Is Serving Your Country Worth Actually Serving?

For years our friends and family go into the service. Whether it’s the Marines, the Army, National Guard, or the Navy. There are always service members who have their opinions.
“It’s a crap job but I wouldn’t want anything else.” This is just one comment I received from a service member.
Is it really all that bad? Getting up early in the morning, doing drills, being yelled at for what? A uniform, a couple of ribbons pinned across your chest and going over seas where the conditions are everything but normal. Even coming home, some men and woman are traumatized, having to go to counceling for years afterward.
“Being a Marine is great, but being in the Marine Corps is horrible.” Okay, so the title is great, but what else does it get you? “A lot of crap.” Says a Marine.
“Can’t help but feel like you’re being ignored.” Says a soldier serving in the United States Army. “Even if you don’t like what’s going on, an order is an order. There is nothing you can do about it. Grit your teeth and get the job done, hope that you won't get shot and killed. Hoping you get to go home and see your family again.”
An order is an order? Well, I understand that. You sign your life away for four to six years and are told what to do and when to do it. Is that what you really want in life?

“It gives me the pride I never thought I’d have.” Says another soldier.
Well, that’s a different outlook. Pride… I can say through high school I was a little shy when it came to other students. I remember when I tried out for the school play. I was dared to do it by one of my friends. I told her I would do it if she wouldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t make the cut. Of course, my self esteem dropped below hell.
But I found other ways to boost my pride. Music for one thing, writing would be another. There are always way of boosting your pride.
Serving your country is an honor. Not everyone makes the cut. It takes courage to crawl your way on a rope hung over a swamp, it takes loyalty to follow what the drill instructors tell you to do and it takes heart to yell your guts out when running to a cadence.
All those things are worth it in the end. Being able to go home to your family and see their faces light up with joy that their children made something of themselves. And most of your country that have United States flags fly in their yards.
So is the blood, sweat and tears worth the fight for your country?

You decide.

Twilight? Sexual Content? What?

All anyone has to say is “Stephanie Meyer.” Her name makes the buzz in young adult’s conversations everywhere and… surprise, now in our parents and teachers conversations.

Just about the First Twilight Movie:
83% of people saw it more than once, 42% of people were over 25 years old, 67% say they are attracted to the movie because of the love story and 87% of people saw the trailers and clips online. I could list these kinds of statistics all day but I won’t. You get my point.

I read this morning on Yahoo News that was written by Hillel Italie about the criticisms of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga books. On and on I hear about this sexual content. I would like to know where this is.

Neither in the books or the movies are there sexual content. Bella and Edward don’t even kiss until half way into the movie, if not farther. The main characters don’t have sex until after getting married (in the fourth book) and Edward says he doesn’t want to in case of hurting Bella because he was so much stronger than she was. He didn’t want to lose control with her.

The American Library Association placed the Twilight Series as #5 for the annual report of challenged books. This is ridiculous, to be honest. I can list books that sit on library shelves, all over the United States, that have far more sexually explicit scenes.

What I have noticed, and I have asked around, are that the ones who have the most problems with these books are the people who haven’t even read them. READ THE BOOKS! Don’t judge them until you’ve read them.

Yes, you can feel the sexual tension between Bella and Edward or even Bella and Jacob. Here’s a news flash! Those tensions are what your children feel with others of the opposite sex. But, there is no sexual content written in these books.

I am a Christian who goes to church regularly and even helps with the youth every Sunday. I don’t believe that vampires or werewolves are real, who does? But they create a fantasy story that, believe it or not, makes for a great book. I am working on two of my own books about werewolves that I believe are really good stories. I’m not one who thinks writing about something that will cause others to stumble is a good thing. That isn’t what books should do. But nowhere in Stephanie Meyer’s books do I see places that will cause our children to stumble.

Here’s the moral of my thoughts. People have nothing else to complain about and therefore are hindering their children and students from reading. Theses adults don’t see how wonderful it is that children are reading these days.

Taming Elaina

Elaina Johansson is one of the richest girls in California until her parents die in a car accident and she is forced to live with the only relatives that are willing to take her in. She moves to Indiana, her last two months of high school are all but exciting. Handling her parent’s death, new friends, new family and a new life, Elaina wants nothing but California. After she falls off a horse, she thought was broken to ride, Tucker, a small town country boy, runs to her rescue. He isn’t one to be shy of a little hard work and that’s exactly what he sees in Elaina. Tucker sets out to taming the one and only Elaina Johansson. Will Tucker find victory in taming the love of his life or will Elaina toss him to the pile of manure and go back to California?

About Me

Since I've made the decision to live in Indiana I have been blessed in so many ways. For one, I have been able to explore the wonders of writing novels. It has broadened my horizon in vocabulary along with a way to express my vivid imagination.

Throughout all the places I have moved (Texas, California and Indiana) I have learned so much about myself. From love and relationships to God and worship. I recognize the mistakes I've made but I do not regret them. They have formed who I am and without them I would not be as strong.

Now who I am is a horse owner, a soon to be soldier in the National Guard, an aunt to four amazing little boys, a woman who seeks God's will in her life, someone who loves poetry and reads it often, a quote connoisseur and a writer for novels and short stories.

The best part of my life, though, is knowing I can be my own person. I don't need friends or a boyfriend to be happy. It's peaceful that way but don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the company. The one thing I don't enjoy is hovering and obsessiveness.

I hope you will enjoy the parts of my life that will follow today and also enjoy the parts of my life that have past.

Thank you for reading my blog!
04-10-2010