My Adventures up the Beanstalk

Today was a typical summer day. The weather outside was scorching; the sounds of lawnmowers filled my ears; the streets were empty, because no one wanted to be burned by the extreme summer heat. I was bored. Completely bored. There wasn’t much that I could do in my house. I wanted to have an adventure, which was slightly out of the question. I moped around for a few hours; sat and stared at the computer screen wondering if any of my friends would get on chat; I read a book until I realized I didn’t want to read. It came to twelve o’clock and as I was debating what I would do for the rest of the day, a sound that I had never heard with my own ears before rang from outside. It sounded as if a missile was being shot out of my backyard.

First, you heard the crumbling of the ground breaking, or being blasted away. Then came a sound like an ear piercing whistle of something rocketing into the sky. I wondered, “What’s happening? Is someone bombing us?”

I ran to the kitchen window and peered past the smudges. My jaw dropped. “No! It couldn’t be!” I cried out.

In my backyard, in the very center, stood a giant beanstalk. Squealing with delight, I threw the sliding doors open and dashed across the deck, down the steps and into the yard, which cracked beneath my feet, because of the dead grass covering the area. When I finally stopped running, I was at the base of the beanstalk. It was green and ripe. The smell emanating from it smelled like fresh green beans. My mouth watered. Leaves protruded from the stalk. I looked up, my eyes following the stalk every bit of the way. I couldn’t see it anymore as it reached into a cloud high above me. I lowered my head and investigated the roots. I ran my hand along the base and I pushed all my weight onto one of the leaves to see if it would hold me, when I realized the leaves had created a structure which seemed somewhat like a set of stairs.

My heart leapt with joy and I eagerly pounced upon the lowest leaf. Reaching for the next leaf, I used my upper body strength, which wasn’t a lot, to heave myself onto the next leaf. After about ten minutes of this tedious work, I had finally reached halfway. Glancing down towards the ground, I groaned. It seemed like the whole world was spinning beneath me. I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. Jerking my head back up and fixing my eyes on the clouds above me, I decided to continue my journey. I kept climbing and climbing until finally I reached the cool fogginess of the clouds surrounding my head and body. I was engulfed in moisture droplets and my clothes were instantly drenched. I pulled myself up the last bit and dropped onto the surprisingly hard surface of the cloud. I let out a deep breath and breathed in the sweet, sky air. After a few minutes of recuperation, I rose to my knees and crawled away from the large hole in the cloud, where the beanstalk entered.

The surface of the cloud was beautiful, but strange in many ways. A gorgeous courtyard, full of trees, flowers, hedges and elegant fountains, covered most of the cloud. As I searched more I realized that an enormous castle filled the rest of the white mass. The castle was made of white marble and rose far above my head. I leaned back and examined the rooftop. Towers coated the top of the castle, points sticking out of the tops of each tower. I gasped as I glanced at the door, which was black, trimmed with rustic gold. Slowly, I edged my way closer towards the courtyard. As I moved closer the aroma of elegance filled my nostrils. I sighed and closed my eyes, pausing in my tracks. After a few long, enjoyable seconds, I opened my eyes and remembered that I wanted to explore the great castle.

As I entered the courtyard, I was surprised to see that everything was quite large. The trees were much higher than me, in fact so were the roots. I blinked a few times, wondering what was going on here. As I swiveled and turned every which way, I came to the fact that everything in the courtyard was magnificently monstrous. Some of the flowers were nearly as big as me!

I wondered aloud, “Is this seriously like ‘Jack and the Beanstalk?’ Do giants really live here?”

Frightened, I took small steps backwards. All I wanted to do was get out of this place. Before I could reach the beanstalk ladder, my curiosity took over me and I sprinted forward, weaving my way through the courtyard. I dove through hedges and swam across fountains until finally I reached the castle door. Sighing, I gazed up at the magnificent structure. The handles were far too high for me to reach, so I used my smarts to get myself into the castle. I got on my hands and knees, searching for a small hole under the door for me to slide through. As I scanned the left side and found no opening, I started thinking, “This is stupid! I’m not going to get into this castle!”

As I finished this statement, my eyes locked on a small door, my size! I made a beeline for it and threw myself at it. It was like an ordinary door, hinge and all! Examining, the door, I located a small brass knob lower to the ground. Crouching down, I grasped the knob and slowly turned it, anticipating every move. The knob stopped as I reached how far it would turn. Sweat was trickling down my face as I pulled, holding my breath. The door creaked open. As I exhaled, I stepped through, leaving the door wide open behind me. The hall was gorgeous! Massive floorboards, slick and shiny, coated the floor. The walls were an great shade of mahogany, bringing the foyer together. Slowly, I moved forward, drinking in as much of the beauty as I could. After I took a few steps, everything started to shake. A scream pierced the air and I shielded my ears, attempting but failing to block out the sound. “SPIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Spider?!” I shouted back, forgetting the fact that no one could hear me.

The tremors were getting louder and louder, shaking everything. It felt as if I was bouncing in a moon bounce, but I wasn’t using any muscles and instead of landing on the squishy padding, I slammed into the hard, wood floor every time I came down. I muttered a sarcastic thanks to gravity as I got the wind knocked out of me every few seconds. The screaming finally stopped, but the pounding, which I realized later were footsteps, came closer and closer. I was soon flying four feet into the air with each pound. As I moaned and groaned from pain and agony, a spider larger than me dashed across the wood floor and out the door, which I had mistakenly left open. The pounding stopped. It was over and I ached in every square inch of my body. My body stopped shaking and I finally controlled myself.

I stood in one place, just staring down the foyer. Then the screaming started again; and the pounding. I grumbled and tried to make it to the door before I started flying again. I had always dreamed of it, but now was not the time I wanted that dream to come true. Before I could do anything a small, young boy, my age dashed across the foyer, a giant tailing him. As the boy ran, he called out to me, “Get out of here!”

I was trying to follow his commands, but I couldn’t stop flailing and screaming. I watched how he was withstanding the bouncing, and I started to do the same; move my lags rapidly each time I touched the ground to gain speed and momentum to push me towards the door. I soon took control and was having the time of my lifetime! I flew through the door, quickly being followed by the boy. I landed in a heap in the entrance to the courtyard, getting the wind knocked out of me (for about the seventy-fifth time in one day) by the boy landing directly on my stomach. I cried out in pain and shoved him off of me.

“Well, that was fun!” He laughed and grinned gleefully.

“Fun?!” I cried, “That’s you’re idea of fun! I could’ve died in there!”

“But you wouldn’t of,” he responded, sure of himself.

“How do you know, smarty pants?” I questioned angrily.

“Well, because, I visit this place all the time!” He stated proudly.

“How should I believe you?” I asked, suspicious.

“You mean….you’ve never heard of me? You’ve never heard my story? About me and the beanstalk?” He asked slyly.

“You don’t mean….you’re…?” I said, shocked and utterly surprised.

“Jack? Of course I am! Nice to meet you by the way.”

“I can’t believe it! I’m standing in the presence of a true hero!” I muttered to myself.

“A hero? Well….maybe, but I can also be counted as a friend.”

“Oh yeah! Sure! A best friend! I’m sorry I ever doubted you.” I tried to make up my insults.

“I’m also known as an advisor and I advise….YOU GET OUT OF HERE AND DOWN THAT BEANSTALK!”

“What? But this stuff is awesome! I wouldn’t want to leave you to all the fun.” I complained.

“I’m stuck up here. I don’t have a lot of fun. This is the most fun I’ve had in months! I mean, another kid, my age, here….it’s a lot.”

“But…couldn’t you just go home?”

“No…it’s not possible.” Jack sighed, on the verge of tears.

“But….how?”

“Every beanstalk dies.”

Realization dawned on me. I smiled and said, “Thanks for helping me. I wish I could help you….but there’s not much I can do.”

“Thank you, for letting me have some fun. Now, you better hurry and get back home!”

“Right.”

I dashed back through the courtyard and to my beanstalk, not looking back once. I leapt down onto the closest leave and hurried my way onto safe, solid earth. Although no one else believes me, I’ll never forget Jack and my adventures on the cloud.

I wasn't sure if I had posted this before or not, but I figured I'd just throw it up here anyway. This is another assignment from a writing class this last fall. This was one of my favorite papers that year. I could've gone on much longer, but we had a seven page limit, so I had to cut it short...:p

God Bless.

Kayla

Guilt

I make no sound as I pace behind my door, wringing my hands. I prefer not to go into public, but I can’t miss the most important day of my life. Slowly, I turn the cold, brass knob and stick my head out of the door. I glance around confirming that no one is watching. I lift my hands to my face and inhale deeply. The stench of death still lingers on my hands and arms. I sigh and walk to my car, naturally tip-toeing. I drive to the ceremony, only to see people crying and hugging. As I pull in, people stop to look at my car. My heart stops beating, “They know it was me.”

I open the door and climb out. Lily, my loving girlfriend, rushes to embrace me.

“Did you get a new car?” she asks.

I turn towards my car and realize why people were staring; a cherry red mustang was sitting behind me; a graduation present from my grandparents. Lily looks into my eyes and wonders, “Did you hear what happened last night? Billy was murdered.”

A pang of guilt shoots through my heart. I push Lily from me and run towards the school. Lily follows. I can’t get away from it; people crying, people staring, my heart pounding. Why did I do it? What have I done?

That was a writing challenge from a friend of mine. She actually gave me the challenge last...December and I sadly just completed it. It was a decent challenge though, even if it was a little bit short.

God Bless.

Angela

One Week

For those of you who were wondering, I didn't fall off of the face of the earth or like die or anything. I'm still here, I just have a severe case of writer's block. I wasn't planning on ever posting this thing that I wrote, but I decided I might as well....and I didn't have anything else to post, so...haha.

One week and it will have reached two months. One week and I’ll have come closer to seeing her again. One week could have made a difference. One week without her adds more pain, tears and hurt. One week; seven letters, seven days. One week could’ve let me see her smile one more time. One week could’ve allowed me to apologize. One week destroyed lives. One week sprung tears. One week is too short. One week causes me to yearn for her more and more. One week broke my heart. One week brought surprising news. One week people gathered together. One week I used a friend’s shoulder to cry on. One week I lost a friend. One week I died with her. One week she left. One week I cried out to God. One week I’ll see Abby again.

He is risen. He is risen indeed!

The Sabbath had come. Jesus' body laid in the tomb, wrapped in linens. Women had prepared spices and perfumes, but had not yet re-entered the tomb since it was closed. The Sabbath had come and they couldn't work. They rested. They mourned.

The next day, the sun shone brightly, the sky was blue and cloudless, reflecting God's glory. As the women neared the tomb, they saw that the stone, which had been used as a door had been rolled away. Scared, the women made a beeline for the tomb, dropping their spices and perfumes along the way. When they reached the tomb, they slowed, for fear of not seeing Jesus inside. Mary Magdalene stuck her head in first and screamed. The body was gone! Jesus was gone! Someone had taken him!

The women cried. A blinding light flashed and two men approached. The women cried out in fear, then bowed their heads. The men shouted, "Why are you searching for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"

Delighted, the women rushed from the tomb to relay the good news to the apostles. Sadly, the men believed the words were just a bunch of codswallop and didn't believe them. Peter was different. Peter ran to the tomb and found the linens, wondering what had happened to the body.

-----

Meanwhile, two men were on a path, traveling to Emmaus, a nearby village. They were chatting about the recent events, when a man came behind them and kindly asked, "What are you two discussing?"

One man, by the name of Cleopas, asked him, "Man, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem, who has not heard of the recent events these days?"

"What things?" the man asked, acting confused, but knowing.

"Why, about Jesus of Nazareth," the other stated, "He was a prophet. A powerful speaker. A doer of miracles. The chief priests and our rulers handed the man over to be sentenced to death. He was crucified. We had surely hoped and believe that he would be the one to redeem Israel. It is the third day since all has taken place. On this day, women went to the tomb where Jesus rested, but his body wasn't there! They claim to have seen angels in the tomb, who told them that Jesus was supposedly alive. Well, some of our companions went to the tomb also and it was as the women said, his body was gone!"

The man smiled and said, "How foolish you are! You are slow to believe all the prophets have spoken! Didn't the Messiah suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

The man then told them all he knew of Jesus, from the words of Moses and all of the prophets. He explained all that was in the scriptures about the Messiah.

When they had reached the spot the two men were staying at, the stranger bid them farewell and started moving along his way. The men called out to him, "Won't you stay with us? It is nearly evening, the day is almost over."

The man grinned broadly and entered the house with the two men.

The three sat around a solid wooden table with a plate of bread in front of the stranger. The man took a loaf of bread, gave thanks and broke it. He began to give it to the man and their eyes were opened. The man had disappeared.

The two men looked at the empty chair in awe. Their jaws had dropped. Their eyes had widened. They looked at each other simultaneously, then back to the chair. One asked incredulously, "Weren't our hearts burning within us while He chatted with us along the road and told us of the Scriptures?"

In an instant, the men had vacated their chairs. They sprinted all the way to Jerusalem, to search for the Eleven. When they had finally found the Eleven and those with them, they assembled together. The men cried out, "It is true! The Lord has risen!"

The Eleven were confused. The men explained how Jesus had walked with them and told them of the Scriptures. They told of Jesus sitting with them at the table. They told of Jesus breaking the bread and their eyes being opened to discover who the man really was.

As the men talked of the events, Jesus himself stood among them. He stated, "Peace be with you."

Those assembled were frightened. Believing that they had seen a ghost, they cowered. Jesus calmly said to them, "Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your mind? Look at my hand and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh. A ghost does not have bones. I have flesh and bones; I am no ghost!"

The men saw his hand and feet. They still did not believe. Jesus asked, "Do you have anything to eat?"

They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

After he had finished eating, he said, "This is what I had told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

Then he opened their minds, so that they might understand the Scriptures.

"This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations; beginning at Jerusalem. You are witness of these things. I am going to send you what my father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Jesus led them out to the vicinity of Bethany and raised his hands, blessing them. In the process of blessing them, he left and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy in their hearts. They continually stayed at the temple and praised God.

Finish.

That turned out quite well. I am definitely happy with it.
Stupid italics won't shut off.....whatever.
I know it really wasn't my best writing ever, but being the procrastinator that I am, I had put it off too long. I was bored tonight and decided I would finish this up. I have plenty more writings I have done in the recent weeks to post also. I keep a notebook with me at all times. It's falling apart, literally, but I never part with it. I don't know what I'd do without it! Wow....totally ran into a long dialogue there. My bad.

Anyway, I have relatives over, so Zechariah is sleeping on the couch and decided that he wants to go to bed, so I'm being forced off of the couch, off of my computer and upstairs. Whatever, I should be in bed anyways.

God Bless,
Angela

A love so deep. A sacrifice so great. A man who came willing.

Pink and purple streaked across the sky, trying to prove that the day was supposed to turn out well, but the voices, the events made it seem otherwise. A large balcony, high above the ground, was the center of attention. An immense crowd of people stood below and around it, waiting silently for the main event to reveal itself. Quiet murmurs could be heard as a man, wearing white, stepped out for all to see him. Another man, his hands bound behind him, was shoved onto the balcony. A hush came upon the crowd. The man in white, known as Pilate, pulled the other man towards the banister rimming the edge of the parapet. Pilate looked out upon his people and cried, "I have found no charges against this man! I will punish him, then release him to you!" Pilate was sure the people would cheer or at least be silent. The reaction was opposite and defining. "Barrabas! Release Barrabas to us! Away with this man! We want Barrabas!"

Pilate's face proved the shock he felt. His heart sunk. "Barrabas?! Barrabas is a murderer! This man has done no harm! Why would you want a murderer above a miracle worker?"

Pilate begged loudly, but to no avail. With fists raised, the crowd shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

Pilate closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Slowly, he lifted his finger towards the man who was called Jesus. "Take him away."

Two soldiers grabbed the man's arms and dragged him from the balcony. The crowd roared. Pilate lifted his hands to direct the crowd to silence. Growing quieter, the crowd listened intently to Pilate's words. "He is gone. I now release Barrabas to you." Pilate turned his back to the crowd and walked out.

--------

The soldiers did as they wished with Jesus. They whipped him, they beat him, they spit at him. His back was torn and bloody. What flesh was left on his back, barely covered the muscle and blood that seemed to blanket the man. They placed a crown of thorns upon his head, readjusting it so the thorns would pierce the man's flesh. They stripped him of his clothing and left nothing but a dirty cloth around his waist. They placed his cross upon his shoulder and forced him to carry it to the hill where he would die.

Tears streamed down Jesus' face. He collapsed. Before the cross could fall upon his back, Simon of Cyrene stepped from the parting crowd and caught the beams of wood. He lifted it upon his own back and carried it up the hill for the man.

Jesus was prodded forward and slumped along, supporting himself with his arms every few feet. Men tried to comfort the woman and children who were crying out to Jesus. Jesus stopped moving and turned to the women, saying, "Do not weep for me.....weep for yourselves....and your children....."

When they reached the top of the hill, the cross was laid out and Jesus was thrown on top of it. They stretched his arms out across the wood. Large nails were hammered into his hands, attaching them to the cross. They did the same to his feet. They lifted the cross, propping it up so all could see Jesus, the supposed king, die.

On either side of Jesus were two criminals, who were to be crucified also. Jesus lifted his head and looked lovingly at the two men. He then looked up to the sky and prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing...."

The soldiers sneered at Jesus, casting lots for his clothes. People called out, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is God's Messiah, the Chosen One!"

Soldiers shoved a sponge with wine and vinegar into Jesus' mouth, crying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

Jesus was saddened, as he looked upon the men who were sinning. He looked at them with love in his eyes. His Father's creations, the ones who he was dying for, were mocking him. They would never discover the true love, the true meaning of His death. Their bodies would reside in Hell forever. Jesus looked out upon the people. His people. Compassion filled his eyes, tears steamed down his face.

One of the others hanging upon the cross called out to him, "Aren't you the Messiah?! Save yourself and us!"

The other criminal rebuked him, "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence?! We are being punished justly! We are getting what our deeds deserve! But this man, the Messiah, he has done nothing wrong!" he then looked at Jesus, "Jesus, please remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus smiled and answered, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

------

Noon had come and darkness was cast across the earth. When three o'clock rolled around, the sun had stopped shining. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus cried out, with his last breath, "It.....is......finished!"

The centurion watched in awe, as realization came to his mind. He praised God and said, "Surely, this man, was a righteous man."

A man came and took Jesus' body. He buried him in a tomb, which was vacant.

To Be Continued....

I know that this was not very well written, but I felt like it was time for me to share this with you guys. This story means so much to me and many other believers. I don't understand fully how Jesus could love us SO much, that he would willingly give himself up and die....for us! I wanted to separate the resurrection from the crucifixion when I wrote this, that's why it will be split into two parts. Basically everything that was said by someone in this was taken directly from Luke 23, but I did add some words and change it around a little bit. Otherwise, the not dialogue was written by myself.....:p

God Bless,

Angela

the Beautiful People Challenge Pt. 2

I'm doing it on Carter again, since he's my favorite character of mine.

1. How old is he?

Just recently Carter turned 14, but in his mind he feels older.

2. What does he do with his spare time?
Carter doesn't have spare time; all he does is practice his sword fighting, sleep and eat. He doesn't have time for anything else. I mean, the "knight" business is pretty serious.

3. Does he see the big picture or live in the moment?
Carter just lives for practicing. He doesn't think either is really even worth it. It's quite saddening actually.

4. Is he a perfectionist?
Yes. If his instructor tells him that he swung the sword wrong, he practices for hours just on that move to be sure that he can get it right. Otherwise, it's not even worth it.

5. What does his handwriting look like? (round, slanted, curly, skinny, sloppy, neat, decorative, etc.)
Well, Carter participated in school until he was eleven. He stopped when his brother died, so he doesn't get a lot of practice anymore. The only thing he writes is his practice logs, so he feels that handwriting is just another thing he knows, but doesn't need. So, his handwriting is a sloppy mess, but definitely able to read.

6. Favorite animal?
Dogs. When he was younger, his family owned a Shetland Sheepdog, but he also died in the fire. Even with Carter's fighting spirit and anger problems, if there is a dog in the stable or in the castle yard while he is eating or moving to and from the training arena, he always stops to give it a bite of food or just some love.

7. Does he have any pets?
I kind of answered that in the last question. He had his old dog and basically cares for all the dogs he sees. He doesn't really like horses, but he occasionally swats the flies from their eyes as he sits in the stable area.

8. Does he have any siblings? How many? Where does he fit in?
He did. His brother, Thomas, who was two years older than him. But he died at the age of thirteen.

9. Does he have a 'life verse' and if so what is it?
Not really. He's not really religious or anything.

10. Favorite writing utensil?
Just a piece of charcoal or occasionally a feather and ink if he's feeling up to it.

That was quite interesting. Some of his stuff is a little boring, since he doesn't really live for much. :p I thought it turned out quite well though. :D

God Bless,

Angela

I want to, yet I don't want to......

• I want to make a blogpost, yet I don't know what to write about.
• I want to write a book, yet I don't have the patience.
• I want to be an artist, yet it takes so much practice.
• I want to be popular and well known, yet I want to stay with my few very close friends.
• I want to get a Facebook page, yet I don't want it to consume my time.
• I want to go to camp, yet I don't want to have to work to raise the money.
• I want to Bible quiz, yet I don't want to memorize the verses.
• I want to be smart in Math, yet I don't want to learn the fundamentals.
• I want to be good at soccer, yet I don't want to practice and practice and practice.
• I want to learn how to play the harmonica, yet I'm reluctant to buy one.
• I want to move closer to my cousins, yet I don't want to move away from my friends.
• I want to expand my horizons, yet I don't want to try new foods.
• I want to outreach, yet I don't want to go to other countries.
• I want to meet new people, yet I don't want to have to include new friends in my lifestyle.

All of these are so true for me and I'm sure a few of you can relate to some of these.

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25

God Bless,

Angela