Sarah's Words of Wit(sdom)

Day 1 Traveling on a bumpy dirt road on a donkey. Really? A donkey? At least my new husband was thoughtful enough that I don’t have to walk. My back already hurts from the baby inside. I’m not sure which is worse, riding or walking. If I ride – wait – let me back up a little, explain why I’m traveling and most importantly, why I’m pregnant. It started when I was doing my chores and a strange man came up to me. He told me he was an angel from the Lord and God wanted me to carry his son. This really confused me at first. God wanted me pregnant? I wasn’t even married! I was engaged to my husband Joseph at the time. In my culture, it’s a shameful thing to be pregnant when you’re not married. But I was raised to say yes when the Lord asks. So I did. Then our land’s ruler had this plan to make everybody return to their hometowns to be counted. Yes, the ruler is a man. He obviously didn’t think of pregnant women like me. I tell you, someday they need to think up a better way to travel. To rea

(If you missed the first part of the story, click here to read) A New Friend Walking to the door of the hospital from the handicap parking lot was like a déjà vu feeling the same every time. The automatic doors slid open to welcome Kaylee and her mom. Kaylee felt like a robot, going to the receptionist’s desk and stating her name, like she did every time she came. She took the seat beside her mom, who was scanning through a magazine. “Nora!” someone called to Kaylee’s mom. Mom looked up and waved at the woman who had called her name. She turned to Kaylee. “I’m going to go over and talk to Lynette. If you get called back, you can go by yourself, right?” Kaylee sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, mom.” Sometimes it seemed like she forgot that Kaylee was 16 and could take care of herself. The automatic doors swished and whined as they opened and closed once again. Kaylee glanced over and spotted a woman, probably in her 50s or 60s wearing dark sunglasses and walking a black dog with a vest

This story appeared on the website of Susie Magazine : Learn To Trust fiction by Sarah Rupp Kaylee patted her finger in the small jar of concealer once more and dabbed under her eyes, trying to cover up the purplish-colored circles. She stepped away from the mirror and looked at herself. Even with her brand-new blond wig, which was a fun contrast from her normal dark brown, she was sure everyone would notice that she didn’t have eyebrows. Eye shadow or lip-gloss couldn’t make her look any better, so Kaylee didn’t even try. Her collarbones bulged under her pale skin and her cheeks and eyes were sunken. “I’m so sorry, Kaylee has leukemia.” The doctor’s words echoed in her mind so clearly it was like it just happened yesterday, even though it had been six months since the diagnosis. Dad hugged her close to his chest and Mom stroked her arm in the lonely doctor’s office. But Kaylee didn’t cry. She was too shocked to feel anything. Later, that night when Dad and Mom were asleep and Kaylee w

I had the opportunity of interviewing an incredible, godly young woman, Libbey Eicher. She was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curve of her spine and has been living large in faith ever since. You can read the interview about her journey with scoliosis at Real Teen Faith ( Part 1 & Part 2 ), or follow her at her blog " Straighten the Path for Scoliosis ".

When I look back, I can see I’ve pretty much been writing for my whole life. I can remember back to my first book at the age of ten, handwritten in colored ink pens in a pink paper notebook, drawings scribbled all over the pages. The writing wasn’t the greatest, but, hey, it was a start. So what about you? When did you start writing? What was your first piece like?

I contacted the winners by email. So if you are listed below, check your email!!! :) Congratulations to Beth Ann of Genuine Beauty ! She wins God Called A Girl by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio! Also congrats to Elin, who wins the other book, Being A Girl Who Leads by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio! During the month of December, I will kind of be taking a break from my blog. I just need a short break from this so I can focus on other writing projects and things. I will be writing only once a week for the month instead of twice a week until January. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas season!

Happy Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving, but too often we skip this wonderful holiday to get on to the rush of Christmas. So in honor of this forgotten holiday, I’ll slow down reflect on what I’m thankful for. Today, I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for my friends. I’m thankful for people in my life who listen to me. I’m thankful for a purring cat to bring me peace. I’m thankful for a playful dog to bring me joy and happiness. I’m thankful for the ability to express myself through writing. I’m thankful for the people who support me. I’m thankful for health. I’m thankful for a home and bed to rest. I’m thankful for food to eat. I’m thankful for love. I’m thankful for life. I’m thankful for God, and the relationship I can have with Him through His Son. I’m thankful for freedom to worship. See what other people are thankful for this Thursday here . What are YOU thankful for?

My November article for Real Teen Faith I slouched in my seat, looking at my hands folded in my lap. Glancing over my shoulder, I hoped to see one of my friends walking through the door of the room where my church youth group meets. No such luck. I gripped my chair as I scanned the room, full of unfamiliar faces. Being a freshman is the most awkward time, and I hate it. My heart raced faster as I spotted Leah, an older girl, coming toward me. I looked away as I tried to calm myself. She wouldn’t talk to me anyway, I thought. She’s a senior. The chair creaked beside me, and I looked up… [ Read more at RealTeenFaith.com ] P.S. Check Monday for the next Meg series for those of you who wondered. :) Also, Check out this interview I did about the Christian Writer’s Guild for Encouraging Words for Writers. There’s still time to enter for a chance to win a free book! See entry below for details.

This month, I’m giving away an autographed copy of God Called a Girl by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio. This book is amazing! And what’s better than a great book you could get for free? All you have to do it leave me a comment with your name and email address (ex.: emailaddress (AT) server (DOT) com, to protect you from spammers) and you’re entered! Participants must live in the continental United States. Winner will be chosen by random.org and announced at my blog on November 30th, 2009. Here’s my short teaser of the book to help you decide if you want to enter: God Called a Girl: How Mary Changed Her World – And You Can Too Mary was an ordinary girl. A teenager trying to find herself in life, just like you and I. But God had a bigger plan. He wanted to use Mary to change the world. And he has the same plan for you, if you’re only willing to listen and obey. Are you ready to step out and change the world? But there’s not only one winner. The second lucky winner will receive another autog

Hey everybody! Today I’m over at Annie Blogs! See what she has to say about me! I met Annie at the She Speaks writer’s conference in North Carolina. My writing mentor, Shannon Primicerio and Annie are good friends, and Shannon introduced me to her. I was fortunate enough to talk to her for a couple of minutes in between seminars. She is a hoot! Annie was kind enough to let me email her with any questions I have about blogging. So, go check out her blog ! And when you're done, come back here and head over to Real Teen Faith to read my article/interview: " A New Normal ".

The final skit in the series is here! Hope you liked them! Watch Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 And while you're online, check out my interview about my fashion and beauty blog over on Shannon Primicerio's blog !

Finally part 4! What will happen with Claire and Tracy? Come back next week and find out in the final skit!

As you may have noticed, skit 4 is not being shown today. Because of illness in the leading actress, the skit has been postponed until next Sunday, when it will be combined with the last skit. When I got the phone call Saturday evening that Cassidy, or “Tracy” was sick, I was devastated. I so looked forward to seeing yet another piece of my writing come to life. I wondered what God was trying to accomplish in this. God does all things to bring glory to Himself. How could postponing the skit bring Him glory? Every Sunday, the skits went so well with the message, almost echoing what the pastor preached in his or her sermon. It could only be God. So what is He doing now? As a human, it frustrates me how I’ll never understand what God does and why. I may never find out what He is doing in this, but I just need to trust it’s for my own good and His Glory. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his pur

Please welcome Cassidy Ladd and Laura R.! Watch: Part 1 Part 2 If you're reading this on Tuesday (Oct 20), you can check out my post about self-confidence and inner beauty at my fashion and beauty blog: http://modstylelounge.blogspot.com/

How Do You Text It? Hosted by Real Teen Faith ( http://RealTeenFaith.com/ ) Admit it, you're obsessed with texting. You can text anywhere – especially places you’re not supposed to – like through your book bag in algebra class when you think the teacher isn’t looking. And I bet you’ve texted in some of the weirdest places and would love to brag to the world about it, and make a little cash while you're at it. You’re in luck, because that’s what this contest is all about! So grab your video camera and take a video of yourself or get a friend to videotape you doing crazy stuff while texting in all the weirdest and coolest places you can fit into a clip under thirty-seconds. For more info about entering this contest, visit http://realteenfaith.com/2009/10/13/real-contest-how-do-you-text-it/ . But hurry, contest ends November 26! Feel free to share this information in your sphere of influence. You can repost it as a blog, tweet about it, facebook it, or whatever you can do. This

And now for another installment of the JWATR skit series! While you're surfing around online, check out a new blog about fashion, beauty, and modesty I started with some friends: http://modstylelounge.blogspot.com/ This Thursday, instead of the Meg series, I'll be doing something a little different, so check back for that! :)

I wrote a skit series for my church's sermon campaign "Just Walk Across The Room" after the book by Bill Hybels. The video isn't very good quality since I recorded it with my digital camera, but it'll do. :) Play the video to watch it! The wonderful actress is Cassidy Ladd. Remember that name. She's great! Oh, and no, that deep voice isn't the real God. ;) It's another amazing actor named Chris H. And, yes, I'm still doing the Meg series, but for the next five weeks, I'll be doing this series Mondays and the Meg series Thursdays.

Anywhere I go, I see unique people. Unique in how they dress, how they talk, and how they act. Potential characters are everywhere, just waiting to be used in a story. I recently read “Getting Into Character” by Brandilyn Collins , and have been opening my eyes to certain things people do, or as Brandilyn calls them, “mannerisms”. The book is amazing. I highly recommend it for all writers of fiction! I was sitting in church, listening to the sermon, when I noticed an interesting man. I began to write on my sermon notes: Sunlight filtered through the stain glass windows, like a distorted rainbow-colored checkerboard on the church floor and across the benches. In the front bench sat a man in his fifties, hunched over, looking up through his bushy eyebrows, large ears wiggling as he chewed a piece of gum. What he had left of his grey hair stuck straight up and wrinkles deformed his forehead as he concentrated on the pastor.

Hi, everyone! Tommorow I'm over at RealTeenFaith.com , so be sure to check it out. I'm so humbled that the new editor of Real Teen Faith, BJ Hamrick , asked me to be a part of the RTF team! I'm so excited about this, I'm including a sneak preview. This is the first anyone (besides BJ) has seen this! That's right. You, my readers, get the first peek! Don't you feel special? :) Lists – Not Just For Christmas Could the way society presents dating be messing with God’s ultimate plan for relationships? Is the media so in love with the idea of dating that we forget it’s supposed to be a special experience? Since eighth grade, I’ve prayed God will help keep me pure and wait for the right guy to come along who I would eventually marry. I even made up a list of characteristics this special man of my future would have. Making a list is a great thing to do while you’re still single. We all think we know what we want in a dating relationship, but very few of us

Here are the lyrics to a song I wrote: In this secret place where I hide away You came to with open arms and asked me to come Help me run to you past these barricades All I want is you And I am ready ‘Cuz you are worthy You’re the only one who won’t fail me I’m holding out my hand Lord, please take it now Come and rescue me I am ready for You Won’t You come into me? Take my heart and fill it up and take my life and make me whole again In this life I just need more of You to humble me and lift me up and make me more like You Help me pull this line of masking tape Up from on the stony ground on which it lies Help me cross the line and find your plan divine All I want is you And I am ready ‘Cuz you are worthy Human-set lines cannot stop me Give me courage to roam this world so new So I can give you glory I am ready for You Won’t You come into me? Take my heart and fill it up and take my life and make me whole again In this life I just need more of You to humble me and lift me up and make

I admit, sometimes I hate writing. My twitter update said it all. If we’re all being honest, we writers all hate writing once in a while. Writing is something I love, but sometimes I just don’t want to do it. I’m plagued with deadlines, plus my last year of school, and work. Adding a blog to the mix hasn’t done me much good in that either. I hear of some people who say God is just telling them to slow down. I wish that was the case for me. Instead, God has been throwing awesome writing opportunities at me. At first, I loved the work and loved the way God has been supplying me. But lately I’ve felt, well, overwhelmed. The next morning I received an email: Sorry you’re overwhelmed… You truly have a gift, Sarah. God has kissed you with this gift of writing and to make people feel something. God has not given you a spirit of fear as the verse says. As He told Joshua, “Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS” [Joshua 1:9]. He told Joshua that multiple times. God appointed Joshua to take over for Moses (a

Lizzie Gordon always thought she had a pretty good life. That is, until a couple of years ago. Lizzie flicked on the brights that pierced through the darkness in front of her car, illuminating the road. She glanced in her rearview mirror at her son, Isaiah, sleeping in his car seat, his head lolled to one side, his mouth slack with sleep. Lizzie smiled. She loved Isaiah and would do anything for him. But he was the beginning of her life’s downhill slide. Four years ago, Lizzie became pregnant with him. She backed up her memories further. All the way to the eighth grade. Noah was a charming boy, and Lizzie fell for him all the way. Three years later, they were still dating and Lizzie felt sure he was the one. After all, a guy should treat a girl like a princess, right? At least that’s what Lizzie thought, walking arm-in-arm with him through the park, getting late night phone calls and moped rides to Patty’s Pizza. His genteel manners even caused her prim and proper mother to approve of

I wrote this dialogue between the future love interests, Milana Mikay Clarke and Travis Brinkley. I love it how their opposite personalities promise potential conflict. This scene takes place at the University Hospital, where Milana is a nurse in training. “I thought you worked on the Lifeflight.” Milana went around the desk and picked up the clipboard, clicked her pen, but paused for his answer before writing. Travis leaned against the desk and folded his strong arms. “I do. I work here to relax.” “Relax?” Milana looked down at her clipboard, cynically smiling as she wrote. “And I bet you rock-climb and water-ski to relax, too.” As Milana looked up, Travis flashed a handsome smile in her direction. She looked back down so he wouldn’t see her blushing. “Yeah,” he said. “What’s your idea of relaxation?” “Curling up on the couch with a good book.” She looked up again perked one side of her mouth at him. “Sitting outside at night admiring the stars.” “Oh, okay, I see.” He raised one eyebr

Vacuuming is like a dance. Precise, constant movement to reach every inch of the floor. Consistent motion is a thing of beauty. Push…pull, push…pull . The carpet tickled the bottom of Meg’s feet and the whir of vacuum cleaner encased her eardrums. She pushed the bumper of the vacuum cleaner into the last corner and tapped the button to turn off the motor with her toe. Ever since she’d taken up the job of a housekeeper, she’d been to some pretty interesting houses. But this house, by far, was most interesting. If houses could talk, this one would. It would tell Meg its stories of old: how it withheld rain, wind, thieves, and ornery children. Its Victorian style gave the house a certain old mystique. Pictures lined the wooden shelf on the clean white wall beside her. Most were black and white photos, some were sepia. Though the photos were framed, the edges were jagged and the corners looked sticky, as if they sat in a photo album for decades. She wondered what prompted Ms. Tyers

Click here to see what others are thankful for today. Dear God, Thank You. Thank you for being You; my great and awesome God. You’re amazing. Thank You for my family. Before I was born, You knew me. You knew just what I needed in a family. You knew I needed supportive parents, a sister I can always talk to, and a brother who is always around when I want to hang out. You knew what annoys me about my family now will help me deal with people in the future. Thank You. Thank You for supplying me with my needs: a house, a bed, food, a car; even the little things I so often take for granted, like my computer or TV. Thank You for safety, thank You for health. Thank You for life. Thank You for rain, for sunshine. Thank You for the good times in life and thank You for the times I think are bad. Help me see that the outcome is always for the better. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for allowing me to be homeschooled. Before I even knew I liked to write, You knew that being homeschooled would allow me

This is a piece of writing from a story I wrote: The door flung open before Blake could even reach it. His mother stood there, apron tied around her short, stocky figure, flour dusting her graying head of hair. “Blake!” She called to her son. A smile almost bigger than she was spread across her face. “I’m so glad you came!” “You know I wouldn’t miss my sister’s college homecoming for the world.” Blake smiled at his mom, towering over her. Despite the fact Blake was now taller than his mother, he knew that to her, he would always be her little boy. Mom drew Blake into a quick hug, then pulled away. “Well come inside out of this blazing heat!” She scolded him as if it were his fault he was standing outside. Blake stepped inside and scanned the room. Balloons and streamers covered foyer’s ceiling and over the entryway to the kitchen/dining room, a big banner read Welcome Home Lexi! “Wow, look at this place,” Blake sniffed the air like a prairie dog. “Something smells really good, mom,” he

There’s something with a Rupp family vacation that always turns into a quite interesting story. I wrote this in January of ’08 for a Christian Writer’s Guild assignment. “Was that a bat?” My mom asked with terror in her voice and eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact it was.” the tour guide at Ohio Caverns in West Liberty Ohio answered. “You’re very lucky to see a bat in the Caverns. Not everyone gets to see one flying down here.” My family and I stopped here on our way to Logan, Ohio to rent a cabin in the Hocking Hills area of Southern Ohio for our family vacation in November. Just as Mom’s heart rate was starting to slow to a normal beat, she caught sight of another bat flying around the corner of the intersecting tunnels in the cavern. She shrieked and grabbed onto my sister. “Sorry,” Mom apologized to the tour guide, “I’m scared of bats.” “That’s alright,” He replied. “You did well compared to some of the other people who’ve come into the cavern scared of bats.” Chuckling, he continued,

Raindrops tap-danced on the roof to the rumbling music played by the clouds that released them. Soft rain fell straight down, misting the blades of bright green grass. Some birds waited out the rain in the still dryness of a tree, chirping a bit to entertain themselves. Water gathered in low spots on the street, some drops finding their way to join, causing several centrifugal ripples. Zoe leaned on the window frame and gazed outside. Though the sun peeked its rays from behind a plump, white cloud to the east, more storm clouds slid across the sky to the west. The brightness of the sun caused the storm clouds to look all the more malicious. Like the sun’s evil smirk on Zoe’s neighborhood. Like everyone, even the sun has a bad side. Zoe wouldn’t trust anyone who seems like they don’t. She learned that lesson the hard way. Men like Garrett cannot be trusted. Zoe would never make that mistake again. Click here for an older post I wrote about Zoe.

As you may already know, I have been praying for my future husband for years. I have even made up a list of characteristics he must have – or should have. Some of the things on that list are going to be hard for the poor guy to live up to. That got me thinking: what am I doing to prepare myself for this amazing man of my future? Shouldn’t I be practicing character that’s hard to live up to as well? I read Proverbs 31:10-31 this week and it talks about being a “wife of noble character”. Now this is a difficult list to live up to. We don’t necessarily have to get up before dawn every morning to make breakfast and search near and far to find wool and flax, busily spinning and twisting the fibers. Unless you really want to, it’s a little outdated. Now we buy our clothes and blankets from a store and have pastries you can pop in the toaster oven for 5 minutes and voila! they’re done. But we can learn a lesson from this Proverbs 31 woman. The lesson is hard work and discipline . Th

Writing is hard. Anyone who says it’s easy must have never tried it. I’m the kind of girl who is constantly crafting plots in her head and creating new characters. But as soon as I open up that new Word Document and see the blank white piece of virtual paper, I suddenly have a writer’s blackout. Sometimes, we writers need a little encouragement. According to the Webster’s Dictionary, to encourage is to inspire with courage or hope. There are two specific people in my life who have done just that for me. 1. My mom. She has been so supportive of me from the very beginning. She’s never too busy to read anything I write and always takes the time to edit it. Sometimes I wonder if that’s a good or bad thing.☺ I remember the first time I wrote a book. It was about talking animals who lived in a little kingdom. Understandable for an eight-year-old to write about. But my mom encouraged me to write what turned into a three (ten-paged) book series. As I matured, so did what I wanted to write abou

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m still not fully unpacked from a weekend at the She Speaks Conference in North Carolina. Sometimes it’s a real pain. I did unpack my clothes to wash them and put my bags of toiletries in the bathroom. But it’s the little things that litter the bottom; pencils notebooks, band-aids and chapstick. Even in my toiletry bags, cotton rounds, dental floss, and toothpaste still lay inside. That made me wonder…are there little things in my “suitcase” I don’t want to get rid of that God wants me to give up to Him? I get rid of all the big stuff that everyone can see, but it’s the little stuff no one knows about that I don’t want to unpack. I zip up my suitcase and drag it behind me so no one can see the shameful little things I’m carrying with me. In Luke 14:33, Jesus tells us, “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Everything . For me, it’s my dreams that are so hard to give up to God. I feel like if I give them up, I’ll never accomplis

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who prayed for me while I was at She Speaks . I could feel all the prayers as I glowed with a confidence that usually stays hidden in atmospheres such as conferences. It’s going to be hard to squeeze this amazing experience into a brief blog entry, but I’ll try! Here it goes… On Thursday at 3:00 in the morning, we hopped in the mini van and, after traveling 13 hours with my family from Ohio to North Carolina, we finally arrived at the hotel where my family would stay. The next day, I headed over to Embassy Suites Concord Convention Center, where I stayed with my awesome roommates, Kaley, Emma, Eden , Rachael, and Rachel, and the coolest chaperone ever, Vern . My first Breakout Session was “Top Tips from a Veteran Publisher” with Sandy Vander Zicht. It was very informative. I learned that I need to eliminate the unnecessary words that I tend to put in to my writing. Then I joined the RadRevolution for a pajama party and watch A Walk To Rememb

By the time you’re reading this, my family and I will be on the road in our mini-van cluttered with suitcases and “necessities” for living away from home. You know how that goes. I thought I should let you know that I won’t be posting Monday, since I will be on the road back to home. But to tell you the truth, I have mixed feelings about the She Speaks conference . This will be my first ever writer’s conference. I’m super excited, yet a little scared and nervous just because I’m not quite sure what to expect. When I first got the phone call from Proverbs31 Ministries , it seemed like the conference was forever away. Now it just snuck up on me and all of the sudden I’m heading down south for the experience of my life. I’m excited, and also a bit anxious. I have to find my way to many of my sessions on my own. What if I get lost? What if I don’t know anyone? I studied Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby with my Youth Group this summer. One of the things Mr. Blackaby said in his book is,

I wrote this in January of ’09 for a Christian Writer’s Guild assignment. Go out on the streets and pray for people? That’s just not my thing. Walking up to a random person and saying, “Can I pray for you?” can prove to be, well, awkward. I made sure I teamed up with the most outgoing, people-loving person I could find. That way I wouldn’t have to do any talking. Holding a box of pop in one hand (or soda, as they call it here in Reading, Pennsylvania), and brochures that tell about who Christ is and how to accept him in the other, I roamed the sidewalks of the busy city, following my partner around. I had full intentions to be the one who handed out the pop along with the brochure and smiled, managing to escape every opportunity that involved speaking. So she prayed for a couple of people, and I did my job; and very well, I might add. Hey, it’s not easy handing out pop and brochures all day. I mean, you have to…to…okay, I’m lying, maybe it is easy. But I’d do anything not to talk to pe

This is a short piece of writing I did when I was sitting out by the campfire: The fire crackled and spit ashes to the sky, curling its orange and yellow fingers around the blackened logs, grabbing at their crispy white edges. Birds still sang their favorite tunes one last time before the sun made it’s way behind the trees below the mauve and crimson sky. A cool breeze slithered up Lacey’s jacket sleeves, and she shivered and hugged herself tighter. She scooted her chair closer and let the radiating heat warm her face. A new beginning. Underneath the new logs were grey coals, the sullen remains of old logs that used to be. Like a past that never went away. No matter how many more layers of logs try to cover it.

Beep, beep, beep! Kendal groaned and threw a pillow over her head. She reached out her hand and searched for her alarm clock, whacking it when she found it. Another Monday. Have you ever felt like Kendal? I know I have. Groaning as I roll out of bed, not wanting to go to school or work after a nice weekend of relaxation. Now I have to start yet another week. A couple weeks ago, I attended the Mennonite Youth Convention in Columbus, Ohio. It was an awesome opportunity for young Mennonites to worship and learn together. Worship sessions were twice every day, along with a variety of various seminars to choose from. On the last day during the worship session, a speaker by the name of Greg Boyd said something that stuck with me. He said that every morning when he reluctantly rolls out of bed, he says, “God, this day is Yours. What do You want me to do today?” I thought about that for a while. How much less would I take for granted with that kind of attitude? Taking one day at a time to ask

Hi everyone. This is a shorter entry today, but it's one of my favorite pieces I've written. It belongs in a story. Hope you enjoy! Zoe sighed and went around the counter, opening the back of the clear glass case under the countertop. She needed to head over to Mom’s house and get the boys soon. She would already be late picking them up. She took out the baked goods one by one and placed them in the cardboard take-out container in slow motion, hoping to give her mind time to sort her thoughts out. Zoe didn’t know what she thought anymore. She closed the box and went out to her car, locking Zoe’s Coffee Corner’s door behind her. She stole a glance at Lance’s apartment window, half-hoping he would be watching her like he did, just to make sure she made it out to the car safely. But the lights were off in his room and no one looked out the window softly smiling at her. Cold gusts of wind blew through the empty streets, picking up snowflakes and sending them swirling like a tornado

I wrote this in January of ’09 for a Christian Writer’s Guild assignment. (laying on sleeping bags in a bedroom in their PJs) Girl 1: This youth group sleepover has been awesome! Girl 2: I know; I want to stay up all night! Girl 3: Come on guys, you know I need my beauty rest! (Girl 1 rolls her eyes) Girl 2: (scoffs) Whatever. Erica: Hey, I have an idea: let’s talk about our crushes! (Girls 1, 2 and 3 nod excitedly, Serena hugs her pillow and looks away) Erica: Okay, I’ll start. I have a HUGE (draws the word out) crush on Bailey McBride. He is so hot! Girl 1: Gosh, Erica, we already know that! Like, everybody knows that. But, anyway (lowers her voice) I have a crush on Johnny Childers. (all girls except Serena and Dana: “oooooooo…”) Girl 2: Oh my word, I have, like, a massive crush on David Turner! Girl 3: (Whining) Hey, wait a minute! I have crush on him too! Girl 2: No way, he’s mine! Girl 3: No fair! I should at least have a chance with him! (Girl 2 hits Girl 3 with a pillow and it

I wrote this in July of '08 for a Christian Writer's Guild assignment. I lie on my bedroom floor with my hands on my head, The thought of writing a poem makes me want to go to bed; Sighing as I get up off the floor, Day after day, I’ve come to dread this horrible chore; I stare at the blank document on the computer screen Overwhelmed. It’s almost time for my poem to be due, What to write, I don’t have a clue; O poetry, how I loathe thee! It makes me want to flee And go to a place where I don’t have to rhyme, I feel like it’s wasting all my time! This assignment is going to drive me crazy! It’s not that I’m being lazy, I just don’t know what to write, I’ve been trying to think with all my might; Sitting here like a bump on a log, Wondering why my poem makes me work like dog. King Solomon I will never be, Because to me, a tree is a tree! While I write this poem, I must be honest, I’d rather be at the orthodontist! Poetry is an ugly, hairy troll Waiting to jump out and scare me, I

I wrote this in September of ’08 for a Christian Writer’s Guild assignment. “Bye mom!” Shauna called as she grabbed the car keys and started out the door. “Wait a minute, young lady,” Shauna’s mom caught her in the doorway, “Where do you think you’re going?” She arched her eyebrows giving Shauna that oh-so-familiar mother look. “To Matt’s party,” Shauna answered. “Matt?” “Yeah, you know; the tall, cute, blonde guy from school?” Shauna shifted and leaned against the doorframe. “He’s having like, food and games at his house and the whole school was invited.” “Shauna, how well do you know this…Matt?” “Well, he’s a junior, the same grade as me, and, well, he’s cute!” Shauna smiled and winked at her mom, then after getting another “look”, she reasoned, “Chill out mom, it’s not like anything is going to happen. Other kids will be there too. My friends will be there.” “Will Matt’s parents be home?” Mom said. Shauna rolled her eyes. “I don’t know!” She sighed loudly. “I need to get going or I’

My thing is fiction. It's what I write best and it's what I love. So when my mom came up with the idea that I should enter a devotion writing contest for teen girls, I wasn't so sure. The prize for this contest was a scholarship to a writer's conference in North Carolina. Conference equals a lot of people and I'm a very introverted person. So I couldn't have cared less about this idea. I also like photography. The picture you see on this post is mine. We have a garden of beans and they were just beginning to make their way through so I got out my camera and began to take pictures. As I played with the angles of my camera on the rows of beans, I spotted a tiny green stem pushing through the soil. I could just hear it grunting breathlessly as it tried to break through. "I know exactly how you feel," I whispered to the sprout. For my whole life I've been the quiet girl, trying to break though the hard, clumpy dirt. That night as I laid in bed, God in