My heart is so full

I am the undeserving object of thoughts and prayers. I don't know how to thank you all
             enough for the countless emails, facebook comments and phonecalls I have
             gotten in the past few days.

I am overwhelmed. I feel so, so, very loved.

I am incredibly blessed. I know God was with me the whole 6 six hours I was inside the
             surgery center.

I am relieved. Though there were some uncomfortable (okay, downright vexing)
             experiences, there was never any bad pain in those six hours.

I am thankful. Praise God for doctors, for anesthesia, for nerve blocks, IVs, and kind
             nurses.

I am hurting but healing. My thigh is not yet used to missing a muscle.

I am annoyed at being dizzy whenever I stand. The faintness is an effect of my
             pain medication... but hey, at least it's not making me nauseous.

I am humbled by my family's serving me so constantly and lovingly. I love you all so
             much!

I am so happy. My left knee is actually tighter  than my right one now!

Thanks to Jesus,
I
am
fixed!

P.S. A novel-style account of the surgery is coming soon. 

Thanks, God

I just wanted to take a moment to say this.

Be thankful.

That's it. Just thank God. Because you have every reason in the world to.
This morning my cat, Bori (okay, so her real name is Borealis) was meowing at me to change her water. As I moved toward the sink, she managed to get right in front of where I was stepping with my right foot. As a result, I couldn't step on my right and instead went lunging forward, catching myself with my left leg.
So this all just sounds like a fancy way of saying “I tripped,” but really, as some of you might realize, this could be an incredibly disastrous happening for my loose knee. Thus, after I had safely landed on my left leg, I sort of stood there. I was shocked. I just sort of froze, analyzing the situation. My top thought was:
My kneecap didn't come off. It should've come off right there. I'm fine!
I was amazed. And very thankful. I gave God a huge thanks.

So I guess the reason I'm saying all this is because it's something I'm working on – thanking God for what doesn't happen. There are SO many times my knee should've come off. And many I'm sure I never even realized. But if I think about, I become amazed at how often God has prevented my knee from going out. Instead of becoming depressed at the times it does.

So don't just thank God for what he's made happen. Thank God for what he's made not happen. :)

"My Book"

So I figured that many times in this blog I will be mentioning my book. (As it's a pretty big part of my thought life.) And every time I do, I don't want to have to explain about it. Soooo, that's what this is. To link to every time I say “in my book” or “it reminded my of my book.”

So. I'm writing this book. You could call it a novel but that word makes me cringe. So I don't. It's a story, biblical fiction, about the happenings before the flood. Mostly it centers around a girl who happens to be Noah's daughter. Now don't get too worried, let me explain.
It was one of those “moments of brilliance” we writers have, where God gives us an extra burst of creativeness and our imagination takes wing. And they're not too often, so when they happen we have to take note. Anyhow, I just got to thinking, what if Noah had a daughter? It wouldn't be too impossible, since the Bible doesn't mention daughters very much (actually... well just see the last paragraph.) But he DID, then she must not have been on the ark, because it mentions those specifically. Hmm. So I wonder why? Did she die? Did she turn away? But isn't she part of Noah's family, so would be saved anyway? Then why wasn't she?

With that, I just had to start a story. So far I'm in the progress of “researching.” I put it in quotes because there's not much actual writing recorded about before the flood times. The sources I've found so far that intrigue me are the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees. Not Biblical, so it's not like they're true, but I have to create so much about the world anyway that I figured they probably are closer to the truth than theories people make up today.

Anyhow, that's “my book.” My goal is to finish it by the end of the year, or at least have 85,000 words of it finished. It'll be interesting to see if I make it, considering I've never finished a story anywhere near that length. I'm determined though. :)

Before I end I just have to say that I don't actually believe Noah had a daughter. But you never know, right? This is fiction after all. ;)

70 degrees

To stand outside, barefoot; to feel the warmth of the sun on my arms, then the coolness of the wind; to know that no one can see me but God; to delight in His delight in me.

Mm. This is joy.

I had one of those moments today. I love nature so much. It's enchanting like nothing else. Just to watch the trees sway, and hear the birds sing – oiy, it sounds so cliché. But it brings such a peace of mind to me.
I think I feel closest to God when I'm in nature – which for me means by myself in the backyard. It's not too big, but it's just so... magical. It's God's precious gift to us.
It makes me realize the nothing that I am, and the Something God has made me.

So now you go. Get up. Stop slouching indoors reading blogs! Go outside and revel in God's beautiful earth. He made it for you!

Postscript: (by the way, if you're reading this it means you're very naughty for not going outside like I told you to. What? It's raining? Rain is gorgeous! Go and jump in some puddles! Okay.) Don't expect every post to be like this. I was feeling poetic.