I would like to introduce you all to one of my favorite sites and a great resource for teen writers. This is the official introduction video and it explains a good deal of what it's all about. My favorite thing about this place? The acceptance. The do hard things attitude. No one is told they aren't good enough. I will sum it up with a comment I left on the site just a few days ago:

"This community has most definitely impacted me! It has provided me with a fresh desire and passion for picking up my pen, and has given me hope that it is possible for teens to write well and be successful in their endeavors. And not only that, but I have been introduced to the first adult that is willing to take his time to mold and shape teenagers into great writers.
So many times I’ve been discouraged by adults who don’t think I’m very good, because, well, I’m a teen! They point out my errors, and instead of helping me find the solution they walk away, leaving me puzzled. That doesn’t happen here! Everyone gathers together, lovingly tears the given work apart and gently builds it into something far stronger and better. No one is slandered, put down, or humiliated here. It warms my heart and brightens my smile to see what goes on here at CalebBreakey.com. My only regret is that I didn’t jump in sooner, when I had the chance!

I can’t wait to see how this community grows and changes. This has the potential to change not only how the world views teen writers, but how they view themselves. I am so thankful for Caleb and all the other members of this community, and everyone who is yet to come!"

If I Could Write a Life Back...

I'm a writer. It's something I have always loved to do, always plan to do, and can never not do. But as a writer, I am the one that holds the power. I have control, I hold the fate of all my characters, and I hold the course of events in my hands. I can choose what I want to happen. I hold life in my grasp. But in reality, it doesn't work like that. I hold no control over the happenings of any lives but my own. I may have influence in the lives of others, but not control. Truly, only God does.

And it is this lack of control and the ability to alter the course of events and change a person and tweak a happening to suit what I think should happen and to go along the course of my plans for the story that can sometimes become frustrating and sad. In the world of writing, I hold the position of God. My characters (assume with me for a moment that they are real people) have to rely and trust that I know the end of the story. I know how it will all turn out. So if I allow one character to die, it is because I have chosen it for the good of the story. But as a writer I hold the power to write that life back, as well.

As a child of God, the situation has me as the character and Him as the writer. I am thankful He is the all seeing, all powerful, perfect, and perfectly just writer. As His creation, his character, it is my job to trust and believe that He knows the end of the story; that He knows why things had to be the way they are. We all know that sin has made it so death is imminent. God does hold the power to write a life back, but most often, death stays death in His story. (Get it, His story- History? Hehe, I like that. Anyway, let us continue).

This weekend my faith and trust in the Author of our lives was once again put to the test. A wonderful man of God and loving husband and father was taken from us on Saturday evening. At first I could not believe it. I had seen a miracle done in this very man's life. How could God perform such a miracle then so quickly take him away? A couple years ago Mr. Bryan got sick with the whooping cough. He continued on with life as normal, until he contracted pneumonia as a result of the whooping cough. At that point he landed in the hospital due to the severity of it. However, he contracted another illness (of which I do not know the name) on top of the pneumonia. One that was predicted to kill him slowly. Paralysis set slowly in, finally coming to the point of complete and total paralysis. He could not move at all by himself, and at one point (for a few days only, thankfully) he couldn't even breathe on his own. It was a trying time for his entire family, his wife stayed by his side constantly, his oldest son, Darian (16 at the time) became the main supporter of the family, finding rides to work and working as hard as he could.

However, many people were there to support and help the family during the whole deal. We all prayed without ceasing that God would spare his life. And we were all so thrilled when we heard that not only was he past the danger point, he was walking again! Within six to eight months he had made a full, total recovery, blowing everyone away. I could never say his name without someone saying "Isn't it amazing the miracle God has done?" Talk about a testimony! He went back to work and normal life, took on coaching the homeschool high school football team that his son played on, and got back into the social events and swing of life. I saw him just a couple weeks ago at the playoffs, and he was doing so amazingly well. Which is why it comes as a total shock to every single one of us. He suddenly stopped breathing on Saturday night, and they were not able to revive him. He went to be with his Creator then.

It was Sunday morning, as we were all getting ready for church that we heard from a pastor friend of ours what had happened. My first reaction was to question God "God, how in the world could this happen? You took Ryan from us, you took Daniel from us, why Mr. Duncan?" (for more on that see here). It was hard! All I could think about were little Hepzibah and Hadassah, their little ones, now growing up without a daddy. I couldn't understand it. But then putting it in perspective, this is what sin has done for us. This was the misdeed done in the beginning of the story that is played out through the rest. It's the necessary ending to the story. Every story must have an end. Thankfully every ending story leaves an impression on the reader. A legacy to leave with those that observe the story.

I shared the news with a friend, who's first response (the same one he shared with me when Ryan and Daniel passed away.... some things never change ;) ) was "Why is everybody dying?". I knew the answer, and he knew the answer, but sometimes it's hard to accept it. Everyone has an end to their story, and it comes at just the right point, whether we think so or not.

Seeing as life has been a heavy flurry of events, this is probably muddled and not well written out, but now you all know that a family needs your prayers. Badly. Please keep the Duncan family in your prayers as they make it through this hard time in their lives. :)

~Kaitland