After enjoying last month’s yearly wrap-up, I decided to do something like it once a month. I guess you could call this my monthly wrap-up, but for those who follow my blog.
I have vacillated a lot on what to do on this blog, but I’ve decided to make it more a personal blog than a professional one. There is a professional one coming, but that is a story for another time. So, for these once a month posts, I’m going to divide it into several parts: what I’m watching, what I’m reading, what I’m writing, and what I’m learning.
Under what I’m watching, I will discuss movies/shows etc that I’m enjoying (or not) and give you my personal review. Under what I’m reading, I will discuss which books I read for the month and what I like (or didn’t like about them). What I’m writing should be obvious-it will be a brief update about what I’m working on. Finally, what I’m learning will discuss the spiritual lessons I’m learning. I hope you’ll enjoy these updates, and I welcome any feedback you have via comments or emails.
What I’m Watching
Demon Slayer is not appropriate for children, but this show shows hope in the darkness in ways that surprise me. Tanjiro (the boy in the black and green kimono) is the main character, and his heart-breaking story of fighting against evil is amazing to watch. He continues to fight demons, determined to find one that can change his sister (the girl with the pink eyes) back to a normal human. His brave journey and the colorful animation is definitely worth watching (if you aren’t squeamish about violence).
Holmes of Kyoto is a much more light-hearted show. This show follows Aoi Mashiro as she comes to work under Kiyotaka Yagashira or “Holmes.” Although there is only one season, it is a very cute show about how Aoi becomes an appraiser and Kiyotaka solves mysteries surrounding antiques and people. This anime, though stated as seinen is actually more like a shojo. It is more about personal relationships, romance, and good-natured fun.
What I’m Reading
So I’ve read Before Beauty once previously, but I had never read the sequel. So, in preparation for reading the sequel, I decided to reread the first book. I’m so glad I did. It was nice to get to know both characters again. Because her characters are so compelling, reading the sequel was so hard (in a good way). Seeing both characters struggle, fight, and do stupid things had me turning the pages until the very end. And that is significant, considering Before Beauty is 24 chapters. Blinding Beauty is a whopping 55 chapters. I loved both books, but the difference in size is vast! I plan on reading the final book, Beauty Beheld, in February.
What I’m Writing
I’ll be honest, after putting the finishing touches on Etania’s Calling, I’m a bit lost. I vacillate between writing Etania’s Destiny (the final book in Etania’s arc) to writing Promisekeeper (the sequel to Toothbreaker) or adding a short story to Beginnings (an anthology of sorts about how my animal taming races came to be; for example, how a girl tamed a unicorn to stop a war). However, instead of putting any pressure on myself to finish any of them, I’ve decided to work on whatever I want to during that particular day. I have a lot going on at work until May, so I don’t want to pressure myself too much. Plus, I am launching Etania’s Calling, Where Giants Fall, and helping with my friend’s book, Retribution. That will keep me busy enough!
Speaking of Etania’s Calling, tomorrow I will be posting about a unique opportunity, so stay tuned.
What I’m Learning
Sometimes God has to humble us before we listen to Him. As I type this, I am fighting an awful cold/flu/virus. My head is clear, but my body fails me. I feel exhausted, but unable to sleep. My nose is itching, but blowing it brings no relief. But now that I am sick, I know God wants to tell me something.
Basically, he told me through several sermons and Bible Study that I am to teach. Then, he convicted me about my joy about teaching. He reminded me that his plan is better than mine, and that I need to humbly trust Him in all things. It has been a hard lesson that I would’ve never reflected on if I hadn’t been sick. My only prayer now is that I will get better sooner, rather than later. But even if not, I will trust in Him.
This was my first wrap-up blog post! What do you think? Do you want to see more of them?