Thanksgiving

Today was Thanksgiving 2012. The first official Thanksgiving was established by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Ever since, we have established certain traditions. Some of our traditions are; eating a feast consisting of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, etc.;  watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, giving thanks, etc. We gorge ourselves on more food in an hour than we should eat in a week. Maybe your kids perform a play acting as pilgrims. Maybe they make little turkeys or place mats for your table. We turn on the football games even if we don't like the game just because that's the tradition. We invite family over or go to family. And if Thanksgiving was any different, maybe we ate a ham instead of a turkey, we would be mad until Christmas. And then, of course, Thanksgiving night Black Friday sales start. At dinner we tell everyone what we are thankful for, and then we turn around and get more stuff!
But you know what? In the same time it takes the mashed potatoes to pass around to you, about 12 children die of hunger. 12! 12 mother's children. Not even 12 people. 12 children! Every minute, about 12 children die of hunger related causes. Do you feel guilty yet? I do! You are groaning because you ate too much, and millions of children are too weak too groan because they haven't eaten in days, maybe weeks. And the last meal they did have might have been a bite of rice mixed with some grass. Or maybe a mud pie. What you ate in one meal could have given probably a dozen children a meal.
I don't want to sound judgmental, because trust me, I gorged myself today! But would you just think about it? Just think. Maybe then you will act. Imagine what could happen if everyone in America gave even a plate of their Thanksgiving 2013 meal away? How many less children would die? Please, think. And pray. Always.
~Michaela

Today

This is today.  That's a pretty obvious fact, right?  However, come tomorrow, it will be yesterday.  And you know what?  Once today becomes yesterday, you will never, ever, no matter how hard you try, you won't get yesterday back.  Ever.  It is forever gone.  Are you satisfied with what you did yesterday?  Did you do anything that matters today?  Did you do make a difference in someone's life?  Did you plant a seed for eternity?  Did you water a seed?  Chances are, you are now thinking, what could I have done yesterday?  Maybe you just let yesterday slip by, and you did nothing.
Guess what?  You only have so many 'todays'.  This could be your last one.  Maybe you don't have another tomorrow.  I don't want to sound morbid, but maybe this will get you thinking.  If you died right now, could you look God in the eye and say, "I made the moments You gave me worthwhile."  Honestly, I know I can't.  If you can, I will applaud God for His work through you.  That's my goal: to make every day worth it.  I have thousands of things I wish I hadn't done, things I wish I had done, and I'm not even 18!
Here's a story.  My younger sister loves money.  She will do almost anything to get it.  And she's a shrewd businesswoman, too!  She saves all her money.  She has about a hundred dollars.  But does that mean she'll just give you a penny if you ask for one?  By no means!  She keeps every penny!  She knows that every little cent amounts to something big.  Do you?  You have thousands of moments, but do you keep every one?  Or do you throw them away?  Do you give moments to 'me time'?  Do you give moments to useless hobbies?  How many moments do you give to TV?  How many millions do you give to worrying?  Every single tiny moment amounts to something huge, a lifetime.
We are called to give away our moments, but not to useless or harmful things.  Give your moments to God.  He will take your moments and disperse them to His plan.  He might give them to people, things, and causes you don't want Him to.  He might give them to that person you can't stand.  Maybe He'll give them to Africa, or Oklahoma, or your office, or your home.  Maybe He'll give them to orphans, to widows, to drug addicts.  Giving our moments, our todays to God requires courage.  It requires surrender.  It requires love.  But the rewards are beyond any sale-hunting, any Nickelodeon show, any girlfriend or boyfriend, any nap can offer you.
Will you determine to make today worth it?  Will you give God the moments you still have?  Will you step into the unknown and reap amazing, eternal rewards?  Because I will.  I will fail.  Sometimes I will take my moments back.  But I will try.  And I will trust that God will never fail me.  Please join me.
~Michaela 

Bitterness

This is an excerpt of the novel I am currently writing.  The only intro necessary is that the setting is America in 1864.


The reader will note here that America was in the middle of a civil war.  This wasn’t a happy thing.  Men died.  Women lost.  Whole men were rare and joyful women even more so.  Southerners hated Northerners, and vice versa.  Bitterness is a disease.  The disease of bitterness was spreading faster than gangrene or Sherman through Georgia.  It devoured anyone in its path.  America wasn’t simply fighting one big war.  They were fighting a war with bitterness as well.  They were losing this war, though.  Nobody enlisted for this war.  Women and children weren’t left out of the battles.  This was an all or all war.  Nobody had a choice to fight or not.  You see, feelings and obscure enemies aren’t required to follow the rules of war.  The only thing that would allow the people to defeat their enemy was their enemy’s weapon.  That thing was forgiveness and uniting together.  Bitterness isn’t stupid.  Bitterness will hit us at our only weak spot, no matter how small that spot is.  Our only weapon is forgiveness; our only armor, God.  God will protect from bitterness.  But bitterness turned Julia from God, from forgiveness.  Bitterness isn’t invulnerable.  All Julia needed to do was turn to the God of her childhood.  Will she?

Don't turn bitter.  Bitterness is still active in 2012.  You are not invulnerable.  So guard your heart.
~Michaela

2012 Election

Yesterday was the big election. People sat around their televisions anxiously awaiting the results. Many in our country voted yesterday or in the last two weeks. Maybe you didn't vote, even though you are older than eighteen. Maybe you wished you voted. Whether they voted or not, people groaned when their candidate didn't win. When their candidate did win, there was celebrating. It was a close election, but on the national level, Barack Obama won the contest. For some, this is the worst thing that could happen. Others believe he is what this country needs.
This morning you woke up and made a bee-line for the computer. You pulled up Facebook. And, surprise! there was drama. Your news feed was filled with Republicans slamming Democrats, Democrats exulting over Republicans, and the occasional third party voter insulting both. There were posts of celebration and of heartbreak. Quite possibly you joined in the backstabbing and mourning. Maybe you didn't insult, but you posted about the terrible things that Obama would do in the next four years. Maybe you celebrated the great victory. Or maybe, just maybe, you sat back, scrolled down the page, and sighed. Your fingers didn't touch the keys, but you sure wish you could tell people how stupid and trivial this is.
I don't care who you voted for. I hope you voted, but even if you made the decision not to, that is not my concern.
I do care about our country. I do care who is our president. But I know that God is in control. He will steer this country in the direction He wants it to go. Maybe sometimes we wonder why or how God is using the people He is using. We wonder if He is still directing this nation. Maybe you say, "God is in control" while you cross your fingers. It is true. We are in God's time. It doesn't matter what we think or do. God is God. You are not. Do your duty, vote. But ultimately it is up to God what happens. John Quincy Adams said, "Duty is ours, results are God's." God is in control.
Duty is ours, but what is our duty? Our most important duty is the duties we have Christians. We need to help the widows and the children, we need to reach out to the needy. But most importantly, we need to pray. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (ESV) America has not humbled themselves. We have not tried to seek His face. We have not turned from our wicked ways. America, we are in danger of losing God's blessing, if we haven't already lost it. Christians, let's unite and humble ourselves. Let us seek His face. Let us turn from our wicked ways. Then He will hear and heal our land. Will you get on your knees without ceasing these next four years? Will you seek His face? Because this will be a better country for your children and grandchildren if you do.
~Michaela

Les Miserable

Here is a book review I wrote for the classic: Les Miserable.  This review is for the book, NOT the movie.

Victor Hugo has written a timeless classic in Les Miserable.  This novel is loved by the generations.  This story has been transformed into musicals and movies.  This beloved tale is considered by many to be the best work of the nineteenth century.  It was completely published by May 15, 1862. The book was immediately translated into numerous other languages, including English.  Les Miserable was an immediate hit with all nations. During America’s own Civil War, the Confederate soldiers were particularly attached to the book, coining themselves “Lee’s Miserables.” Even to this present day and age, fifty years after the publishing of this narrative, the faithful still believe this to be the greatest novel of all time.

            Les Miserable is a story of wrongs and forgiveness; death and life; hate and love; enemies and friends; poor and rich.  In short, Hugo has captured the essence of life onto the page.  He has eloquently and successfully expressed the ups and downs, the hurt and the healing of life.  This heart-wrenching tale is not a collection of cold, empty words on a page.  This writing will force the most unfeeling heart to love and hate the characters, to sink in despair or leap out of joy in response to the circumstances, to cry and to laugh, and to sit on the edge of one’s seat.  The reader will soon find it quite impossible and unthinkable to put the book down until absolutely necessary.  The reader does not think with bitterness of the fact that the book contains more than a thousand pages.  In fact, upon the conclusion of the story, the reader might reflect with sadness upon the fact that it is only a thousand pages. This story will enrich the reader’s life.

            This classic is astounding, however, every book, even the best, have their own flaws.  Every author also has flaws.  This book’s one and only flaw is the long lectures in between sections of the story line.  These lectures, while interesting and connect to the story, are not necessary. They could be much condensed.  For some, these lectures are enjoyable to read.  They are educational and can teach one much about France and the world.  For the readers who are merely looking for an enjoyable read and an exceptional story, these lectures are tiresome and detract from the quality of the story.  These lectures can be skipped or read depending on the preference of the reader.

            One of the many reasons that Hugo’s writing is so amazing is his character development.  He takes time to develop his characters.  He lets the reader actually see the character.  He describes every aspect of the person.  He illustrates facial features, facial expressions, body build, personality, their past and present, and so much more.  He makes the reader feel as though they were old friends with the character.  Hugo gives expression and feeling to everything he does.  He leaves the reader wanting more.  As the reader closes the book on the last page, he feels as though he were leaving behind old friends and saying goodbye to family. 

            An individual can not call himself an avid reader without reading this masterpiece.  This story, while possessing its flaws, contains the deepest mysteries and feelings of life.  It makes the characters come alive.  This story is loved by the world in every era.  Victor Hugo surely has completed an amazing feat in Les Miserable.  This story is a must-read for everyone, teens, adults, elderly, scholars, laborers, rich and poor. 

 ~Michaela