Trees That Wood by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat. Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
Link: http://www.inspirationalstories.com/16/1630.html
Inspirational Sunday
Happy New Year!
Ah! 2009 is finally here. Did you have an awesome New Year's Day? Guess what I did...rested. That's right. I slept late, then spent the rest of the day watching TV and reading. I loved it! I haven't taken enough "Me Days" in my life. One of my must-dos for 2009 is take more me-days...don't be afraid to not work every once in a while.
2008 was a pretty good year. I mean, nothing overly exciting happened - besides my 5 week trip to Cuernavaca (Mexico) in June/July...my 1st real summer vacation since I started working in 1992. Still, nothing horrible happened either. Now, it's time to leave 2008 where it belongs - in the past - and move forward. Every year, or almost every year, my family comes up with a motivational slogan to live by. This year's slogan is: It's Our Time in 2009! Why? Because we feel that God's about to do some awesome things for our family. He's already started putting things in place for us. And the best thing is we're doing it together (did I mention that we're a close-knit family).
About 5 years ago, my parents started a business called Weakly Family Ministries, that, as the name suggests, focuses on bettering the family. They started out with marriage counseling, pre-marital counseling, family counseling, mentoring, etc. Now, WeaFam is expanding. They're looking into officially moving into an office building (they'd been counseling in our garage-turned-office). Also, now, WeaFam includes the AYM Enrichment Program, which is my sister's & my business (also looking for our own space), along with the urban wear store my brother wants to open, my children & teens novels that will published, and my other brother's poetry/spoken word books that will also be published (if you're a Houstonian, check out Freez.Eturnal's performances at clubs around Houston...my brother is a talented spoken word artist). So you see, God has given each and every one of us a talent to use to help others (and glorify Him, of course) and we're about to do our thang in 2009. IT'S OUR TIME IN 2009!
I leave you with a few of my 2009 goals:
- Complete Who's Got Tha Moves
- Begin/Plan novel #3 (not sure of title, but I do know what it's about)
- Move into own home (my sis & I are starting our journey of becoming home-owning roomies)
- Start journey to become debt-free & financially stable
- Complete my dissertation by June 1st (which means, I'll become Dr. Weakly & have my degree by July/August if all goes well, but I won't actually walk across the stage til January 2010)
- Become more confident in my Spanish (I'm basically a chicken when it comes to speaking Spanish...I know it, just too scared to speak it. I'm getting better, though, thanks to my sis, who speaks fluent Spanish)
- Concentrate on making AYM my full time job
- Go to more conferences for writers and entrepreneur since I am both
- Travel more
- Work on crossing more things off my list of things to do by the time I'm 35 (I've only gotten a chance to cross one off, while I'm working on about 3 others...my list is about 60 items long)
- Take better care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually
Also, I've added more to this blog:
- Inspirational Sundays: I'll post anything that can be seen as inspirational, whether it be my own inspirational writing (like what I do on my myspace blog) or inspirational stories I've read online or heard about.
- Tickle-Me Tuesdays: This day is reserved for stories, pictures, jokes, or comic strips that'll make you laugh. We all should enjoy a good laugh every once in a while, right?
- Random Thoughts Thursday: Same as last year
- Fitness Fridays: My sis and I have started our journey to a healthier us last month. On Fridays, I'll chronicle my journey by posting any weight loss success, success in lowering my high blood pressure, great workouts, trials, triumphs, etc.
Best Books of 2008
So, this post is about the best books I read this year. Judging from my 'Books I've Read in 2008' list, I've read over 75 books...actually, far more than that cuz I didn't list every book I've read. In case you can't tell, I LOVE to read...like, really. Like, when my family went on our family walking trips (I was in junior high/high school), I'd always bring a book with me to read while I walked. Like, I'd be absolute HEAVEN just losing myself in the world created by the author. I'm crazy about reading. I guess it's fitting that I become an author myself, right?
Anyway, I've read some really awesome books this year - the kind where, even after I've finished, I wonder about the characters or what would happen if... I've decided to list my top 25 books of the past year. This list is as varied as my taste in books. I have fantasy, romance, YA, middle grade, picture, etc. Without further ado, my fave books of 2008...
Top 30 Books (Not in any particular order)
- Revenge of the Homecoming Queen (YA) by Stephanie Hale
- Twisted Sisters (YA) by Stephanie Hale
- The Samurai Girl series (YA) by Carrie Asai
- It's Not About the Accent (YA) by Caridad Ferrer
- Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man (Mystery/Romance) by Claudia Mair Burney
- Skin (Thriller) by Ted Dekker
- The Island (Mystery/Romance) by Heather Graham
- The Uglies trilogy (YA/Sci Fi) by Scott Westerfeld
- Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (YA) by Ally Carter
- The Kayla Chronicles (MG/YA) by Sherri Winston
- Braless in Wonderland (YA) by Debbie Reed Fischer
- Lady in Waiting: Developing Your Love Relationships (Inspiration) by Jackie Kendall, Debby Jones
- Lilah's List (Romance) by Robyn Amos
- Kill Me First (Thriller) by Kate Morgenroth
- The Squad: Killer Spirit & The Squad: Perfect Cover (YA) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Rapunzel's Revenge (YA/Graphic Novel) by Shannon & Dean Hale
- When the Black Girl Sings (YA) by Bil Wright
- Oh.My.Gods. (YA) by Tera Lynn Childs
- Airhead (YA) by Meg Cabot
- Coming Undone (Romance) by Stephanie Tyler
- The Pirates of Underwhere series (MG) by Bruce Hale
- How to Salsa in a Sari (YA) by Dona Sarkar
- A Guilty Affair (Romance) by Maureen Smith
- Grafitti Girl (YA) by Kelly Parra
- The Companions Quartet (MG) by Julia Golding
- Platinum (YA) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Playing With Boys: A Novel (Chicklit/Romance) by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
- Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico (YA) by Malin Alegria
- Wicked Lovely (YA/Fantasy) by Melissa Marr
- Tennis Anyone (Picture Book) by Shane Mcg
Looking at my TBR (To Be Read) list for next year, I see I'm going to have crazy fun reading. If you have any suggestions for good books to read, please feel free to make them. I'm always open to reading good books, no matter what the genre is. My fave genres, though, are Romance, YA, MG, picture book, Mystery, and Thriller/Suspense. Here's to happy reading in 2009!
Random Thoughts Thursday
Finally, back on Thursdays...at least til I'm without a computer again. I've decided to get a pink Dell (still trying to figure out which Dell). Unfortunately, I won't be able to buy one til February. Why pink? Cuz it's different. Although the black laptops are business-y, they're just so...blah. I want color. Guess I'm reverting back to my childhood days when pink was my color, before I outgrew it. Anyway, that's what I'm getting. On to my thoughts...
Diddy is not in the same league. Then, there's the smoothness...the umph that makes the man Bond. And the acting? Don't get me wrong. P Diddy was okay in Raisin in the Sun. Not dynamic...just okay. I admit, he does have a few Bond qualities, but, when I picture the first African American James Bond, I do not see Sean "P Diddy" Combs. I just don't.
You know who I do see? Will Smith. He's got it! He's the next James Bond - should they decide to add color to the Bond franchise. He's gorgeous, got a great body, smooth, an awesome actor, & gorgeous (I know I said that one already, but it's worth repeating). Think Bad Boys' Mike Lowry on a whole different level. That's James Bond. And he's a bankable star. Even in his worst movies, Will Smith still did well in the box office. Face it...I...I mean, people love Will Smith. They'd go see a Will Smith headliner before a P Diddy one (sorry, Diddy). I've casted my vote. Will Smith as the next James Bond. It's perfect - a match made in Hollywood heaven. Did I mention he's gorgeous?
Random Thoughts Thursday...On Saturday (again)
I SO need my own laptop! Can you say "perfect Christmas present"?
Living @ Home. My sis and I were having a discussion about the fact that we're grown - I'm 32 and she's 26 - and live with our parents. She's a little bummed about it. Me? I used to be bummed. More like embarrassed. Now, I'm not...well, not as much. I mean, yeah, I miss my independence, ALOT. I moved back January, 2007 cause I couldn't afford to be a full time doctoral student while living in a nice apartment on a substitute teacher salary. I tried and couldn't do it. Moving back in was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had no other choice. It was just smarter to live with my parents 'til I finish my doctorate program (next year, YAY!). So, I'm okay with it now. I think the fact that we're not just moochin' off my parents helps keep my attitude positive. There are grown children who sit around their parents' homes and do absolutely nothing. No offense, but I think that's just trifling. Can't do it. My sis and I have jobs, pay rent, help out with the food, etc. We help out around the house. We are planning on buying house & becoming roommates, but that's not til next year. So, yeah. I'm 32 and live with my parents. I think of it like this: I'm in good company. Jesus was 33 when he moved out his parents house to do what he was called for. :)
Songs I'm Really Feelin. Every time I hear these songs on the radio, I feel compelled to blast the radio and sing/dance along. I am absolutely FEELIN these songs. Now, just so you know, my taste in music is diverse. I listen to almost everything (can't really get into the heavy metal type). This list kind of reflects my taste. Here are 30 songs that get me moving:
- Green Light by John Legend
- Live Your Life by T.I. f/Rhianna - OMG, I'm really lovin this song!
- Bust Your Windows by Jazmine Sullivan - okay so she's talking bout busting the windows of an ex's car. Clearly, I'm not like that...I just like the hip-hoppish tango track. Really.
- I Need You Bad by Jazmine Sullivan
- Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce
- Magic by Robin Thicke
- Flaws and All by Beyonce - This is a beautiful song.
- Big Enough by Ayiesha Woods
- Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
- Corazon by Prima J
- Addicted by Saving Abel
- Cry for You by September
- Keeps Gettin Better by Christina Aguilera
- Te Mando Flores by Fonseca
- When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls
- Miss Independent by NeYo - Lovin it!
- American Boy by Estelle f/Kanye West
- Gotas de Agua Dulce by Juanes
- All Around Me by Flyleaf
- Mercy by Duffy
- Pegate by Ricky Martin
- Jamas by Ricky Martin - Don't care what anyone says. I've loved Ricky Martin's music for a while. His song, La Copa de La Vida (The Cup of Life) actually hooked me on Latin/Spanish music.
- Calabria 2008 by Enur f/Natasja
- So What by Pink
- Hot N Cold by Kate Perry
- Burning Up by Jonas Brothers
- Swagger Like Us by T.I. f/Kanye, Jay-Z, & Little Wayne
- Set the World on Fire by Brit Nicole
- Solo Para Ti by Camila: Actually, anything by Camila
- Love Lockdown by Kanye West
So, these are actually a few of the songs. There were too many to name. When you get in my car, you'd see the different kind of radio stations I have programmed: Spanish, Contemporary Christian, Gospel, Hip Hop/R&B, Pop... What can I say? I'm crazy about music. I can't help it - it's in my blood (my dad's a musician).
Random Thoughts Thursday...on Saturday
I know I'm 2 days late; couldn't be helped; didn't have computer access, hence, my Random Thoughts post on Saturday. Oh the day when I'll be able to afford my own laptop (soon, I'm hoping...like for Christmas, maybe)! Anyway, on to my thoughts - which, really, I haven't thought much about anything but work and my dissertation. Here are the few extra thoughts I've had:
Obama 'Haters'. Oh how I wish people would stop 'hatin' on Obama. For those who don't know, a hater is A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person (urbandictionary.com). Newsflash: HE WON! He's gonna be our 44th president. The people of America have spoken. Sheesh! Leave the man alone. People need to focus on how to make America even better rather than how to stop the next pres from being pres. I guess I can look at this from a positive angle: All this opposition will only make PRESIDENT Obama and his family stronger & Lord knows this country needs someone strong....
December. YAY, IT'S DECEMBER!!!! December is my favorite month. I LOVE this time of year. It's awesome...it's fun...it's beautiful...it's magical. The decorations, the caroling, the giving...I love it all. And it's Jesus' birthday (the celebrated day, at least). It's the best. I'm like a big kid during this time.
I remember when I was younger, we used to go caroling in the neighborhoods (before people started getting all freaked out about the whole religion thing). I loved doing it, and I miss it. My sis and I were just talking about how & where we can sing carols without offending people. Our neighborhood has a mixture of religions. On one corner, we have a Muslim mosque. Across the street from that, a 7th Day Adventist church is being built. Our church (Christian...Baptist) is next to the Adventist church and next to ours is another Baptist church. That doesn't include the 2 Baptist churches right around the corner, the other Muslim mosque down the street, and the Jehovah's Witness church about 2 minutes away. I'm not sure we can go caroling without offending anyone. And you can't carol without songs like Silent Night, Joy to the World, and O Holy Night...all talking about Jesus. Maybe we can carol at a children's hospital - spread a little Christmas cheer. I don't know. All I do know is THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR! Happy holidays to EVERYONE.
NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up
So, yesterday was the last day of NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the 50K word mark (more like 5,871), but I'm okay with it - *sniff* - really, I am. I don't like losing, but whatever. I still have the same excitement over this book now as I did when I first started planning it. At least now, I don't have to stress of "OMG! Must make it to 50K" bombarding me. I can actually take my time. I think the stress of my dissertation hindered me. I know one thing: I will NOT have the dissertation problem next year (God-willing). I will be done! With the dissertation, I mean. Anyway, last week, I posted the synopsis and a small excerpt of Who's Got Tha Moves. Today, I'm posting my cast of characters (wanted to post my soundtrack, but it's not working right now).
Cast of Characters
In my novel notebook, I have pics of other characters (both major and minor). Of course, I'm only posting characters who are very important to the novel.
Gus Carr: Gio Morales
Adriana Lima as Zoe Dobson
So, that's it. My cast of main characters. There are more people (the WGTM hosts, main judge, and contestants). These are the people I see when I'm writing the novel...the ones I visualize. Didn't get to do character bios this time. Who knows, after the novel is developed more (with a possibility of representation and/or publication), I can go more into details. :)
