Rainy Days and Coffee Shops

     Something about rainy days make me want to go spend the afternoon in a coffee shop. I went to a coffee shop I had never been to before today. It was the cutest thing ever. It was a little shop, with little tables and painted chairs. My best friend and I stood at the counter as we watched the sweetest older gentlemen whip up some lovely lattes for us. He even did coffee art! An art that I would most like to learn. Maybe he would teach me.....My friend and I then sat at one of the little tables and enjoyed our hot coffee that was served in big black mugs. Mmmmm, so tasty! It was nice to relax, drink coffee, and catch up. Definitely a perfect rainy day activity. 

Speaking of coffee shops....

Story Break

Do you guys want to read a story? I've been trying to write a two page art critique, but I was struggling for words so I switched over to a story. The story is 29 pages long, and it's super easy to keep on writing for it. This is a ninja story, and as I write it I'm picturing it as a manga. I feel like the more I write, the better it gets, so I almost don't want to let you read the beginning! I guess beginnings do come first, plus it would make more sense if we started from the beginning. So here goes:

  Snow fell softly from the hazy, gray sky and lay around the farm in a heavy white blanket. Thick flakes swirled through the air, but other than that all the world was still. A scream suddenly rang out. “No!” She cried in terror, but the scream was quickly silenced. A shadowy figure staggered out of the barn, and blood dripped upon the new fallen snow. He fell to his knees and coughed up blood. The pure white snow instantly became a pool of crimson all around him. “I'll never tell.” He muttered. “No one will ev--”

But his sentence instantly ended as a tall stranger knifed him in the chest. “Don't be too sure about that.” He whispered in the poor man's ear. He then pulled his knife from the body and it collapsed to the ground. The stranger then quickly disappeared into the dark menacing forest as it swallowed him up. The snow continued to fall and the world was again eerily quiet.

Crouched atop the building, Kynsai surveyed the city below her. She knew this place like the back of her hand, from its rooftops to the maze of alleys and streets, even though she had only been there a year. The city was still sleeping and all was quiet as Kynsai stood up and squinted as she tried to make out the faces of the two figures who were approaching the city gate. She leaped from roof to roof, spinning and flipping as she went, and ended up at one of the gate towers. As she gazed out over the horizon, the two cloaked figures had almost arrived at the entrance. Laying flat on the roof, Kynsai watched as the guards prepared to meet the travelers.

There seemed to be no trouble and the travelers entered the gates of the city. Kynsai turned and watched them walk away, their robes flapping in the breeze. As she watched them go, Kynsai couldn't help the suspicious feeling that rose up inside of her. Grabbing an electrical pole, Kynsai slid down to the ground. As Kynsai walked through the streets, she saw the other orphans who lived, like her, among the alleys. A few made eye contact, but then quickly looked away. Though they never said it, Kynsai knew they were afraid of her, for she was different from the rest. Her hand instinctively rose to make sure her mask covered her face. Her mask began at the middle of her nose, and hid the rest of her face from there, and it was really more of a piece of cloth than a mask.

Even though the orphans were afraid, she was always welcome among them. She was guaranteed protection, able to beat up any unwelcome visitors that came their way. No one dared mess with Kynsai, the Shadow, they called her.

Kynsai was tall and lithe with golden skin and vivid green eyes. Her hair was caramel-colored with the tips of her hair edged in black. Her hair was long and layered, so the black tips fell jaggedly all around. Her dark brows were a striking contrast to her light colored hair, and only intensified the green in her eyes. A white strip of cloth hid the bottom half of her face, and she wore a silver chain around her neck which disappeared under whatever shirt she would wear.

“Kynsai!”

Kynsai turned to see Maji running towards her, so she stopped and waited for her to catch up.

“Thanks for waiting.” Maji panted, coming up alongside her.

Kynsai nodded. “Is everything alright?” She asked.

Maji shrugged. “Oh, yeah.”

Kynsai had to smile. Maji was always like that. She always acted like she had something to tell you when it was really nothing at all.

“Two strangers came into the city today.” Kynsai remarked.

Maji arched an eyebrow. “Did you see them?”

“Mhmm.” Kynsai said with a nod. “I couldn't see their faces well because they were robed in black.

“And you don't think they're just ordinary travelers, am I right?” Maji asked, knowing that Kynsai always seemed to know when something was off.

“I didn't think so.” Kynsai replied, brushing her caramel-colored hair from her face.

Maji tossed her dark ponytail and studied Kynsai with intelligent gray eyes. “Then who were they?”

Kynsai shrugged her slim shoulders. “I'll find out eventually.”

“Maybe they're Saosin.” Maji suggested, referring the the first class ninjas.

“I don't know,” Kynsai said, “could be.”

Maji could tell by the tone of voice that Kynsai wasn't buying it. Maji merely shrugged. “Hmm. Well, I have to go. I'll see you around.” She called over her shoulder as she bounded off.

Kynsai watched her go. Maji was one of the few orphans who tried to talk to her, and even though Kynsai never mentioned it, she was grateful for that.

A sudden shadow passed over Kynsai's face and she instantly looked up, but she saw nothing except for the clear blue sky above. The streets had begun filling up with people as the sun rose higher. Not being much of a crowd person, Kynsai darted into an alley nearby, escaping into the city's maze.

Ideal

Today, one of the guys I work with wanted to know what I considered my "ideal guy." Totally threw me for a loop, and at first I wasn't even sure what to say. I know some girls make lists of what they want in a guy, but for me it was always just something that was vaguely in the back of my mind. Every now and then I'd be like, "Oh yeah, I like a guy that's like that." Anyways, this is all kind of round about, but, I was going somewhere with this. I thought about it some more before I answered him, and I actually came up with a couple things. The more I think about it though, the more thoughts I have on the matter. I don't want someone whose perfect. I'm not perfect, and I know that nobody is really perfect. I want a guy whose real, not someone who has to fake being someone else. A guy who likes me for me, in spite of all my flaws and weaknesses, and in turn I hope that I can like a guy like that. There's a quote that kind of sums my tangled thoughts up.

The most important thing for me though, in a guy, is not just that he's a Christian, but that he is passionate about the things of God. I don't want a guy whose satisfied with just being a Christian. I want a guy who continually seeks to grow in the Lord, as well as challenges me in my own walk with the Lord. I realize that not too many girls think like that. Call me old-fashioned, but that's okay with me. It's not a bad thing to be a little old-fashioned. So those are my thoughts on the "ideal guy." But really, I know God will bring along the guy whose just right for me, and God's timing is perfect. 

Shadows and Light

Rainy days were meant for naps, watching old movies, sipping on coffee, or curling up with a good book. Or they can be spent playing piano, writing, sketching, or playing video games all afternoon. Kingdom Hearts and Legend of Zelda are two of my favorites that I still play today. Is that weird? I just love the music, and the plots so much. Especially the music! Not gonna lie, even some of the quotes give me chills. The intro for Kingdom Hearts? Powerful thoughts. One of my favorite quotes though would be, "The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes." Yup, I just got chills. The words are just so powerful, and I've been thinking about what it means. It says in the Bible that men love darkness rather than light, because the light reveals what they are really like. You can't hide in the light. The closer you get to the light, the more of the shadows you see, but also, the more shadow you leave behind. The shadow could be the past you're leaving behind, or maybe it's the legacy you're leaving behind. In the light, that shadow is behind you, regardless of how big it is. In the light, my true nature is revealed, and my soul is laid bare before the Maker of Heaven and Earth. I myself can see the ugliness, the selfishness, and the secrets I've hidden inside. I'm so ashamed I want to cry. Again I wonder, how could God love someone like me? Jesus is the light of the world, the light that shines in the darkness, I cannot hide anything from Him.

It's scary, but at the same time it's so refreshing. To know I don't have to hide, to know I don't have to pretend. I'm without excuse when I stand before Him. Yet He LOVES me. Because I have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, God sees me differently. When He looks at me, He sees someone who has been cleansed and made new. Because of the work of the cross, God no longer sees my sin-stained heart, but He sees what His Son has done. Even if you were the only person on this earth, God still would have sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for YOU. You are precious in His sight. He loved me even when I was still a sinner. He loved me when I was His enemy. He loves me when I fall, when I fail, when I run, when I hide. What I do could never make Him love me less. Because of His love, I long to serve Him, and to let others know about the love that changed my life. He is the one who compels me to live. He is my strength when I am weak. His love is like no other! I can honestly say the best decision of my life was believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him I would have no hope. Without Him I would be nothing.

P.S.

Made

Guys, I love this song. Exactly what I needed to hear!



After hearing this song, I immediately purchased the entire album.