August Highlights

So, August is over and summer is ending, and we have another monthly highlights post!  I apologize for this being posted so late- I was teetering between posting it today or on Friday, but decided to do it today since I have something already planned for Friday. ;)   So let's dive in!

~ADVENTURES AND HIGHLIGHTS~

//Enjoying the last days of summer! Even though I haven't done a whole lot this summer, I have gotten some chances to relax and just slow down, and that's been nice.

//Starting school and other activities again. Lots of busyness and fun!

//Beta-reading for some lovely people. Hopefully I'm getting better at it!

//Writing poetry. I've been writing a lot of poems lately, and am excited to share some with you through some more Tuesday Thoughts posts soon!

~BOOKISH THINGS~

I read 6 books this month, which for me is a rather low count. Anyway, I enjoyed the ones I did read and have some new books I'm looking forward to reading this month.

Books read in August: 6

Please excuse the weird format of these pictures! Hopefully you can tell which ones they are. :)

I liked all of these books pretty well. My favorite was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, though. Narnia is pretty awesome. ♥  I didn't really have a least favorite, although Women in Science wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was still a nice read, however, and you can read my review of it here. I also will have a review of Where Hope Prevails coming soon.

I'm currently reading The Horse and His Boy and Jesus Freaks  

~BLOGGING~

Ahhh... I read so many good posts this month! Here's a few that I especially enjoyed-

// Extending Grace- Especially in Our Conversations by Bonnie 

// Vanquishing Fears by Hannah P. 

// freedom by Julia Ryan 

// Monday Musings- Your Truth by Tane Hannah

// Stress, School, Schedules by Hosanna Emily

And in case you missed any, here are my blog posts from August:

//The Wisteria Writer Tag + the By the Book Tag

// Presenting Poetry, August Edition

// "Women in Science" Book Review

// Summer Photography 

// Tuesday Thoughts [1]- Free

// 7 Words That Aren't Real Words

~THINGS COMING UP~

//Fall! Fall is my favorite time of year- I can't wait for the pumpkins, the candles, the beautiful leaves on the ground, the spices.....

//Diving headfirst into school and activities again

//Seeing what adventures God has planned for us in September!

How has your August gone? What are you looking forward to in September? Comment below!

Thanks for reading!

//Emily 

7 Words That Aren't Real Words

Hello, readers!
I've mentioned before that I'm pretty random, right? And I also like posting an occasional fun post on my blog. So, this Friday's post is basically  a combination of my randomness, my inward writer, and want for a fun post.

Irregardless

So yes, irregardless is technically a "word", as in  it doesn't have a red line under it in the Blogger post. But really, what on earth does it mean? The opposite of regardless? With regards? Why not just say with regards.....?

Supposably

Oh, were you thinking of the word supposedly? I bet you were! 

Undoubtably

Another commonly miss-spelled yet accepted word, just like supposably. In this case, the word should be undoubtedly.  

Conversate 

This is definitely not a word- even Google says so! Converse works and sounds a lot better. 

Unthaw

This one makes me laugh. If you're unthawing something, you're freezing it. So why not just say freeze and save yourself a syllable?

Flustrated 

You can be frustrated or flustered, but not flustrated! Please pick one or the other.

Heighth  

Yes, this is a Bible word, and it was used in ancient times. But now, it's considered an out-of-date word, so just use height, okay?

I hope you enjoyed this rather unusual post! I had fun writing it. :D  What was your favorite "un-word"? Do you use any words like these?

//Emily 

Tuesday Thoughts [1] - Free

{via}

They may have seen the answer

But they are still so blind

Refuse to believe

The truth in front of them

That they can really be free

They struggle and suffer

Hiding their unbelief

They're chained by doubt

Burdened by fear

When trials come

Where do they turn?

There's no peace inside

No hope outside

We were once in their place

Chained and imprisoned

Burdened and afraid

Until we were made to understand

And believe the truth

That we can be free

Remember the captives

The burdened and afraid

Go tell them the truth

That will set them free

>>>>

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free..// John 8:32

 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation...//Psalm 25:5

Summer Photography

Hello, readers!

Today, I'm sharing some of my photography from this summer so far. It's hard to believe that summer is almost over!

I don't have a super-duper fancy camera (yet), but I still like how a lot of these turned out, especially the raindrop ones. =)

And that's it! I know this post is rather short, but with school starting back and all, I haven't had as much time to plan out posts. I'll have some better ones coming up soon!
Have a great weekend! What was your favorite photo?
//Emily

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,  for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 106:1

Book Review | Women in Science

Author: Rachel Ignotofsky

Series: None

Genre: None fiction, biography 

Published: 2016

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Pages: 128

Age Group: 9 +

A charmingly illustrated and educational book, Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. Full of striking, singular art, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.  

Women in Science celebrates the achievements of the intrepid women who have paved the way for the next generation of female engineers, biologists, mathematicians, doctors, astronauts, physicists, and more!

The main thing that captured my attention about this book at first sight was the illustrations. And that's still probably my favorite part about this book! ;) Women in Science is a collection of short profile biographies about 50 various women who contributed to the fields of science. I love the book's layout, with the beautiful illustrations and the short but engaging biographies. I learned about several women scientists that I had never heard of, and new facts about ones I did know of! My main reason for rating it four stars is that I didn't appreciate the feminist undertone of the book. It certainly wasn't as feminist as it could have been, but it wasn't really necessary to keep saying over and over again how men had hindered women from learning about science and how women finally were able to "break the rules".  But there wasn't as much of it as I would have expected, and overall, I just overlooked those parts and enjoyed learning new facts about women scientists in history! 7 out of 10 hearts-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

**I received this book from Blogging from Books in exchange for an honest review**

Oh, and I wanted to let you know that I updated my "Writing" page, and added some new poems. I'm going to try to keep that page updated with new things, so keep checking back! Also, all of my book reviews are at the top of the "My Bookshelf" page, if you want to see them all in one spot. :)

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

//Emily

Have you ever read this book? If so, how did you like it? Does it sounds like one you would want to read?

Presenting Poetry, August Edition

Hello, readers!
After an (unintentional) break from Presenting Poetry in July, it's back again for August. This month's poem is called "The Tongue".

The Tongue  by Philip B. Strong 
"The boneless tongue, so small and weak,
Can crush and kill", declared the Greek

"The tongue destroys a greater horde,"
The Turks asserts, "Than does the sword."

A Persian proverb wisely saith,
"A lengthy tongue - an early death";

Or sometimes takes this form instead,
"Don't let your tongue cut off your head."

"The tongue can speak a word whose speed,"
Says the Chinese, "Outstrips the street";

While the Arabs sages this impart,
"The tongue's great storehouse is the heart."

From Hebrew with the maxim sprung,
"Though feet should slip, ne'er let the tongue."

The sacred writer crowns the hole;
"Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul." 

This poem ties in perfectly with James 3:3-8, ESV, which says

"If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.  Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,but no human being can tame the tongue". 

Yikes! I'm sure you've read that passage or heard it referenced before, and there's a pretty good reason for it- our words have power!  Our tongue is one of the smaller parts of our body, and yet is has enormous power to build up or destroy, to encourage or discourage, like this song says. 
I think this poem is a really good reminder to think first about what we say, and try to use our words to lift up and encourage others. It's so important! 

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on Tuesday with another book review! =)

//Emily 

The Wisteria Writer Tag + the By the Book Tag

Hello! I hope you've had a great week getting used to August! :)

 In the last month or so, I've been nominated for a couple of tags that I'm doing today. I have decided that I will be limiting the number of tags that I do from now on (unless they're related to what I normally blog about, such as books, writing or photography). So please don't be offended if you happen to tag me for something, and I don't do it for some reason! But I do have a couple here that I really enjoyed doing.

Both Anika from Anika's Avenue and Allie from Sincerely Allie  nominated me for the Wisteria Writer Tag. Thank you, Anika and Allie! ( Who else loves that picture? <3)

Rules

1. thank the blogger who nominated you

2. answer the ten questions

3. add ten (writing or book) questions of your own

4. nominate ten people

~Allie's Questions~

are you writing anything at the moment? if so, what?

Yes! I'm currently working on a story/novella that I finally thought had a good enough storyline. It's a historical/allegorical type story. (If you've read the Terrestria Chronicles series, you know what I mean. ;)

who inspires you to write?

I'm not trying to cheat, or anything, but honestly, Jesus is the one who inspires me the most in my writing! One of my main goals in writing is to point readers to Him. I also get  inspiration from my family and friends in real life, and my lovely blogger friends. :)

what is your favorite book?

NO!! NOT THIS QUESTION AGAIN!! xD

what resources do you typically use when writing?

It depends. I use a lot of different things, from Wikipedia to random other things, such as browsing Unsplash photos of certain subjects. ;)

what is your favorite genre of writing?

Probably historical fiction, but I do like to try other genres sometimes.

what are your favorite characters to write about?

Um, ones that cooperate? :P I like to write stories with characters that seem real and relatable to those who I'm aiming the story at.

when did you start writing?

I've always liked writing and reading, but I do remember the first story that I wrote, when I was about 7. I was quite proud of it  because it had chapters and illustrations! :D  

what is a writing pet peeve that you have?

It's rare when I have bursts of inspiration when writing anything (contrary to how I read, I'm not a speed-writer), so I really hate to be interrupted during those times! 

what is your favorite thing to write? (stories, books, poems, skits, etc.)

Probably my favorites are short stories and poems.

have you ever designed a book cover? if so, can we see a picture?

Yes and no. I haven't done a cover for a book that's actually been written, but I have played around with making some before. 

~Anika's Questions~

When did you start taking writing seriously?

Probably in the last year or so.

 Have you ever taken writing classes?

No, not officially, but I am doing a writing course this year.

Have you ever gotten published?

Not yet, although I'd love to some day! =)

Favorite book(s)?

AHH! See my answer to #3 above!

Favorite book(s) you've written?

Not books......I do have a few favorite short stories I've written, but I haven't shared them anywhere yet.

How's your grammar?

Umm, what am I supposed to say to that? Hopefully my grammar isn't too bad...I have more issues with proofreading before I publish a post. (What do you  think? How is my grammar? Please enlighten me in the comments! :D)

Who inspired you to start writing?

I've always liked writing... see my answer to #2 above.

What is your worst writing pet peeve?

Again, see the answer to the 8th question above!

Reading pet peeve?

I hate to be interrupted while reading, so I suppose that's one!

Favorite place to write?   

My room, usually on my bed or at my desk.

My Questions

Are you writing anything at the moment? If so, what?

Who inspires you to write?

What resources do you typically use when writing?

Writing pet peeve?

Reading pet peeve?

Have you ever designed a book cover? If so, can we see a picture?

What's your favorite thing about writing? 

Have you ever taken writing classes?

 Favorite place to write?

Are you a planner or a pantser, when it comes to writing?

I Tag...

Sarah|Emma|Kara Lynn|Anna|Tane Hannah|Katie|Hosanna Emily|Blessing Counter|Megan| Ivy Rose

I was also nominated by Faith for the By the Book Tag. Thanks, Faith!

Rules

1. Answer the questions

2. Tag 3 others 

What book(s) are on your nightstand now? 

Right now, I'm reading Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

What was the last truly great book you read? 
Oh goodness, I've read so many good ones recently! But I'd have to say that Do Hard Things still ranks pretty high on that list, along with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 

If you could meet any writer - dead or alive - who would it be? And what would you want to know?
Another hard question! I think it would be interesting to meet L.M.Montgomery, and see what kind of personality she had. There's so many others though! C.S.Lewis and Amy Carmichael are probably my next picks.

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? 
Maybe the Boxcar Children books? I've read almost all of the ones published, old and new (there's over 100!), and I own at least 30 of them. I loved those when I was younger, and by now I have quite the collection saved for my younger siblings. The original ones were my favorites, though!

How do you organize your personal library? 
I have a small bookcase plus another long shelf. All of my Life of Faith books are on the long shelf, and then the others are arranged by topic and size on my bookshelf. (Sorry, no picture!)

What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around yet? 

Emily of the New Moon by L. M. Montgomery. I've been wanting to read this one forever (and not just because it has my name in it,lol!)

Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? 
I just have started on The Chronicles of Narnia (See #1 above ^--^) So I guess that's one classic that I felt I should have read before now.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but

didn’t? 
I'm going to say The Princess Bride, even though I actually haven't read the book.The movie wasn't quite what I was expecting, although I did like it, so we'll see about the book!

Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? 

I stopped and put down Stepping Heavenward several times before I actually finished it.

What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? 
I love historical fiction, as well as the older classics and good mysteries. I typically try to avoid  romance books, and I usually don't read much of the YA stuff that's out there now...

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? 
The Bible!

What do you plan to read next?
The rest of the Chronicles of Narnia series, and The Birthright by Janette Oke.

And I tag... 

Mic|Bonnie|Abigail

I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I did answering them! =) 

//Emily