100 Words On... James 1:1-4

James 1:1-4 talks about the fact that we should find joy in trials. This may seem like a radical concept, considering a trial is never something fun.

The truth is that without trials and tribulation in our lives we would not be able to grow. We must become broken in order for Him to “fill in the cracks” with Himself.

I recently asked my mother why I needed to be broken, “I was just fine the way I was…” but that is just it…God does not want, “just fine” for us, He wants us to be the very best that we can be. We will never make it to that completed work without His polishing along the way.

Within the Master’s Eyes: A Beauty and the Beast poem

Within the Master’s Eyes: A Beauty and the Beast poem

The rose was stolen, broken and torn
But it is for my life that they mourn

The Beast in anger did take freedom fair
Life in his castle I shall have to bear

For father’s sake I gave all that I had
I would give it again and still be glad

Life and death are meaningless in this place
A cursed home and wretched soul fallen from grace

Kindness and joy, to my surprise
I find within the master’s eyes

Hope that glimmers through the rain
I see an end to this forsaken pain

A Beast, truly he may be
But friend and companian I also see

The hours do move at a pleasant pace
I sit in a gown made of satin and lace

He bids good-night with words of life
In sadness I must refuse to be his wife

Time passes on, he asks me to stay
No longer a prisoner, with no debt to pay

I promised I would but asked one request
That I should go home, to put my father’s mind at rest

Freedom he gave me but with sadness of voice
He pleaded I not forget him when making my choice

I returned home, my family did give a feast
My mind started to wander and I forgot the poor Beast

Dreams of a garden filled up my mind
A fallen creature in the roses I would find

Finally in worry I ran through the dark
Fearful of what I would find on that mark

There he lay, the Beast, near death
I prayed he not die, that I might hear his breath

I whispered to his lifless form
That he should live through this storm

“Do not leave me,” I whispered to the heavens above
“For it is you that I love”

Magic rained down, like new fallen snow
The face of my Beast, bright in the glow

In moments my Beast was gone without a trace
A handsome young man stood in his place

In fear and sorrow I turned away
“Beauty it is me,” the prince, he did say

With wonder I looked again at his face
And saw the eyes of my friend, full of grace

I kissed him without a fear in the least
Knowing that he was truly my Beast

And so ends my tale with joy and laughter
For we lived happily ever after

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone,
I pray that this email finds you well! It's time once again for my yearly update. So here goes...

Lets see the year began in Dallas this year ( I seem to start all my years in TX for some reason! LOL!) I went to the CCC Dallas Winter Conference in January. I was there for a week. I stayed in a beautiful hotel. It was one of the hardest weeks of my life. I was stretched to the very brink, I was lonely and I felt beaten. In some ways it was one of the worst weeks of my life but in other ways it was one of the best. I learned and grew and became better and closer to God.

I spent the next few months helping out around the house. I did the shopping, helped with cooking and helped drive my brothers around. I spent those months working on who I will be later in life, a mother. I took drawing and learned a lot. I was going to take interior design in Feb. but the class was canceled. So I just worked harder on getting MRS (LOL).

May, I got a job at a clothing store, Christopher and Banks in Sooner mall, where I still work. You should come by and see me! I love getting visitors! It was also in May that my friend, Dotty and I started a writer's group called Writer's Block. I love it and can not wait for it to get going again after our Christmas break.

June and July, were hard months. I was dealing with the new job and my new co-workers. Then my dear friend's father passed away after a long battle with cancer. I was heartbroken for my friend and I felt helpless to even be there for her because she was living in Road Island at the time.

August.. Is a blank...

September, Classes started again. I took sign language, drawing and writing at Moore-Norman. I enjoyed everything pretty well. It was in September that I found out my other friend's Mother had breast cancer. My "sometimes" mommy, as I like to call her, had to have surgery and she has been going through chemo but thank the Lord, so far all the cancer is gone and she is almost done with the chemo. Then we had a scare with my dad. He had a pain in his side for over a year and when he went to get it checked out they found a spot on his lung. We were trying not to worry until it was tested. Thank the Lord about 3 weeks later we found out it was not cancer, instead it was phenomena.

October, I had strep (EEWW) and we went to Galveston, TX.... It was probably the best trip I have ever had! It was really good for my family to be together after that summer! LOL!

November, I went to a writing conference and probably learned more in those 2 days then I did the whole semester at Moore-Norman. It was really a great time.

December, what can I say..... It has been crazy! My sister and her family stayed with us for about a week and a half then my sister had a baby boy, on the 18th (Jesse Wade Eastin). My mom left with them to help with the baby. I've been working like crazy ( don't work at the mall around Christmas) and trying to keep up with the house. We had Christmas eve at my grandma's house ( it was great!) and we went straight from there to my other grandma's lake house at Texoma. We spent the night there and had Christmas dinner. We still haven't had our own Christmas, we are waiting for my mom to get home. So our Christmas will be on January 13th.

As for next year... Well I'm not sure.. I know I'll be working at the funeral home that my grandparents own. I'll be working there at night to answer the phone and greet people. I'll be going on a few trips to visit my other grandparents and my aunt and uncle. Then the plan is to stay with my sister for a few months this summer.
I plan on diving into writing and see how I can do on my own (after decidint that the class i was taking isn't for me. And I plan on going to a Christian writing conference in February.

This was some year... Filled with the bad and the good. The truth is it was a perfect year. Everything that happened was in God's hands. If we could only remember that then we could find the peace the bible talks about.
"It is well with my soul".....

Hope you have had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you are blessed and that you can see the perfection God brings to each day. You are loved! By me and God!

Love,
Rebekah

I'll see ya when I see ya!

Hey People,
I am going on the road again! Yay! My family and I are heading for Galveston, TX. And some of you might be thinking "What's in Galveston?" And the answer to that question is very simple THE OCEAN! YAY!!!!! Galveston is an island off of Texas in the gulf. I can not wait to get there! We leave tomorrow bright and early and we plan on getting back Friday.
We went to Galveston once before when I was 12 and that trip is still one of my very favorites. So anyway I should have lots of pictures to show you and many stories to tell when I get back.
Until then,
God Bless and LOTs of luv,
Bekah

Those Crazy Dayz of Summer

Hey Computer People,

Things here are going pretty great. My job has really been wonderful. I'm working with some really mice ladies, the work isn't very hard and it's not stressful at all. Plus I really do like selling the clothes.

I went to a summer bible study with my church, I really enjoyed it. I'm sad that it's already over!!

The writer's group if in full swing! We have had 3 meetings this summer and I'm loving it! I have been learning so much. It's wonderful to see my characters through other people's eyes. We have 6 members now and will probably be adding another when Lorry Gail moves here.

As for the fall, I am taking drawing, professional writing and sign language. I am really excited about them all!

I'll TTYL!

God Bless,
Rebekah

Writing and Working...Both start with a W!

Hey Everyone,

My life has been a little crazy lately. Today I have my very first "Writer's Block" meeting. It is a writer's group formed by my friend, Dotty, and I. I am really excited about it... I'm really looking forward to seeing what people think of my stuff.

Now I guess it's time for the best news of all........Drum roll please............ I got a job!!! YAY!!!
I am now working at Christopher and Banks at the Sooner Mall! I've worked there 1 whole week and I am really liking it. My co-workers are really nice, the work is very easy and fun. I'm really thankful that I got this job! I want to thank those of you that were praying for me and I ask that you continue to pray, as I go through these first few weeks of adjustment. God is good and greatly to be praised.

And in the words of Superchick...
"Suddenly I am where I'm supposed to be..."

I luv you guys!

God Bless,
Rebekah

"If I get up, I might fall back down again...."

Hey People Out There,

It's just me again... You might have noticed the tag line of this post... Well it's the words to a SuperChick song, the full chorus is,
"If I get up I might fall back down again, So let's get up come on...
If I get up I might fall back down again, But we get up anyway...
If I get up I might fall back down again, So let's get up come on...
And We'll just jump and see even if it's the fortieth time... We'll just jump and see if we can fly..."

See last year I got a job at IHOP and it didn't turn out so well... I ended up having to quit because I couldn't handle the stress ( or the fact that they didn't let me have lunch) and it was taking a big tole on my health. I felt really horrible about it... Because of the circumstances I wasn't even able to give 2 weeks notice. I felt like I had failed. Like I was being a bad witness, but most of all I felt like the people around me (mostly my family) wouldn't be proud of me. ( I guess you should know that I have a hard time feeling that my grandparents are proud of me... Or that they even like me being around all that much.... But they had been really happy that I was getting a job. They had even lent me their car... Right after I quit they took the car back... It felt like they were trying to show that they were up set with me. )
Well anyway, the point of all this is that I am trying to get a job this year. I am trying to get one at a clothing store, I hope that it will be a better deal. But I am scared. I am scared to jump again... I'm afraid to fall and get hurt again... I'm afraid everyone (most of all I) will say "Look I told you she couldn't make it." But the words of SuperChick really fit here... "Failures are flyer's who've touched down, only they know what it's like to leave the ground." I failed and/or fell last year. But I learned and grew from it... And even though I am afraid, I have to try. If I don't jump I'll never fly. And one day I know I can make it. And in the words of SuperChick, one more time "Cuz if we never make it ever, than it'll be okay with me, let them say we're not big rock stars it's not what we're about.."

Luv ya and know that God loves you more. You are meant for great things.
-Rebekah