourage others to do the same. Tyler and Holli are both aspiring authors and give great tips in writing and organizing goals. (Link)

Amazing Music by Nathaniel Perez

This is written by a good friend of mine who decided to use his appreciation of music and turn it into a blog. He also makes his own music videos on YouTube! (Link)

Average Christian Geek by Kaylin Threepwood

Kaylin writes a great blog about her life as a Christian homeschooler, who is also an avid reader and gamer. (Link)

Band of Brothers by Davi

This is a blog about a sweet mom of four who writes about the everyday life of being a stay at home mom. (Link) 

Camp Girl in the Real World by Sarah Card

This camp girl might love the outdoors, but she writes her blog about camping figuratively speaking. She's a Christian and software engineering student, figuring out the real world, its beauties, and its challenges as she goes. (Link)

This is a lot of blogs to check out for now. Maybe another day I'll keep going on this blog following rant, but it's a bit too much to give them all out in one post. ;) Enjoy!

Question for the Reader: What's your favorite blog to follow?

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance..." --Proverbs 1:5

The 30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 1: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Here we go...the first day of the 30 Day Blog Challenge.

Prompt: "List 10 random facts about yourself."

1. I love the Lord and have been saved by His grace through faith.
2. I am sixteen years old and my favorite colors are blue and purple.
3. I play the clarinet, bass clarinet, baritone sax, and alto sax.
4. I love to bake with gluten-free ingredients.
5. I love to read, but when I'm constantly assigned to read for homework, my interest all of a sudden seems to disappear. I have an entire list of books that I would truly love to just sit down and read for myself.
6. I go to two different schools...at the same time.
7. Youth Group is my favorite part of the week.
8. I've always loved to teach. (No seriously, always. When I was in elementary school, I used to convince some of my friends to play school after school, and I used to teach myself "crayon strokes" when I drew pictures at age 3. Even now, I still act like I'm Rachel Ray when I cook in the kitchen, and my youth group friends tell me I have a true talent for teaching the Word.)
9. Taylor Swift is one of my favorite music artists, but let's just say my Pandora account doesn't completely consist of country pop music.
10. I have yet to find the Lord's calling for me in order to use my spiritual gifts to His glory.

I hope this helped give you all a better glimpse of who is behind the scenes writing all of these inconsistent posts! :P

See you tomorrow for Day 2!

Question for the Reader: Any random facts about yourself that you'd like to share?

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." --Psalm 139:14

The 30 Day Blog Challenge: "Seems Legit"

You know how sometimes you hear people say funny or cute stuff that just works for them, but when you say it, your friends think you're nuts? Maybe it's something like, "Yo," or "Mission Accomplished," or "Seems Legit." It's almost as if we're all walking memes...

This has happened with me recently with the word "awkies." A Youtuber from Blimey Cow, Jordan Taylor uses it plenty on the show Messy Mondays. I think it's so funny, and I've always wanted to get away with using the word. A few situations arose in the past couple of weeks where I finally got to use it! And guess what? My sister said, "Don't say that anymore. You sound ridiculous. That is so not you." So, my first response (like any other mule-headed, stubborn human being), was simply this: "Rawr. Leave me alone." I kept using it a couple of times, and I finally realized that there are some things in life that aren't just a "one-size fits all," free for the taking. Sometimes someone can say or do something that can look adorable, funny, or even intellectual, but it's just not going to work on you. You have to find things that make you unique!

I was thinking the negative version of this about blogging the other day. I thought that my blogging days might have been coming to a close. I wasn't writing very often, I was losing inspiration, and I was starting to lose the spark that I had with it on the very first day I created a blog. It seemed that blogging wasn't something that was working for me.

But today, I found a blog post on Emily is Smiling about the 30 Day Blog Challenge (Coincidentally, a similar post about the challenge where she got her idea from was on a blog called Mae Mae, which I follow as well!). This just seemed like the answer to the writer's block and inspiration problems I've been having. So, I'm putting it out there to say that I'm going to do my best to try this out. I'm not saying this will be the perfect plan that fixes all the problems for me, my lack of inspiration and writer's block, and Victorious Heroine itself, but I think this is a healthy way to start.

To see the prompts that I'll be using to start the challenge, check out this post at Emily is Smiling. I'll be starting the challenge very soon, so stay tuned!

(P.S. An announcement about recent life-changing experiences: I got my braces off yesterday! Feel free to leave comments about your braces stories or your own life-changing experiences.)

Question for the Reader: What do you do to conquer writer's block or lack of inspiration?

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." --1 Corinthians 13:12

August Resolutions

I can't believe summer is almost over!!! And July has flown away with it. So a new month has begun, therefore it is time for a new post about monthly resolutions.

Finish Summer Bucket List

I don't expect to cross off absolutely everything, but I don't want to leave any more than 10 on the list.

Summer Reading

I still have one book to finish for required summer reading and then I need to continue to finish as much of the Omnibus list as possible before online classes start.

Start 11th Grade

Technically, online classes don't start until orientations at the end of this month, but I still get to take care of responsibilities at Rocky Mountain (brick and mortar school). 

Get a job?

I'm still thinking and praying about this, but I need to start raising some money so that I can responsibly take care of my parent's cars when I start driving them when I get my license, plus a few trips are coming around next summer which I'd really like to do, and my parents think it would be a good way to spice up my college résumé and practice for adult life. I have a few ideas as to where I would apply, but it's sort of a matter of whether I feel ready to take on that responsibility yet or not.

Publish more blog posts

I've been failing to post on here very often. I want to change that this month. 

Recurring Goals:

Music Practice

Scripture Reading

Exercise

Diary Writing

I'm sure this month will go very well. Best wishes to you all in ending the summer and starting the fall!

Question for the Reader: What has been the highlight of your summer so far?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." --2 Corinthians 5:17

How to Prepare for the Coming School Year

We all despise that day when we look at a calendar and realize that summer isn't going to last forever. Pretty soon, many of us will be right back where we started last August: at a school desk, listening to a lecture, writing essays, performing lab experiments, and reading until your eyes just can't take it anymore.

Now don't get me wrong, I like school. Something about it makes me want to go to the nearest Office Depot and buy everyone I know a lifetime supply of sharpened pencils. Not to mention all the ways you can decorate your binders, and label your notebooks, and cut out pieces of paper only to find one of the best crafty creations of all time. We always seem to find ourselves re-creating a mindset of eating lunch with our friends and showing our parents a report card chock full of straight A's and B's.

However, this mindset is easier to dream than to turn into a reality. How do we prepare for the challenges ahead?

Congratulations, you receive 1000 brownie points, a gold sticker, and an A+, because lucky for you all, you found my blog. So, I'd like to treat you to the master how-to checklist for conquering the preparation it takes to survive the next nine or ten months at a school desk.

1. Reflect

As students, we grow up being told to study the proper way, and the proper way is to study ourselves and figure out what works best for us. For example, in a language class, everybody has to memorize a ton of vocabulary from English to the language or the language to English. Plenty of people struggle with this, and they have to figure out what way to study truly works for them, whether it's flashcards, putting your hand over the page, or reading it over and over again until it's memorized. Before you start preparing in any other way for this coming school year, reflect on what kinds of things worked for you in studying for tests, quizzes, and homework, planning out your schedule, organizing notes and materials, and accomplishing tasks. What should you keep doing? What needs to change?

2. Inventory (Studying Materials and School Supplies)

After you reflect and answer the questions at the end of #1, the next question you need to ask yourself is, "What do I need in order to keep doing or change what I did last year?" You might need your master list of school supplies for this one. If your teachers provided one, then definitely use it, but try to add some things that you might need just for you, such as extra colored pens for color coded note-taking, or highlighters or index cards. This is one of my favorite parts because it's where I get to go on a treasure hunt around the house. Don't waste your parent's or your own money either, because if something you need is in the house and in perfectly working order, then use it for the coming school year and save your money for a new package of magic erasers to replace your crumbly, dysfunctional one.

3. Inventory (School Clothes & Teacher Recommended Items)

Speaking as a girl, certain situations arise in the late summer where I kind of freak out about my sense of style for the coming school year. I go to a school where on Fridays I have to wear uniforms, which makes things pretty easy to plan outfits, but for the rest of the week, I have more freedom to wear things outside of a more strict dress code. I'd say that the best way to prepare your closet for school is to go through it, and see what you usually wear and don't wear much at all. If you don't wear something, give it away, if you do wear it often, then keep it. If you have a dress code at your school, then make sure you have all the things you need in order to follow it. If you do not, then make sure you have appropriate and necessary clothing in order to get through the school day. Don't forget to make sure you have things like sweaters or school spirit wear so that when the weather gets colder, you'll be comfortable in class, or if you have school spirit wear, you can have it ready for spirit days.

As far as teacher recommended items go, it's important to make sure you have everything that they tell you to have ready. Most schools give out a school newsletter in the summer with information on school supplies, summer homework, and specific materials needed for each class. If possible, figure out what classes you'll be in that semester so that you can get the specific information needed for each individual class. If your school has orientations, try not to miss those either. Orientations are gold mines for important information to help you survive the school year.

4. Make a study area

At my school, I am provided with an online class study area. In other words, my brick-and-mortar school gives me an entire office area complete with a computer, a desk with a chair, a cubicle, and a bookshelf so that I can do online classes during the day, and have a homework study area in between classes as well. I love this privilege, but I lacked an area like this at home. It was great to have an area prepared to do homework at school, but I always went home to study in several different locations around the house. This resulted in several messy rooms in the house and lots of distractions, as I sometimes chose locations to study unwisely. A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I would find a specific place to study at home, and stick to that place as my special "study area." Several study skills experts say this is a great thing to invest in for a student because it's consistent and helps them be much more organized. This place can be almost anywhere in the house, as long as it's in a quiet and comfortable place so that the student can focus. Make sure that you have a desk with the materials needed for homework and studying such as pens, pencils, erasers, highlighters, index cards, paper, mathematical instruments, and in some cases, a computer.

5. Organizing & Planning

Once you have everything you need in terms of materials and places to put them, it's time to organize them all. Label all of your school supplies and put them in a place where you'll know to find them when they are needed. Now of course the first day of school isn't here yet, so put the things that you'll need to bring to your locker and new classes in different bags. For example, keep your notebooks, and locker decorations in a bag for your locker stuff, and put your school supplies that you need to carry with you into different classes in your backpack. If your school doesn't provide one, make sure that you get your own student planner. It will help you organize and plan out your homework assignments, tests, and important class events and announcements, and also help you organize after-school activities. It's also a good idea to make sure you have routines planned out so that you will have good habits and get things done on time, whether it's getting to the school bus stop at the right time, getting to class on time, or doing your homework in an organized way.

So that's it! 5 ways to make sure that you are as prepared as possible for the coming school year. Except one more thing: Don't worry. God's in control. :)

Question for the Reader (A round of "Would you rather..."): Would you rather have a monkey do your homework all school year or go without all of your school supplies for the entire school year (no pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, notebooks, binders, index cards, or flash drives, etc.)?

Happy National Simplify Your Life Week!

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." --Proverbs 2:6

June Resolutions: Summer Vacation

Read a ton!
I'd like to accomplish reading several Omnibus books for summer reading, plus a couple on my own pleasure reading list.

Exercising
I'd like to walk a lot more often. I think if I worked pretty hard, I could be walking a minimum of two miles every day, maybe 4.

Extracurricular Activities Report for VPSA Resumé
I have a summer assignment due on the 15th in which I need to turn in a list of things that I did during the school year that didn't count for a grade, but were beneficial in other ways. At the end of my senior year, my online school will help me use that information to put together a lovely college resumé.

Give Dad an Awesome Father's Day
I'd like my dad to feel appreciated, loved, and respected on June 16th this year. I'll do my best to make that happen. :)

Scratch off bucket list items
Now I'm not looking to get 75% of my bucket list done all in the month of June (even though that would be pretty cool.) But I am hoping to get a lot scratched off.

Publish at least 10 posts this month
It's a bit of a challenge, but since it's summer, I'm up for it. Besides, with all of the guest posts, series, and other fun things I have in mind, I think I can make it happen.

Music Practice
Recurring goal...I just want to do better than last month.

Read Isaiah & Other Scripture
I think that maybe the problem I'm having is that I feel forced to read some Scripture that might not be the right fit for my spiritual journey at that very point in time. I'd like to self-discipline myself to read the Book of Isaiah, since I am reading it with one of my friends from youth group, and then decide what I'd like to read next and accomplish that.

Preparation for Summer Vacation in Florida
I need to do A LOT of laundry, shopping, and other preparation and planning before this trip comes around soon. This is something that needs to be done quickly and efficiently.

Go to Florida & Prepare to Blog about it
This is exciting! It's probably the biggest summer vacation that our family has planned in several years. It will be so much fun, and I hope to include enough details through diary entries and picture taking to tell you all about it. To see how soon this vacation is coming, check the widget on the right side of this page to observe the countdown. :)

Overall, ten things for a resolutions list sounds like a pretty good challenge. This will definitely be a memorable month, and perhaps a monumental one for Victorious Heroine. We'll see what happens! :) 

Question for the Reader: Do you have plans for summer vacation?

"And he said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'" --Exodus 33:14

(Link-up to Kelli Taylor's She Learns As She Goes)