The Whispering Woods

Well, today is the day. Here's my little Halloween treat to you all.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Halloween just brings this man to my mind. He is a master of scary stories and poems. Here is my personal favorite work of his, The Raven...

Light of Darkness

I'll never forget the first thing I ever wrote. I was reading Frankenstein my senior year, and one of the assignments given was to make our own monster story. This was mine, edited and added to a couple of times, but still has that place as my first. I still read it from time to time to see how far I've come. So, without further adu...

If you've been following my last few posts, you'll probably notice I like talking about religion and spirituality. Everything I've said so far on this subject are my honest thoughts. So before I get into this again, let me just cement myself a little bit. I'm Christian, I was born to a Christian family and raised as a Christian, and I will certainly raise my future family in a Christian environment, because I see it as a good environment.

Now let me say this purely hypothetically; if I honestly did not see Christianity as good in my life, if I saw it as unnecessary or even detrimental to me, I would leave the faith. If I too believed as so many do that Christians were only hypocritical bigots then I'd push them out of my life, and there are aspects of Christianity I do not accept because I do not agree with them, but I digress for now.

The topic today is what many call "New Age" ideologies or religions. I'm reluctant to call these religions because I've never read or heard of a New Age book describe a deity, per say. None I don't think try to replace scripture. I think New Age writers are only trying to teach what every major religion is trying to teach; how one should live, and how one can do so happily and reach a higher level of being.

At this point I have to bring up a Christian belief that I do not agree with, and that is the belief that everything not "Christian" is wrong and therefore evil. I think this is an unfair assessment; I've read New Age books and none have in any way affected me negatively, or I've even found congruences with Christian thought.  Plenty of other historical sages like Lao Tzu, the Buddha, and Confucius never mentioned Jesus, but preached peace, and how are they "evil"?

As my little advice block says, question everything. Leave no stone unturned, or you'll never know what you're missing out on.

Drake Files: Chapter Three

Drake is escorted to the bathroom as I clear the interrogation room of the remnants of our pizza. While he’s gone, I receive a text message from my boss that says the boy’s parents are currently being held in Colorado, and that they never actually left the state.

The message also said to not tell Drake yet. The boss is right; Drake’s only started his story. He may be only a kid, but if he starts to think I can be pushed over that quickly, he’ll start to get bolder with his demands. He’s done the most talking, but I’m the one who needs to stay in control of the interrogation.

The door opens, Drake walks back in and the door is shut behind him. “You know I don’t need a babysitter,” he points out.

“The CIA doesn’t like to take chances with subjects,” I reply, “even if they are minors.”

He smirks darkly as he sits back down. “I’m not a kid,” he reminds me.

“I thought I asked you to cut the tough guy act?” I push back. I have to make him know that I’m in control here.

I see the gears turning behind his eyes as he studies me for a change. I admit it’s intimidating for a second, but I can’t let him have a foothold over me. After half a minute, he returns to his story.

Reading through Jefferson Bethke's book Jesus>Religion. Great book, and I would highly recommend it. Only through Chapter Three, but I'd thought I would like to share my favorite part so far.

From Pages 12 and 13:

In author C. S. Lewis's classic book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the kids ask if the lion, Aslan - who represents Jesus - is safe. "'Safe?' said Mr. Beaver; 'don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.'"

That's what the real Jesusu is like. He isn't safe. His words, his life, and his cross completely destory the notion of him being safe. His grace is dangerous, ferocious, violent, and uncontrollable. It can't be tamed. Does it bother anyone else that seemingly the first, and sometimes only, prayer people pray when the go on mission trips is that they'd stay "safe"?

It's important that we discover the real Jesus by seeing what the Bible says about him. I think you might be as surprised as I was.

That's only one of the points he's made so far in his book. For more about his ministry, check out his Youtube Channel, Jefferson Bethke, where he shares other poems and teachings.

It's been a while since I actually finished something. I came up with an idea about a month ago for a Halloween short story, and I wrote half of in a week. Then I took a break, because of midterms and everything else, including starting this blog. That break ended yesterday while I was at work, when I picked up where I left off, and I finished the story earlier today. I can't decide whether or not I'll wait till Halloween to upload it or if I'll upload it this weekend, but you'll see by this weekend, I guess.

This is honestly a perfect example of my writing style. I do make an effort to write every day, whether its a page or a paragraph, but I'm working on so many things right now that some projects get forgotten. Very few things have a schedule; the only deadlines I've given myself was this story (finished in time for Halloween) and the sequal to my book, which I plan to have finished in February, and then uploaded as soon as possible.

I should probably write more often, because it is honestly my best stress reliever. But for now I'm happy to have this little Halloween treat in the waiting for you guys, and I hope you'll enjoy it when I put it out.

People say that being Christian is a difficult thing to admit. Others say that being openly Athiest is difficult to admit. Either way, they're right. I think being open about your opinion, any opinion, is risky. We live in a world that is more connected than any in our history. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all sorts of social media sites allow us to share our every thought with the world, but so many use the internet as a mask. America is a very individualistic country, but there is still that pressure to conform. Declaring what you believe, no matter what it is, whether religious or non-religious, is scary. Being open opens you up to pain and ridicule, I know this as much as anyone. Stereotypes are slapped on you when you state how you think. I am lucky enough to belong to a family that accepts what I have chosen for my life, even though it isn't what I was born to. Catholicism to Protestantism may on the outside not seem like much of a change, but it was something I was scared to admit to my family for a long time. But, they've been very open-minded, which is a quality they've passed on to me.

A World of Good

I love being a Christian, and my faith is ultimately in it's teachings. However, I think there is more good in this world than Christianity gives it credit for.

For me, it goes to the Chinese idea of Yin and Yang. We all have both good and evil within us; every religion and spirituality agrees with that. The best of us has the same potential to act selfishly as the worst of us has to act heroically. I think what religion and spirituality offer is an anchor to achieve balance in our lives, not completely purge one side or the other.

"I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong."

"... I believe in peace, love and understanding."

- John Lennon

I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong.
John Lennon
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_lennon.html#q8SjY1f7HwYsJrXX.99

I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong.
John Lennon
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_lennon.html#q8SjY1f7HwYsJrXX.99

Love Songs

I love love songs. I think they're beautiful and they make me smile, what can I say. There are songs that, when I get finally get a girlfriend, I could just hang out with and listen to. Or, on my wedding night many years from now, I would dance with that special girl to.

I would have to say my top five are:
"Gotta Find You" - Joe Jonas
"Bless the Broken Road" - Rascal Flatts
"Faithfully" - Journey
"Feel Again" - OneRepublic
"Give Me Love" - Ed Sheeran

Drake Files: Chapter Two

It all started the night Drake’s father, Derek Fletcher, returned from his annual trip to Boston. Drake was in his room finishing his homework when his dad pulled into their driveway in Aurora, Colorado. When he was younger, Drake would greet his father at the front door, but this time Drake stayed in his room as his father walked up the drive and into the house, calling “I’m home” in his usual over-animated fashion.

Drake rolled his eyes, thinking how ridiculous that this was getting. Ever since he could remember, that was how his father walked into the house after work. One would think he had the best job in the world. He was an actuary; he sat behind a desk and calculated insurance risks. About the most boring thing Drake could think to do.

Two and a half years ago I graduated high school in the top quarter of my class with a 3.6 GPA. The asperations I had were to be a teacher and a writer. College was supposed to be just a means to an end.

For some reason I chose to come out to Odessa. At the time, I suppose my main answer was it was cheaper, and no one else I graduated with was going to Odessa, either. While those reasons are still relavent, I see now why I came out here.

I was sent to Odessa to have my eyes opened to Christ. Three years ago, God was no where on my list of important things in my life, but I have always been on his. I see now that he's watched over me all this time as a loving father. He pushed toward Odessa so that I would meet the church that would change my life. Since the first day I stepped into a church I was just supposed to go for one week, until I found a Catholic church, they have shown me nothing but God's grace and love.

All of those Boy Scout trips and band performances he was there. When I felt neglected by my family and so fed with life I wanted to drive into a tree, he was there, nudging me to carry on. While I didn't know it at the time, he had a plan that was best for me, and it involved me meeting the people at Odessa Bible Church, which has been a million blessings in my life.

The Purpose of Art

When I write, I like taking inspiration from other pieces of art. Other books, music, drawings and paintings all help me set mood and details. I think art in general is meant to put you in places you could only dream of, whether the medium is paint, sounds or words. It puts you in a world you not only see, but you can hear, feel and smell. It draws emotions that are real.

The following is a scene from a short story I'm writing that I've really worked on for emotion and feel. It's unfinished, but I hope to have it posted here soon.

"Having a Coke with You" by Frank O'Hara

I may not be a poet, but I do like reading poetry. This is one of my favorite modern poems, so I hope you enjoy these words:

Having a Coke with You

is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz,
     Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier
     St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for
     yoghurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and
     statuary
it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything
     as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front
     of it
in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles
and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
I look
at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in
     the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s
     in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together
     the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care
     of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that
     used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when
     the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider
     as carefully
as the horse
it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I am telling you
     about it

Quiet weekend, for sure, but I got a lot done, I think. One essay left for my Sociology Midterm and I plan to turn that in tonight. Two-thirds done with my Child Observations Essay for Child Psychology. Finished a chapter in four other books each. Cleaned up and cleaned out a little, got a little rain this weekend. Weather is turning colder. This week I have another Speaker Broadcast and I get to hang out with my SHARE kids, which is super fun. More observations this Wednesday, and this time its teenagers. On top of all of this, I'm going to try to have another chapter added to my sequel this week. Just trying to do the best I can in all I have to do, because its all I can do.

Power Trilogy Book Two: Strike of Sword (Chapter One)

Here's a little taste of what's to come. It's honestly the only thing I have finished, but what the hell, right? So, if you've read my first book, hope you like this, but no real spoilers. If you haven't, click the link on the left to check it out.

“This is stupid.”

“We know that, Jules,” Kyle said flatly.

“Why would you even do this?” she questioned.

“Why not?” Justin asked.

“Because this is stupid,” she came back with.

This was the bulk of their conversation for hours now. It was a beautiful day, it was Spring Break 2009, the Fosters and Slades were on vacation together, and all they could do was argue about why they were where they were. All three of them were standing in the shade of a bus while getting ready for the main event. This main event was what Jules was arguing against, the same position she took when she learned that Kyle was going to do it. Normally, Kyle would’ve taken her advice, but he needed to get his mind off of things.

The future, namely. Almost a year had gone by since he first encountered a giant blue alien that crash-landed in Colorado, where he happened to be on vacation. Ever since, Kyle was scarred with blue markings that eventually spread up his arms and were currently crossing his upper torso and Kyle somehow became a vessel for an incredible power. In the following months, Kyle learned how to control his powers, and to not allow them to control his life. During that first summer, Kyle holed himself off in his house out of fear, both of himself and of how people would think. Fear that he would hurt others and the fear that his friends would be scared of him kept him in exile.

Justin and Jules kept talking, but Kyle hardly paid attention to the conversation. Sometimes Kyle just enjoyed listening to them talk to each other, thinking to himself how lucky he is to have such good friends. Justin and Julianne Slade were twins that Kyle had known almost his whole life. It was these two and another friend, Emma Luck, who eventually broke Kyle out of his shell that he had formed the summer before.

“Let me check the battery again,” Jules insisted, reaching for the video camera in Justin’s hands.

“No,” Justin answered, holding the camera high above Jules’ reach. “You’ve checked it fifty million times since we left home; you’re just stalling. This is going to happen.”

Jules groaned frustratingly and smacked Justin in the stomach. Justin stumbled at the blow, but held the camera where it was.

“Give it to me, Justin!” she yelled. “It’s my camera, and if you drop it, you’re replacing it!”

“Then stop hitting me and I won’t drop it,” Justin returned, amused at his sister’s anger.

“C’mon, guys,” Kyle said loudly enough to get their attention. “People are starting to stare. Let’s just do this before anyone gets suspicious.”

“I still can’t believe that you are actually going to do this, Kyle,” Jules replied. “This is so unlike you; you don’t do crazy stuff like this.”

Kyle shrugged, saying, “I don’t exactly know why I’m doing this, either. But I have to do something; if I don’t, I’ll go crazy just waiting.”

“But this is big, Kyle,” she pleaded. “Please don’t do this.”

“Would you relax, Jules,” Justin insisted. “The man can fly, for Pete’s sake.”

Jules smacked his chest again, saying, “Not so loud.”

Kyle could see that Jules was still not on board with everything, so he said, “C’mon Jules. Just this one thing and I’ll never ask you to be a part of anything like this again.”

“Promise you’ll just never do anything like this again at all,” she answered.

Kyle raised his right hand and said, “I promise.” The mark on the palm of his hand glowed when he spoke.

“Then let’s get this over with,” she said, and took her camera back from Justin. “What are you waiting for, anyway?”

Kyle froze for a minute. He hadn’t told anyone that his power was eventually going to kill him and then destroy the world. As the Primal had put it, it was only a matter of time, unless he could find the Primal and return the power. So far, though, his search had been desperate, since he had no idea where the Primal was. His Granma had reported that it was taken sometime in the week following Kyle’s contact, while he was still in a coma. As far as he knew, Area 51 had it, and although he wrote letters and emails, he so far had no response, and by now he didn’t expect any.

Kyle turned toward Jules and said, “I’ll tell you some time. I promise.”

They broke then to the positions they had agreed upon. Justin would face outward as if he had no idea what was about to happen, while Jules was positioned several yards away to where she could see both Justin and Kyle. After a minute, Kyle got two thumbs up, one from each twin. Show time.

Kyle slowly walked toward the railing that Justin was standing just in front of. The trick was to not draw attention to him, as there were about thirty other people around the entire area. No one stopped Kyle, luckily, and he wished he had that sort of luck back home. In Odessa he could hardly go anywhere without someone staring or stopping him.

He got to the railing and stared straight forward for a few seconds. At that point Justin panned around to look at him.

Kyle closed his eyes. He called upon the power flowing through him. Primal energy coursed through his entire body. Whenever Kyle felt the depth of this energy, he was always surprised by how much actually fit into his body. For a second it was like floating in the deep end of a pool. As easily as he would move a muscle, he coaxed energy out of wherever it stayed when he wasn’t using it. His vessels lighting up made him feel lighter, as if giant weights he had carried since birth were taken away. He felt freer than he ever had before.

Eyes still closed, he jumped over the railing fell head first into the Grand Canyon.

He fell in complete silence for only three seconds, but as soon as his feet left the railing, his mind became totally blank. Those three seconds of free-falling were the most peaceful Kyle had experienced all year. Another positive thing Kyle’s powers had given him was enhanced brain activity, so those few seconds felt like an hour to Kyle. This was when Kyle was in complete peace with the world.

In the darkness of Kyle’s mind, light and power began pouring in. Kyle was barely conscious of it, but had long since stopped being scared of it (destroying an immortal intergalactic being can do that to a person). After almost a full year, the sensation was as natural as any bodily function. It almost seemed as if he always had this power, and at times he didn’t know how he would cope after giving it back. It allowed him to do amazing things, such as fall through the Grand Canyon without a shadow of fear.

When he was less than fifty feet from splashing into the river bellow, Kyle reacted. He deftly flipped over to where he was falling feet first. From his hands and feet came a torrent of energy shooting straight at the ground, slowing his descent. The raw energy hit the water like a boulder, splashing it over Kyle’s head and gouging into the river bed beneath. All the water that was forced into the air started falling around Kyle’s shoulders as he slowed his descent into a hover.

Now he was drenched, but the water felt good. It was significantly cooler down in the canyon than standing over the edge. It was still early enough in the morning that most of the canyon wall shaded the river. Kyle took a minute to take in what he just did while he hovered. Looking up, he couldn’t even see any of the people who probably just watched him jump over the edge.

Now for the real fun, Kyle thought as he started to drift purposefully backward, holding a leg behind him so he didn’t just smack into the wall. He kept looking forward, not needing to look back to find the wall of the canyon. He knew where it was for a while. Yet another bonus to having this power was a heightened awareness of his surroundings. Almost like sonar, he always had a mental map of his immediate surroundings, even in pitch darkness. Kyle had already found a relatively flat area, and lightly changed direction by either strengthening or weakening the flow of power coming out of either hand. When his foot brushed against the section of the wall he was aiming for, he brought his other foot up higher on the wall. Bringing his hands back, he only touched the wall with the tips of his fingers. He clung to the wall in a position to launch himself deeper into the canyon.

Closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, He drew more energy from the unknown reservoir inside him and into his arms and legs. He took another minute to gather energy, meanwhile taking mental notes of the feel of the layers of rock stacked behind him, noting the differences in minerals. Emma would probably be very interested in this.

That was one of the things Kyle really liked about Emma, that she was interested in so many things, some of which could be really random. It was never a dull moment when talking with Emma. That was one of the reasons Kyle ended up having a crush on her. For a year, Kyle kept it to himself, until one night at a party Kyle somehow found the courage to ask her out. Initially, she rejected him, but Kyle later learned her reason for saying no. Although they weren’t going out together, Kyle felt that their friendship was strengthened as a result.

Now he was ready. He stopped the flow of energy, tensing every inch of his body. With one final exhale, the world and every thought in his mind dissolved. Without a countdown, he surprised himself with the launch, pushing off so hard, several large chunks of the wall took off with him, leaving a web of cracks spreading a hundred feet in every direction.

In almost literally no time, everything was a blur. Everything sort of cleared up when the energy from Kyle’s body started to form its usual spearhead shaped field around him, if one would consider wavy and tinted blue as an improvement. It may not have been perfect, but it allowed him to see so much more than what was actually around him. He could “feel” things without touching them, and he depended on this sense while flying as much as he did his sight. If not, he’d have been a stain on the side of the canyon as soon as he took off. Instead he rocketed easily through the canyon, navigating through twists and turns, leaving his starting point far behind him.

The feeling was exhilarating, but Kyle reached the other end of the canyon within two minutes. As he saw the end coming, he waited until the last possible moment to drastically change direction and fly straight up without losing any speed. He flew straight up for about a minute before coming to a halt and hover at the altitude he stopped at. Looking down, the Grand Canyon looked like a small ditch. Looking west, he saw the Rocky Mountains, which looked more like hills, and beyond the Pacific Ocean, stretching beyond his sight.

Kyle felt on top of the world, both literally and figuratively. Since his battle with the red Primal, and with the eventual end of his episodic seizures, he felt indestructible. He had conquered an immortal cosmic being and had just flown straight through the Grand Canyon in less than two minutes. Maybe tomorrow he would knock the top off of those mountains to the west, or set the new record for flying across the Pacific. He could do both; He could do anything, and nothing in the world could stop him. The thought made him grin as flew back to meet with his friends.

Christianity and the Catholic Church

This is one of those touchy subjects I'm going to get into, but if you've been following this blog, you were warned. This is about religion, and this is about why I disagree with the Catholic Church, which I grew up in, and ultimately moved away from.

I realize hypocrisy is something that plagues any religion, but the Catholic Church has had seventeen hundred years of hypocrisy. I'm not going to sit here and write out what every corrupt Pope has ever done, but look up names like Boniface 8, Leo 10, and the Borgia Popes.

While the Papacy is questionable (Indulgences over Twitter? Really?), it is far from the actions the Catholic Church has done or allowed to happen that I really have issues with. Just to list off the biggest ones, the Catholic Church for over a thousand years had essentially a spiritual dictatorship in Europe, as well as the conquering of the Inca and Aztec Empires in South America through it's puppet nation Spain to "convert them to Christ", when they also got a nice big pile of gold at the same time. This is a church that has persecuted homosexuals, burned and killed those who've opposed them, and at the same time either protect or do nothing about child molesters in it's own hierarchy.

Theologically, the Catholic Church has made me scratch my head, too. Some people say Mormons aren't Christian because they have another testament of Jesus, but I'm going to stick up for them here. Mormons have the Book of Mormon they read as well as reading the Bible, when the Catholic Church only preaches four books out of the Bible. If Christianity is the belief that Jesus came to save us from sin, then the Mormons are Christian, and Catholics believe the Sacraments save and the Church has the power to forgive sins. Catholics say they are a monotheistic religion when many things say differently. If God is God, then why do Catholics pray to Mary and the Saints as if they have any power? I've seen people wait in line to touch and kiss the feet of a statue of Mary and say it isn't idolatry, and take communion with the belief that a priest before their very eyes turned a waffer and some wine into physical flesh and blood.

Like I said, I grew up Catholic, so much of my family is still Catholic, and I love them to death. My issues with Catholicism and it's history are mine alone and not tied to anything they have done. For me, the Catholic history is too bloody for me to be a part of.

So Many Books, So Little Time

My copy of Jesus>Religion by Jefferson Bethke just came in the mail today. His book is his explanation of a poem he put online in 2012 that got a little viral. Here's the video if you've never seen it.

So excited to get into it, as soon as I can, but for now I have many things to read and do for school. I'll probably get to open it this weekend, but at the same time I have three other books I'm reading that I've neglected to continue reading. I set out time to write, to study my Bible, and I guess I need a time to do my leisure reading. 

Living Simply

 

It's taken me a while to realize what I need to make me happy, and remarkably what I needed I already had in the first place.

For example, I thought I'd be happier when I got a car, because all I had was my bicycle. On plenty of occasions I'd be mad that I didn't have a car. When I finally got one, it made my life easier. Now, however, it's just something that adds worry to my life. It no longer makes me happy, if it ever did.

It's true that people who have less things are more willing to give. I see that for myself, and I realize that my material things, while nice to have, aren't vital to my happiness.

Off the Grid Dream

This is something I want to do while I'm still young. To just completely fall of the grid for a few months and travel. Just pack a backpack, get on my bike, and go somewhere I've never been. Backpacking through Europe is very popular, but I want to see America the old fashioned way, when people didn't have cars, credit cards, cell phones and computers.

I recognize that I'm highly romanticizing this, but I do realize that this would be hard in this day and age. However, I believe that people are most capable of extraordinary things when placed in extraordinary circumstances. Training would be involved; I have to get comfortable riding my bike everywhere I go, which I'm actually starting to do now. A bike is actually simple to maintain, really; when I first moved to college, a bike was all I had, and I made due. I plan to start changing my diet to more healthier foods, or to stuff I could carry and prepare easily from a backpack.

Books and journals would be a must have for this trip, too. No great journey means anything if you have no way to share the experience; just ask Lewis and Clark.

Some of you have probably wondered "why" at this point. I have a path lined up, a plan to graduate college in a year with a teaching certificate. But there was a time when people lived their lives with no assurance. They didn't know if famine would strike, or if they got sick if they would survive the night.

I also remember the story of Dreamworks' The Prince of Egypt movie. Highly paraphrased here, Moses left his life, a comfortable life, for a life of hardship but fulfillment, and in that he grew as a person. I want to teach, but I want to be the best teacher I can, and I want to be worldly.

I don't know, sometimes its just amazing to realize how fast life can move when I'm just standing still.

It's weird to think that the music I like and the shows I watch may not be as popular as what people in other countries have. On a page of best European bands, I recognize out of the top ten only six of the bands, and other European bands I've heard of are further down the list, surrounded by names I don't recognize. And those are just the names I recognize; none of the bands in the top ten of this list are actually in my music library. That's not saying I think they're bad, they just don't have songs I listen to on a regular enough basis.

The one European group I listen to the most is a French percussion band called Les Tambours du Bronx. It's all percussion, and very tribal and high energy.

Music very much helps me write, and so my music library is quite diverse. Different songs fit all different moods I write. I'm slowly branching out into the world of European music, so if you have a band you think I should check out, I'm open to suggestions.

Drake Files: Chapter One

I promised something finished for the weekends, and here it is. This is the opening chapter of a new series I'm working on. Hope you like it. This is in no way a final version, and hopefully one day I'll this finished and on book shelves.

Friday Nights

Fridays are my Kenosis nights, and I love hanging out with these guys, discussing scripture. Four guys just lounging, but talking and learning, growing as Christians and as friends is more than I could have ever asked for. The appeal of a small group of friends coming together for a common goal is classic but the same time fun and thought-provoking. We do use a book, and I do write down answers, but I learn more from the discussions, and my answers most of the time changes as a result of the way the discussion is going.

It brings to my mind a scene from a book I'm reading for my Third Reich/Holocaust class, Defying Hitler by Sebastian Haffner. Haffner's memoir contains a scene of him and his close friends coming together in a similar manner to discuss philosophy and politics. The image of a group of guys in a smoky lounge room, smoking cigars and drinking fine wines and having a meaningful discussion is an atmosphere I would love to be a part of.

So shout out to my good friends Justin, Chris and Chance. For more information on what we do, Justin's blog is a great place to look, just click here. Justin, if you read this, you're welcome :)

In the midst of midterms, one lone college kid stands. It is, however, only the eye of the storm, the storm being the semester.

So, day three of new blog. Why did I start this right before midterms and say I was going to write every day? I can't do this unless it is the middle of the night. School's reached full speed, and I'm busier than ever, but I have my commitments. Writing isn't going to happen unless I just sit down and do it every night. So I'm going to write, so I can maybe keep my schedule once of posting a finished something this weekend.

Schedule and Gosain

Good morning, readers, or good day if you're reading this in the afternoon. I'm writing this in the morning, so I don't care, its morning, so good morning.

Anyway, I'm still new to blogging, and the only way I can think to gain experience is to create structure. So here is how this is going to work. During the regular week, I'm going to try and post every day, and if I miss a day, I'll just miss a day. However, during the week, I'll try to have a short story written, or a chapter or a story idea developed, and I'll post those once a week. This is tentative, not carved in stone, but written in data bits, and therefore no one really cares, right?

Next order of business, let me introduce you to my friend, Gosain.

He's an alien warrior I designed with Mr. Takashi Morimoto (click his name to see his site). He came to Earth about sixty years ago from Nuvia, a planet closer to the center of our galaxy. He's roughly 1200 Earth years old, commands a mighty star ship called Alexandrios, and wields a great ax named Gravitron. He has psychokinetic abilities that he uses in battle along with Gravitron.

Gosain is currently staring in a book that is slowly getting off the ground. Of all the characters I've created, he is my favorite, mainly because he's not human, so I can write different rules for him.

So that's all for today. Check out Mr. Morimoto's site, because he was supper awesome in helping me design this character. Be sure to check back as often as you can, and I'll see you later!!

Becker Writing Beginnings

First blog post ever, I think, this is something I've wanted to do for so long now, but always told myself I've never had the time to do so.

The reason I'm doing this now is because I heard a motivational lecture from Mel Robbins (Link to her site: http://melrobbins.com/). She spoke about what our brains do to trick us out of going through with ideas, and how to counteract ourselves and our own wants for things to be simple. But success isn't simple, and it takes hard steps, so here's my first steps to being a successful writer.

So, if you decide to follow this blog, I'd thank you greatly. The views, opinions, stories and lessons you will find here are real from my life.

Let me start off by saying that my life wasn't overly difficult, but I want this blog to be raw. This is the page where I'm completely honest with the world.

Aside from that boringness, I'll be posting short stories and excerpts of books I'm writing. I'll also post story ideas that will probably never leave this page. You may see some product placement (Like for my first book ever published, link here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/300070), but not much.

Pictures I like (I don't have instagram, so don't look), song lyrics I like (I'm not a song writer; none of the lyrics I post will be original), poems, other's short stories, whatever I want, because this is my blog. Stay tuned if you dare, and have a great day!!