An Anxious Adventurer

It was 4 in the morning when I finally decided I might as well just get up and go. I hadn't slept much, due to anxious excitement (and the fact that an air mattress in your friend's living room just isn't the most luxurious).

So up I got and off I went to the airport. I was actually driving myself to the airport, which was a first. I am such a big girl. ;) Well it took a couple times around to find the parking lot that I wanted, and I did almost return my car to the rentals, but I managed to park the car, hop a shuttle, and reach the airport with plenty of time for my 6 am flight.

Despite the fact that I was in fact, right on time, my boarding pass placed me in the last boarding zone, and my very humble patient attitude placed me at the very end of that line. I was the last one on the plane. Except for the two women who came running in at the last minute. But for all dramatic purposes, I was the last one on the plane.

And my suitcase wouldn't fit.

Reminiscing On My Senior Show

Slightly more than a year ago, some of you may recall a post with some pictures and poems from my senior art show at IWU!

Opening reception of my senior show!

I have some terribly exciting news regarding said photographs, which are palladium platinum prints. Palladium is a very old method of developing photos; they are incredibly expensive, time consuming, and beautiful. They also need to be properly framed, which brings me to my next order of business.

My Palladium Platinum photos in their new homes!

Mama helped me buy new (BIGGER) frames, glass, and double mats, to proudly display my work the way it deserves! Man, they look SOOOO good in person! Come visit me and see!

But seeing my work like this reminds me to think about what the original purpose of my artwork was. These 5 pictures are meant to create a sanctuary: a space where the demands of time fade away, worries are irrelevant, and we simply sit in God's presence.

They remind us of the journey that we are continuously along, from the mountaintop to the valley. Mountaintop, overjoyed experiences will come; inevitably dark, depressing times will follow. But if we DO take that time to just sit in God's presence, those times DO NOT have to wear on us. God will lead us through.

So I invite you--come sit. Be still. And bask in the presence of the God of the Universe.

It's Been a Year

A year. One whole year!

It was exactly one year ago that I had just graduated from Indiana Wesleyan, said goodbye to all of my friends, and was on my way home for a new adventure in life. An adventure called waiting.

Now by the time I actually post this article, it will have been a bit more than a year, that being because I am posting my "short" story every week (Come on guys, it's only like 20,000 words).

But it has been a year, and a lot has happened in that year since I came home a depressed and heartbroken college graduate, thinking that my life was over. Let's review, shall we?

Short Story: Loved, Part 15 of 15 (AKA The end!)

This is it!!!!!!

The end.

I mean...um...well, you have to read it first. Then I can write "the end."

(Although if you need to read the beginning first, you can do so by clicking here.)

Hand trembling, Rebekah raised the mirror to her face and looked in. The painted man’s words filled her head, and the shriveled flower filled her eyes. But another voice whispered into her heart. The voice that wanted to be a flower on the hillside, dancing in the wind. The voice that said she was a flower, that she was precious. That she was wanted, just as she was. Rebekah concentrated on that voice for a moment. And the flower in the mirror grew. Its brilliant white petals spread their wings and flew out of the reflection and into her heart.

Short Story: Loved, Part 14 of 15

It's almost done! Just like winter's almost done!
Well...I mean, I'm writing this on Easter, and it SNOWED today. :( Lame.
But yeah, by now, it should probably be sunny.
And you only have one part left to read after this! Unless of course you missed the beginning and need to be redirected there. You can easily do so by clicking here.
 

At his words, Charlie’s self pity left him, and the urge to protect the fragile woman beside him replaced it. The lack of respect this man showed for the woman filled Charlie with a fiery rage. His lips curled at the beast.

            “She does not belong to anyone,” Charlie asserted through clenched teeth.

            The painted man looked amused. “Are you going to try to fight me for her?” he laughed. “Please, be my guest.”

Short Story: Loved, Part 13 of 15

And it continues.
(But it started here.)

            “And they all lived happily ever after,” Rebekah finished a tale for the children. “Until the next story.”

            “What do you mean, ‘until the next story?’” Lucas asked.

            “Oh,” said Rebekah softly. She hadn’t even realized she added that epilogue. “I suppose I mean that happily ever after doesn’t last very long. There’s always some other story to come along and steal away the happy ending.”

            “And some other ending to bring back the happiness!” Polly chirped.

            “Well…yes. I suppose so.” Rebekah smiled. After she and Polly had held each other and cried until their noses turned red and hurt to touch, the boys had grown impatient and demanded that they stop.

            “That’s enough feeling sorry for yourself, now,” Collin spoke importantly. “There are others of us as well.”

            “Why, Collin, you’re right!” Rebekah sat up.

            “For once,” Polly muttered.

            “No, no, he’s right! There are other people. I mean, well, obviously, but I don’t really care about them! I only care about me! I never even thought to wonder how my mom felt.”

            “Maybe you should ask her,” Lucas offered.

Short Story: Loved, Part 12 of 15

Thank you for continuing to read my story. I will not overload you with more stuff to read. Just go ahead. :) (But if you missed the beginning, click here.)

He could hear better now that the rain had stopped. Charlie breathed softly, hoping to hear something in the silent streets. Nothing.

            Trying not to give into his thoughts of failure, Charlie pressed on. He had no idea what the best way to go about this was, but he just kept trying. Perhaps his good intentions would guide him.

            Oh come off it, he thought. Good intentions mattered naught in this world. Charlie sat on a doorstep to think.

Short Story: Loved, Part 11 of 15

I am writing this WEEKS ahead of time!
Well, one week really. But by the time I get to part 15, it will be weeks!
And by the time YOU get to part 15, it will be WARM! I hope.
If you missed the beginning, click here.

Rebekah was dreaming a dream she hadn’t dreamt in a long time. She dreamt she was a flower, sitting quietly on a hillside. She opened up her bright white petals as wide as they would go, drinking in as much sunlight as she could. She was waiting for something, waiting to feel the wind brush through her petals. She could hear the soft sound of its breathing growing in the distance. Her stem stiffened; she reached up to greet its coming. The flowers below her started to frolic, then the ones right in front of her, then, oh glory, she herself was dancing. Not by her own power, but by the gentle touch of the wind kissing her petals and pulling them out to places they had never been before. She knew that every flower around her was also dancing, but she felt as if she were the brightest and the tallest of all. She felt as if the wind had picked her out personally as a dancing partner, for she was so open and willing to let his touch push her beyond her limits. The sun reached down his golden rays to look directly into her face. The spotlight pulled her up from the myriad, igniting her own flaming petals, as if each fragile piece that made up her face were more important than all the field that lay beneath her.

           Rebekah breathed softly. A peaceful smile graced her lips. Content for the first time in years, she lay quietly, until a damaging thought pierced her dreams. What if Charlie sees me like this? The joy was replaced with fear. These dreams displayed her deepest desires, and life had taught her that those must be protected from the rest of the world. Charlie was someone who did not respect boundaries. He would not believe in the mask she chose to show him; he had some ability to see past that. He could know everything about her, if he chose to. How terrifying.

Short Story: Loved, Part 10 of 15

It's almost done! I have actually been like organized and stuff and planned out the rest of the story posts. So I can promise you that if you read this one, you only have 5 more to read. Or, if you missed the beginning, well you have 15 to read. But you can start by clicking here: Loved, Part 1

She was walking blindly now. Rain had started pouring from the dark sky, pounding goblets of water into the pavement. The sun had long since gone down, and the buildings began to all look the same. All around her was dark. Where could she turn? She squatted down in the corner of a doorway, trying vainly to hide from the rain.

Short Story: Loved, Part 9

 We are now more than halfway through! Yay! Sorry it's so late, but it's still Monday for another hour. And you still have a whole week to read this until part 10 is posted. If you missed the beginning, fear not! You can find it right here.

“Where is she?” His voice thundered through the halls. Even the floors could be felt shuddering beneath his wrath. Rebekah cowered in a shadow behind the door she had just slipped in. She didn’t want to come back, but where was she to go? She had not been expecting a hunting party. The painted man had brought his posse, and they were scouring the house for her.

            “She’s a beast, I tell you! A beast!” His voice screeched with an inhuman passion. A short man behind him laid a hand on his back.

            “Calm down. We’ll find her.”

            “The world needs to know what she is!” he wasn’t listening. He was drunk with rage.

            “Why?” said a small man in the back of the crowd. The room went silent. Every head turned to stare at the questioner.

            “Because they deserve the truth!” he yelled into the man’s face. “The truth is that she is not what she seems. She is a horrid, ugly creature. And I will not let her deceive them into thinking she is worthy.”

            The painted man was not used to feeling out of control. He was not used to having his reputation in danger. But the face the girl now bore could destroy his pretense of having everything every man ever wanted, and he could not let that happen.

            “She must have run away,” the short man offered. The painted man gathered his emotions.

            “Ok,” he breathed. “Let’s go.”

Short Story: Loved, Part 8

I suppose I shall have to make these weekly readings a bit longer, so that my long short story does not take as long to get to the end of. I'd estimate that if you finish this week's reading, you will be halfway through! Congratulate yourself. :)

The darker side of the city was more expansive than Charlie had realized. It had been a week, and he wasn’t even sure if he was going about this the right way. How did he even know she was still in this city?

            He had been walking into every shop and building near the alleys where he had first spotted her.

            “Do you know a girl named Rebekah?” he asked.

            Some people stared at him oddly, some just slammed the door. Some pointed out a different Rebekah, some offered him drugs. One even thought he was an undercover cop and tried to shoot him. Charlie hadn’t shown up to work in three days. His search for Rebekah was his lone pursuit.

Short Story: Loved, Part 7

Because I am a writer, I must always write something before I post my story. You may skip it over, but I will pour out my heart for those who care enough to actually read what I write!!!

Have I made you feel guilty?

Apologies. That was a tad dramatic.

Let us continue.

Short Story: Loved, Part 6

It feels like summer! It feels so much like summer now! I could just close my eyes and stand under the warm rays of light that are pouring in the window and think that it really was summer. And then I'd get excited, run outside without a coat, and realize there's still mounds and MOUNDS of snow.

But it's melting. And it's sunny. And it's going to snow again. But let's not think about that. Let's focus on SUMMER!

Because just like Mondays, and tax season and dentist appointments (I had one of those today), SUMMER also comes with alarming regularity. And so does my story of the week. (I'm so much better at this than I was at recipes of the week! Probably because it's already written!)

Find a cozy spot in the sun (inside) and sit down for a read of part 6 of the short story Loved.

Short Story: Loved, Part 5

Things constantly change. Life never seems to go as planned. BUT...in the midst of all life's uncertainties, some things are certain. 

So here you go.

As promised, every Monday, without fail (I hope!) is a new part of my short story, Loved. At least until I run out of story. Then your Mondays will once again be filled with uncertainty.

Short Story: Loved, Part 4

As promised, because I always keep my promises. ;)

Charlie was going to stop her on her way to the cathedral. He was going to do it today. His resolve was set; there was no stopping him.

            “Tall decaf cappuccino please!” he sputtered excitedly to the clerk. This was not what Charlie normally ordered, but he was so nervous today that he forgot to order his usual.

            Charlie tapped his foot nervously while he waited for his drink. It didn’t matter what kind of drink he had, as long as he got to take that beautiful girl out to coffee after he spilled it on her. But what if she didn’t like coffee? What if she didn’t like him? Well she didn’t even know him! How unfair of her not to like him when she didn’t know him!

            “Here’s your order, sir.” The clerk put the cup on top of the counter. Charlie reached for it distractedly and knocked it all over the clerk. She jumped back and screamed.

            “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! Can I help you? I’ll buy you another one! What can I do?” Charlie’s face burned hotter than the coffee he had spilled.

            “It’s fine, it’s fine,” she waved him away, her eyes a bit watery. She ran into the back to change her apron.

            Charlie turned and ran out of the shop without his coffee. “Sorry!” he called over his shoulder as he fled.

Short Story: Loved, Part 3

I am sorry, dear readers, that you had nothing to look forward to last Monday.

Well, perhaps you had a day off for President's Day, like I did. I spent the day driving to visit my family in NJ, and thus completely forget that it is a fabulous Monday, exactly the day I promised to publish the next part of my story.

Oh well. You now have less time to wait for the next installment! See? Positive thoughts!

Short Story: Loved, Part 2

I've decided that Monday is a good day of the week.

 A good day of the week to upload the next piece of my story, that is.

So every Monday, you now have something to look forward to! Yay Mondays!

Anyways, enough chit chat. Here is part two of my short story!

Short Story: Loved, Part 1

Hello dear readers!

I recently wrote a short story for a contest, which is a pretty good motivator to actually FINISH a story! At one point, I considered posting weekly parts of a story on this blog as a motivator to actually write it, but thought better of the idea.

However, since I have this story already written, I CAN post it on here, a little bit each week, and the only ones who will be in avid anticipation of how it ends are YOU! Ha!

Ok, well, the point is, I really like this story. It was not chosen as a winner for the contest, but I was informed that it was a finalist. :) Plus, it will give me something consistent to post, now that I have like 3 freelance jobs, a part time job, and am posting all my new crazy recipes here: http://juliaeppehimer.hubpages.com/

This story is a retelling of sorts of "Beauty and the Beast."
Are you intrigued?

Here we go.

Keeping to the Call

Is anyone else like me? Does anybody else expect that if you follow God's so-called "calling" on your life, the road should get easier?

I totally understand that it won't be easy at first. Where would be the faith in that? But after a few months, don't you think it should get easier? If you are obedient to God, he should reward you, bless you, and make all your dreams come true.

But that's not true.

And that shouldn't be true.