Devotion: Being Thankful, Not Just On Thanksgiving

Every Thanksgiving (and Christmas for that matter), each member of my family takes turns saying what we are thankful for. Of course, this is a great tradition. But why is it that we only think about what we're thankful for during the holidays? Instead of using this as a tradition, why not do this all throughout the year? I've found that living with a grateful heart makes life a whole lot easier. God continues to give us gifts throughout each day, so instead of complaining about what we don't have, why not look at what God has given us? Notice, these gifts aren't always in material form. Look outside of your window. God paints a sunrise for you every morning, a sunset every evening. Thanking Him even when things look rough brings out the beauty in life.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
~Philippians 4:8

If you can't be thankful for what you have, at least be thankful for what you don't have. Outlook always determines outcome.

I know that it's a little too early to be thinking about New Year's resolutions, but why not strive to be more thankful in 2011 instead of making it only an annual 'tradition'?

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What are you thankful for?
Are there any special holiday traditions you and your family do each year to celebrate Thanksgiving/Christmas?

(PS: I will be holding a holiday giveaway in a few days. Be sure to keep checking my blog so you can enter for your chance to win a gift card to Barnes & Noble!)

Thursday's Thought: Are Writing Softwares Useful?

There are several writing softwares that many authors, screenwriters, and comic book writers use to construct their stories. Popular ones include Scrivener, yWriter, and NewNovelist. Although these softwares have fairly good reviews, is it worth the cost when you can use Microsoft Word to write your novel for free?

Recently I downloaded the free trial of Scrivener, and so far I like it for many reasons - one reason is because it helps with organizing your thoughts. You can separate your chapters, scenes, outlines, etc. into different folders and sections along the side of the screen. I also love how you can maximize the software, which gives you the entire screen to write your novel. This is a great advantage, since Microsoft Word doesn't allow you to maximize it on the Mac. Overall, I believe that if you are an unorganized writer (like myself), buying one of these softwares may not be a bad idea.

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What do you think?

Have you used a writing software before?

Which one is your favorite, and do they really make writing easier?

Teen Writer's Part 3: The Advantages

As I mentioned in last week's post on teen writer's, I believe that for me the advantages of being a teen author outweigh the disadvantages. Here are a few reasons why it was my dream to pursue writing as a teen in spite of the cons:

• People often suggest to write what you know. For example, if you are writing about someone going through an abusive relationship, the emotions would seem more real to you if you had gone through one yourself. It would be a lot easier to write about a certain historic time period if you actually lived in that era instead of having to rely on research, wouldn't it? Research is a good thing, but experience is best. Although adults were at one time teenagers themselves, let's face it - it's different now than it was then. Sure, some of the struggles may still be the same, but the times have changed. Although there are some really great YA authors presently, there are still many YA books that don't feel "real". These books seem as if they were written from an adult's viewpoint of a teenager's life. However, teens have an "inside look" on youth, so we'll most likely be able to connect with our readers on a deeper level than many adults who write YA. For instance, it's been easy for me to establish my writing voice in the YA fiction book that I am working on right now. Why? Because, I'm a teenager. It's that simple. Writing in the young adult genre is most likely going to be believable as well as genuine if you are actually a teenager.

• We will have an early start in our career. Many of those who dream of becoming an author "when they grow up" don't find their name in print sometimes until late in their adult years, if ever. Does it hurt getting a jump-start? The possibilities are endless. As I mentioned in part one of Teen Writer's, why wait when you can begin now?

• As teenagers, we already have the ability and influence to reach out to the youth. I recently read a book "Do Hard Things" by 19-year-olds Alex and Brett Harris where they discussed how important it is that we don't sit around and watch our youth pass by when we have the power to change it now. You never know when the Lord will return. No, I'm not saying we should hurry and do everything on our 'bucket list' immediately while we're still young. But teenagers need to hear about God. Who best to reach out and understand teenagers than another teenager?

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Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3 Summary: With God on your side, there's no better time to pursue your dreams than in your youth (Eccl. 11:9). Many people may try to discourage you, saying that "you're too young" and "inexperienced" - but notice that in the Bible God often used the young and the weak ones to prove His power. However, you're not in a race. God may want you to enjoy your youth without having to be busy with a time-consuming career. But that doesn't mean you can't start developing your craft. Prepare yourself now! Especially if you feel as if God has put the passion in you to write, then don't procrastinate. As teenage writers, we have power to reach our broken youth and a lot of time to get a head-start in our career. Why wait?