Tuesday, December 20, 2005

I want to be a Princess like the one in Disneyworld

One of the reasons I haven't posted in so long, was because I was on a family trip to Disneyworld. Maybe I'm a sap or a loser, or some other derogatory term, but I am a teenager and I still like Disneyworld.

Not fanatically, but walking down Main Street USA and seeing Cinderella's Castle at the end of it, gives me a little glow. And while I have grown out of running eagerly up to all the costumed characters and holding out my autograph book, when I watched all the other little kids do it, I felt a quiet little pang of loss, and secretly wished I could.

While my Dad doesn't really like Disney, (It's contrived and fake, as he puts it), and even though I'm no profound believer in "that special magic of Disney" myself...I have an affinity with the storybook quality of the place.

Seeing Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and Wendy in tangible form, even though I know it's just a person in costume...there's a realization of a fantasy in that. Maybe it's because I enjoy dressing up in full period costume myself, and I like the stage atmosphere and drama of people walking around in character, but it's really special to me.

Also, no matter how sappy the lyrics to every song are, you can still catch me walking around the house, singing and humming "So This is Love" . Which easily makes it onto my all time favorite songs list. One memorable time, while I was loading the dishwasher, I belted out "Colors of The Wind" and was shocked to hear a burst of applause coming from the living room. It was my brother at the computer, grinning like a maniac. I even attempted "Once Upon a Dream" but gave up halfway through as I am not a first soprano, no matter how much I wish it.

Although I don't like them all. While I may love "Just Around The Riverbend", I also run screaming from the room whenever "A Whole New World" comes on. And I press the skip button on the cd player when it "Someday My Prince Will Come".

But when I'm there in the Magic Kingdom, seeing Belle sing about her "little town", or watching Sleeping Beauty dance with her prince, or Wendy learning how to fly for the first time, something resonates.

It's the atmosphere of uncomprimised ideals. In a world where you're doing good to get second best, and where most girls never are swept away by their prince, or claim he doesn't exist, it's a little voice that says "Why not?".

Although "magic" and "believing in your dreams" is a worldly substitute for The Holy Spirit and having faith, it still stirs that ideal up. It's not cynical at all, it celebrates what most people are afraid to admit,

That they really do want a storybook life. That when they put their broom down, there'll be a fairy godmother to turn them into a princess. That there will be a prince who will search the whole country for them, after one dance, one look in her eyes. That Love and Beauty are alive and well.

It reminds me of the real and living Truth,

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 (I think)

God has called us beautiful and loved even right now, crowning us,

"...and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. " Isaiah 61:3

It only gets better,

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you...Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. "

Thank you Lord, for giving us the gift of Your presence and blessing which surpasses a storybook life anyday. And for making us beautiful and loving us, no matter what we do or feel like. You are the ultimate Author and I praise You for your wondrous works.
Amen.

[Edit: After I posted this, I hopped over to my Dad's blog, Good and Faithful Servant (Isn't that funny, both of our's begin with "Good and...") and read his post about Disneyworld...I completely didn't know he posted about it, but it makes a nice little study in compare and contrast. So to the few (if any) people reading this, go over to it and click on the entry "TMD" and read his take on it. All I can say, is I told you he didn't like it.]

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Hello again!

Why do I always seem to update in the middle of the night? It 12:48 at the moment, the family is watching War of the Worlds and the only reason I'm not is because they started without me, because I just just got back from baby-sitting and don't want to watch halfway through.

The family I was baby-sitting for went to a concert of some kind so they got back late, which is understandable. They were celebrating a friend's birthday, something like that. The kids are really adorable actually, 4 year old and a 6 year old, boy and girl, both blonde and blue-eyed. They could have been twins really.

They also had a sweet cat who walked right up to me and lay back on it's back, waiting for me to pet it. It started purring instantly and was a general sweetheart...but no time to write any more, must go to bed now...

Thursday, December 01, 2005

WHOOOOOOO!!!

Guess who won NaNoWriMo this month?! A half-hour before the dealine?

ME!

*dances around, throwing confetti in the air*

I know! Me! I didn't think I would make it through the whole thing...I just kind of started out, didn't have a plot or any characters...my Dad was doing it and I wouldn't have made it through without him, he sat and listened to me go on and on and on about the problems I was having and the things my characters were doing...

Listen to me, I sound like I'm accepting an Oscar, "I would like to thank the Academy..."

But honestly, my Mom loaded the dishwasher and did the laundry all month long...they're my job, but she did it so I could get time on my book...which still doesn't have a title...

But most of all, it was God.

I prayed over this and He just continually smoothed things out and arranged appointments so I could write and gave me the ideas...Thank You Lord!!!

I'll put up the cool little "NaNoWriMo Winner" icon later...must go now. I've got confetti to throw, horns to blow, and a bed to fall asleep in...Good Night all!