The Social Porcupine

Whoever thought that the girl who scoffed at hiatus and deleting social media would be writing a post like this? And yet here I am.  I'm just so very depleted, mostly emotionally. This summer has been one of the best of my life—then why have I shed so many tears? Hope has been very real, probably when it shouldn't have been so. Dreams and pursuits have had very little attention. My father's campaign has taken a lot out of me. Church hopping has been very hard, even while amazing. Door knocking has been harder yet . . . Though there have been many bright, joyful conversations. I talk about how I don't like denominations and political parties. This summer has shown me fully why. Even more, it's shown me the good on every side as I listened to other people share their perspectives. Some of my reasoning is personal. But it all boils down to this: I'm so very, very tired, and there's too much energy put into running online platforms. I just can't do it. I'

I decided to be outlandish.  I have many dreams. I try to keep them all within the realm of reality or at least confined by what I know I can accomplish on my own.  But I've heard it's healthy to know what you want, even if it's beyond and above yourself. So here goes.  Dreams Be published on Babylon Bee. Be interviewed by Ben Shapiro or Candace Owens. Write a television or radio commercial for a product, but write it so people laugh and never forget that product no matter how dull. Such as a jump rope.  Have A Series of Thoughts become a TV show. I must write the script though. (My six novellas are completed).  Write a book or story in German. Even a poem will do.   Co-author a book with Katherine Paterson. (I do hope to at least meet her one day!). Have at least one of my books hit the New York's best selling list.  Find one of my books in a thrift store and buy it for a quarter, or even ten cents. Send my books to prisoners and I'll use the covers

I've written several serials for my blog now, two fiction and many nonfiction. And I've finished them all ... something that has resulted in many of my friends asking me, "Please, share your secret!?" And because I don't want it to be a secret, I have decided to share. 1. Have an idea worth finishing First, know what you want to write. It's all good and fun to know that you want to write a serial, but make sure before you start writing that it's actually serial material. Inspired to write something, but been putting it off because it's just not quite good enough or appropriate for a traditional novel but you're in love with it anyway?  Ask yourself if your current reader base would like it ... don't write horror if your readers are a bunch of Christian 14-year olds. Try to make sure the content still fits your blog.  All of my serials were ideas I was passionate about.  The fiction ones,  The Lawrence Children  and  Susan

My glückpilz (lucky mushroom/ good luck charm) from Germany What does it mean to be real? A lifestyle Instagrammer might decide to take a break from all her normal photos to share something that is “real”. It lacks filters or artistic arrangement in the trade of something “less” pretty. Even if this “real” post exaggerates the dirt with humor, we applaud the woman for her bravery in being real. Someone might make a Facebook post and say, “You might not know this, but I’m actually NOT doing well.” Even if she makes these posts on a regular basis, we admire her willingness to be real. More than we admire the person who is active in politics, society, economics, theology, philosophy, or other real-world problems. I’ve heard people complaining that social media is depressing because it’s full of fake people posting about a life that’s unattainable and unrealistic; as if someone’s artistic or encouraging words or photos automatically must cause dissatisfaction in our own lives.

Rules :  Thank the person who nominated you.  Thanks,  Julian.  I don't think I've ever taken over a year to respond to a tag before. But ... here I am ;)  Tag your post with #awesomebloggeraward.   Answer the questions you were asked.   Nominate at least 5 bloggers and inform them of their nominations.   Give them 10 new questions to answer.  Questions  A book you've had for a long time but still haven't read.  I own a lot of books, so when I answer this, I'm just speaking some random title out of hundreds. Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. For some reason, I wanted and wanted and wanted to read it forever. I finally found a gorgeous copy, bought it, and have yet to read it.   A book you read right after buying it.  Most non-fictions of mine I read right after purchasing. Usually, something to do with history or politics.   A book you regret buying.  I never regret, though sometimes I repent. Probably all my Janette Oke books that I threw away. Oh, and the Pri

One could say that I live off of audiobooks. I would not deny their allegation. They are the energy behind my housecleaning business. I consider them to be my college education if you will. Even my college entertainment. Though I have plenty of entertainment besides.  When I saw an opportunity to team up with Joshua Hunter to have one of my stories made into audio, how could I not? Of course, first I heard a sample of his work. And wow! My initial thought was that he sounded just like the main narrator of Orson Scott Card's Ender Game  and Ender's Shadow  series; some of my favorite audiobooks. I sent him some of my short stories, he chose one, and I was far from disappointed with the final result.  The audio is just over sixteen minutes long and is a short story I originally wrote for a collection that Will Cloud was working on. My piece is called Dearly Cursed and is set just right after the Children's Crusade, about two of the children returning to their village once

Genesis 22  (NIV)   Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.  Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”  Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”  Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,  Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood a

When I was happy the most hurtful thing someone told me was, “I want to like you, Keturah. But you’re always behind a facade of laughter and I can’t ever get to really know you.” When I was falling apart, the most hurtful thing someone told me was, “Keturah, stop dwelling on it. Just get over it.” Both times these things were said to me by people that I respected and loved as close friends. I didn’t think my laughter was a facade … humor is always how I’ve dealt with life. But because of that, I was unable to laugh for a long time. When I was consumed with grief, I was trying desperately not to drown. I wanted to get over it. But being told that, when I desperately needed a friend to let me talk and rant, did not help me get over it . Instead, I pulled deeper into my grief and had no release. (I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that I have a few VERY good friends that laugh at my weirdness and talk with me during my tears. They never condemn me for either, but

Trump is wearing a mask, at last, say leftists. Even went as far as to tweet a picture of himself in a mask and say that wearing masks is patriotic and that he's the biggest patriot ever.  I'm not kidding if you haven't seen this. It's real. At first, I laughed.  And then I was like, "You know? He's actually kinda right." Maybe it is patriotic to wear a mask.  Because, what does patriotism even mean? A loyalty or allegiance to one's country and fellowman.  Which means:  Nazi's were patriots.  Communists were patriots.  Democrats, republicans, libertarians; all of these are patriots.  When the church was early and young, they thought it was wrong to give their allegiance to anyone but God. They were loyal and loving and kind to their fellow man, always ready to be as the Good Samaritan. But they did not worship a flag or set of nationalist ideals. God alone held their complete loyalty.  Early Christians weren't patriots.  And so, yes maybe it is

Friends and family Even though the majority of Montanans voted no, Governor Bullock of Montana issued a statewide mandatory mask law. At the time of writing this, we've had 34 COVID related deaths, most of them elderly individuals that were to die shortly regardless. Those people matter and they will be grieved over. But life insists that we not forget the rest of Montana.  We must live. But because of those 34 we are told we may not operate fully.  What happen to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness?  The governor believes he may dictate to us just how we pursue those rights, namely in that we don't.  The issue isn't the mask. It's merely a covering for so much more. Yet we must focus on the mask for a mere moment in order to fully address the heart of the issue.  Today I'm addressing the mask.  Bullock said, "If you see, only those of us who need to speak aren't wearing masks."   And who gets to decide who NEEDS to speak?   "It's li

After returning from Germany, I decided to read a book out loud to my siblings. The idea was to practice my enunciation as I knew I'd be doing a lot of public speaking, YouTubing, and in-person interviews due to the direction my life has been taking with writing and politics. But also, I'm always looking for an excuse to read another book ;)  We started with a modern book that none of my siblings liked. After two chapters, we DNF'd the book and started an older book by one of my favorite authors.  At the time life had my heart weighed down. I read the first words and my being gasped in delight. This was going to elate my spirt, I knew because it already was.  There was a man.  And it happened—as such things often so happen—that this man went back into his day that were gone. Again and again and again he went back. Even as every man, even as you and I, so this man went back into his Yesterdays.  Then—why then there was a woman.  And it happened—as such things sometimes so ha

A photo my mom snapped and sent to me (I was oblivious). At first, I wasn't too thrilled ... but kinda like it now.  I do not believe in apologizing for missing posts, because I believe, for the most part, people never notice. And yet ... did any of you all notice that there was no post last Wednesday? Somehow I forgot to schedule one. And I could have easily fixed that ... but Wednesday was hectic, and I decided to just let it slide.  And so for the first time in years, there was no post.  Made me realize that it's been a while since I've done a current update. Have I even told y'all what life has been like since returning to the States? I don't think so.  Life has been strange.  At times it's been really hard.  At times it's been beyond amazing.  I said at one point that I was excited to return to the States because I loved my life so much here. Funny thing is my life hasn't returned to what it was before. I don't go to the same church anymore. I d