The Storyseekers Part Nine: Trouble

"Are you sure you can do this?" General Sebell looked skeptical, but Commander Kylin seemed completely confident in his abilities.
"I'm sure I can, General."
Sebell nodded slowly. "Alright...but be careful. Lucien expects us back at camp in one week, and I can't afford to lose any men before then. Understand?"
The commander looked slightly unsure suddenly. "Um...of course. We will not fail."
Sebell's eyes narrowed into slits. "You had better not."



"What is our plan...um...precisely?"
Commander Kylin rolled his eyes. "Your job is to obey, not to ask questions."
The young warrior looked down. "Yes, Sir."
The commander looked pleased. "Good. Then we have work to do."
Kylin leaned toward the warriors surrounding him and spoke in a low tone. Finally one of the men looked up in shock.
"We aren't really going to do that, are we?"
Commander Kylin's eyes flashed. "Don't you realize what could happen to us if we fail? The general is counting on us. If this is the way we have to do it, then this is the way we have to do it."
"Whatever you say, Sir."



Looking out at the vast Estrellican countryside, Jayrin wasn't sure whether she should be excited or afraid. As the east gate of Stellin closed behind her, she tried to ignore her sudden urge to run back.
"Do you think we can do this?" Naomi asked, voicing Jayrin's own thoughts.
"Of course we can." Cheydine replied, optimistic as always. "I know it."
Dallian just rolled his eyes. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"


Three days later, Jayrin was beginning to feel better. After all, this hadn't been hard at all so far. Going over Melodica's directions word for word in her mind, she guessed that they weren't very far at all from the village they were trying to reach. Once they got there, they would be one step closer to finding the Story of Shaddi. They were so close already!
As soon as Jayrin glanced toward her companions, however, all of her excitement disappeared immediately. It wasn't Naomi and Cheydine she noticed, it was Dallian. Usually, he would be trying to make Jayrin angry by now...but he wasn't. In fact, he was being uncharacteristically silent.
"Dallian, are you alright?" Jayrin asked, not expecting to get much of an answer.
"I'm fine, I just thought I heard something for a minute."
Naomi looked confused. "Heard something like what?"
Before Dallian could answer, a terrible sound pierced the air to Jayrin's right. It was an unearthly cry, unlike anything she had ever heard before. It was unmistakeably evil.
Naomi gasped, but Dallian just looked as if he had expected it.
"That's what I mean." he whispered.
"What was it?" Cheydine asked, fear in his voice.
Dallian just shook his head. "We have to get out of here. Now."
Jayrin had never seen him look so serious...or so afraid.

The Storyseekers Part 8: Lady Isebelle

Naomi wasn't sure why she was in here, but she had a strange suspicion that she shouldn't be. Walking over to the open window, she tried to guess how high up she was. She shivered as a cold breeze blew past her. That winding tower staircase had led much higher than she had thought. Exploring the palace was one thing, being all the way at the top of the north tower was quite another. Still looking out the window, Naomi could see the point where the city of Stellin ended. Beyond that, there was a long stretch of empty wasteland to the north, and where that ended, she could barely make out a thin black line far away on the horizon. But if that was Lucien's camp as Melodica said, it wasn't nearly far enought away. It would take take barely a month for an army of that size to reach the city. Naomi shivered again, but not from cold.



Confused as she was as to why she had entered this room, Naomi was even more puzzled as to why she stayed. Studying the intricate carvings on the bedposts, tracing the curling designs on the silk bedspread, and taking in every detail she could about the place, she couldn't bring herself to leave. There was something so mysterious about this abandoned bedroom, something lonely, almost sad. Naomi wasn't sure who had once lived here, so far removed from the rest of the castle, but she was convinced that someone had



She was so engrossed in searching for clues, she jumped in surprise at a loud screech from outside. A falcon swooped down from the sky and landed on the window sill. It was Keiree.

"What is it?" Naomi asked, never once wondering why she was talking to a bird. The falcon simply watched her with its glowing yellow eyes for a long time, before spreading it's wings and soaring into the room. Naomi followed it with her eyes until it perched on the edge of a gold-gilded picture frame, again turning towards her.


Naomi brushed the frame with the tips of her fingers, watching as a thick layer of dust fell to the floor. It was obvious that no one had been in this room in a long, long time. Keiree screeched, still watching her closely.

The painting was a portrait of a black-haired girl some years older than Naomi. Her clothes were like those the Estrellican nobility wore. What Naomi noticed most about her, however, were her strage grey eyes. They seemed to be almost...alive. Removing the picture frame from the wall, searching for something written on the back. There was nothing.

With a sigh, Naomi was just lifting the painting to put it back on the wall when she heard a voice behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

Naomi jumped, dropping the portrait with a crash. Princess Melodica rushed forward, carefully placing the picture on the bed as she checked to make sure it wasn't damaged.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Naomi gasped, kneeling to pick up the shards of broken glass.

"It's alright, Naomi. You couldn't have known..."

"Known what?"

When the princess didn't answer, Naomi decided to let the subject drop. Instead, she asked another question. "Whose room is this, Your Highness?"

"It belonged to her." Melodica pointed at the picture of the girl. "Lady Isebelle."

That didn't help Naomi at all. "Who is Lady Isebelle?"

"She is...or was...my friend, nearly three years ago." Melodica looked as if it wasn't something she wanted to remember. Still, Naomi was curious.

"What happened to her?"

"She dissapeared.One day she was here, and the next she was just...gone."

Naomi tried to comprehend all this. She decided not to ask Melodica anything else, though she determined to find out the rest of this story.

The Day that Christmas Really Began

It was as if two different worlds stood in that room. Satan, with his cold, dark appearance, was the complete opposite of God's Son, who was surrounded in a shroud of light. Jesus had come with one request for the evil being before Him, though He knew it would come at a great cost to Himself.
Jesus began the conversation with one question. "Would you give Me humanity, Satan?"
Satan laughed cruelly. "Humanity? Why ever would You want them? They are murders, criminals, and idolaters. Their hearts are completely sold out to me. They don't want to return to You. Besides, they chose me over You in the Garden of Eden. Remember?"
"All that matters little to Me." Jesus replied calmly. "I created them in My image, and I love them."
"How could anyone love them?"
"What do you want for them, Satan?"
"Why should I give them to You?"
"What do you want for them, Satan?"
"They hate You. Just leave them alone."
"What do you want for them, Satan?"
"Wait. What do You get out of this?"
Jesus sighed. "I get nothing. In fact, you're right, they have rejected me. Still, I want them. Still, I would give anything for them. Even when they don't love Me, I still love them."
Satan rolled his eyes. "Alright, but I will take only one price. The highest price You can pay."
"Name it."
Satan sneered. "I want Your sweat, Your tears, and Your blood. I'll take You in exchange for all mankind."
There was a moment of silence as the King of Heaven stared into Satan's face, tears glistening in His eyes.
"Agreed."

Christmas Blessings,

Letting Him Hold the Door...

...even though you can.

Most of us don't have trouble opening doors by ourselves. You probably have never had to ask someone to help you open the library door, or help you heave that post office deposit box open. We can carry our things to the car by ourselves (even if we do have to make numerous trips), or lift our luggage without assistance. We girls have muscles, but if we don't let guys help us open doors for us, or carry our things, they loose something vital about being a gentlemen: practice.

As sisters in Christ, we are to allow guys to practice being gentlemen on us. Yes, sometimes it can be frustrating letting him hold that door for you, or taking the luggage you were going to help your relative with, but it's necessary for guys not only to feel helpful, but get used to becoming a blessing without constantly being told what to do. One time I wasn't feeling well, and I needed help getting things for my cold (blankets, juice, and such). I could have gotten up and taken the things myself, or I could ask my brother to help me. Taking the latter option, I allowed him to be a servant, and he helped me. You may laugh, or be skeptical, but it really is important for us to step aside and allow someone else to help us.

In our culture, we are constantly being told that the less you need people to help you, the stronger you are. Independence from anyone or anything is smiled upon, while anyone who asks for a hand is scorned or thought weak. Sadly, this is not how God created humans to be. We are to be the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12 and Eph. 4:12), and that means we are to work together, and rely upon one another. We are supposed to have each other's backs.

So even though you're capable of heaving that sliding glass door open, allow a brother in Christ to do it for you. Wouldn't you want your future husband to have the same practice? :)

Blessings,

Getting into the Thankful Mood

One of the most sure ways I get into the Holiday spirit is to write a list of things I'm thankful for. Family and friends are big ones, along with Christ coming to earth and dying for us, but this year I challenge you to take the time and think about the smaller things, like hot water or clouds, and thank God for them.

Here are some things I'm thankful for and why:

1. Shadows
I know it's not summer anymore, but boy was I glad to have shadows on those hot July and August days! The shade is somewhere cool and inviting, a place of rest. I'm thankful that God gave us the shade. He didn't have to.

2. Music
Just like shadows, He didn't have to make music. But could you imagine a world without it? The birds wouldn't sing, the crickets would thrum with their little legs, and the frogs wouldn't croak to their tunes. Lions wouldn't roar, wolves wouldn't howl, and bees wouldn't buzz. Because everything that God made sings praises to Him, without music there would be no sound! Not only did He make sound, but unlike the bees and birds, He also made it possible for us to make our own tunes! Each one of us can make up our own songs as praises to Him!

3. We (humans) can smile
I'm so glad that we have a chance to express our happiness in a way that others can see. Just like it brings joy to see a dog thumping its tail, I am blessed whenever I see someone else grinning from ear to ear.
"You're never fully dressed without a smile." - Harry Connick Jr.

4. We can communicate
Not only can I say the word "apple" and you know what I'm talking about, but there is a letter system that allows me to write the letters "a-p-p-l-e", and you know what I'm referring to. And get this: we can also communicate with God! No matter what language you speak, you have the ability to speak to Him if you know His Son personally!

5. Memories
Aren't you glad that you can remember your own name? Or what about that homework that you suddenly remembered one day? Could you imagine studying for a test without being able to remember what your studying for, let alone successfully studying for it? Aren't we blessed that even when we can't see someone face to face all the time, the next time we see them we can remember them? I sure am!

So go on: make your own list! It doesn't have to be long, or fancy. You don't even have to write down your reasons. But take the time- even if it's mentally doing a list- to be thankful. You will be surprised, and left feeling refreshed and grateful! :)

Blessings,

Thanksgiving, Then Christmas

I'm sure all of you know that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas, right? But have you ever noticed that? I mean, have you ever thought about it?

I know they were both set on their appointed dates for important reasons, but have you ever taken into account that Thanksgiving is before Christmas? I'm sure it's more than a ploy to try and tempt children out of their numerous Christmas list items. But as soon as I saw this from a new perspective, I started wondering if it had any significance.

Christmas is after Thanksgiving, but shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, Christ came down to earth, making it the first ever Christmas day! That's a good reason to be thankful!
Perhaps so, but I think of something else as I ponder this food for thought. What if we are supposed to be thankful before Christ comes? What if we are to thank Him before His blessings, and trust Him to follow through with them? What if we are to give thanks, and have a heart of gratitude without knowing for sure we are going to be rewarded? It's easy to be thankful during Thanksgiving and Christmas (presents, family, and food are in abundance), but what about the rest of the time? And what about the time in between? I think Thanksgiving is a gentle reminder that starts off the holiday season, reminding those to be grateful for what Christ did for us. It points us in the right direction, reminding us that He didn't have to save us. And those days in between Christmas and Thanksgiving should be a time of heart preparation for the greatest blessing of all: Jesus Christ.

So as you get ready for Thanksgiving this week (and enjoy a couple days off from school!), take the time to be truly thankful, and ask God to give you a thankful spirit throughout the year.

Thanks for reading. :)

Princess Catherine ~*~

Christ-Esteem

The snow is lightly falling, glittering lights in every window, Christmas songs playing in every store...


I LOVE Christmas shopping (in case you couldn't tell!).

It seems, however, that before I can even think about Christmas shopping (like, in August, for example), stores are already sending out magazine after magazine through the mail, and more advertising e-mails than I can possibly handle. In s0me ways this makes Christmas shopping easier later on, because I already have a pretty good idea of what to get everyone. In other ways though, it can be annoying.


One of the things I like least about advertisements is the extent they go to to get us to buy whatever they're selling. Who hasn't seen ads with phrases such as:

"You deserve it."
"You NEED this."
"This could change your life."

The problem with all of these statements is the focus: SELF. I don't think I've ever seen an advertisement that supported contentment, giving, or being happy with who you are, where you are, and what you have. If you were content with what you had, after all, you wouldn't be buying their product.


The sad thing is that in our culture, many people do think predominately about themselves. This selfish mindset can produce all kinds of tragic consequences in people's lives. Our society desperately needs to find the cure for selfishness so we can turn our focus back toward God and other.

So what IS the cure for selfishness?

Many people will tell you it has to do with believing in YOURSELF and having SELF-esteem. In fact, these ideas are quite popular among people trying to escape the our current selfish society. But do you see the problem with these two phrases?

The problem, again, is SELF. Though popular, the core focus in this belief is still SELF.


The only true answer to a confidence issue is to stop focusing on yourself and begin focusing totally on Jesus Christ. When we find our worth in Him alone, everything else fades into the background. Thoughts about how we look and what others think of us will fade out of the picture, until all we are truly care about is learning to serve Christ better. He created us to shine as a living example of His glory, drawing other believers and unbelievers closer to Him. Suddenly, what we look like is no longer the first thing people notice about us. They will see Christ's light shining so bright in us, that nothing really matters. When we stop obsessing about ourselves and allow Christ to take complete control of our lives, we become a reflection of Him. As Princess Gloria said in an earlier post, we become like a mountain lake that reflects His glory. He is so much bigger than us, he takes up all of us so that noting else can even be seen. One of my favorite verses is something Paul says in Galatians 2:20, "For it is not longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." I would love for that to be a description of my life.

Wouldn't you?


Blessings in Christ,