Friday, October 30, 2015

Says-a-Me

In continuation of our All Things Rani Recipe Week, here's my all-time favorite made up recipe, for which I haven't been able to come up with a shorter name (suggestions would be appreciated).

Sesame-Soy-Ginger Shrimp (or Chicken) with Rice Noodles





Ingredients: 


  • 1 lb Uncooked Medium-Sized Shrimp OR 1 lb Chicken Thigh Meat, Cubed
  • 1 Package Rice Noodles (or udon noodles, if you prefer... or really any kind of noodle)
  • 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Kikoman Soy Sauce or Tamari
  • 1-3 Tablespoons La Choy Soy Sauce (yes, I apologize, but the recipe really does require both)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/4-1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
  • 2 Large Handfuls Chopped Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli Florets, Green Beans, Peas, or any vegetable you think might be yummy
  • Salt, to Taste
  • Red Pepper Flakes, to Taste

Directions: 


Put a pot of water on the stove, large enough to cook your noodles according to the package directions. Season with salt and some soy sauce and heat to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions, and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add shrimp, soy sauces, ginger, paprika, 1/4 cup of chicken stock, salt, and veggies (if your vegetable of choice takes a little longer to cook, put it in for a few minutes before adding the shrimp). Cook over medium heat, making sure to maintain a decent amount of sauce. If the liquid is cooking away rapidly, don't be afraid to add more chicken stock. We want there to be a nice sauce to pour over those noodles! Cook over medium heat until shrimp is cooked through and veggies are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Taste your sauce, and add spices until it tastes right to your pallet. Add the cooked noodles to the saute pan and stir (I recommend a utensil in each hand, or a set of tongs) until well combined. Serve in bowls and garnish with red pepper flakes and more soy sauce, if desired.

This recipe is delicious with carrots, onions, peas, green beans, or spinach too — play around with it until you find what you like best! You can also make a vegetarian version by making the sauce with veggies and pouring it over noodles of your choice.

Delicious!



[love]

{Rani D.}

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Bobs

How'd you guys like Monday's recipe? If you try it, send me a picture on Facebook or Instagram and let me know how it turned out!

Today I'm giving you one of my other favorite recipes... and one that has a strange name.

See, when I made this recipe (a tweak off one my dad brought from Pakistan) I had no idea what to call it. However, at that point in my life I had an odd habit of answering every question put to me with the name "Bob Saget"... So when one of my friends asked what I called the dish and I didn't know, I told her it was "Bob Saget Chicken." Long story short, the name stuck.


"Bob Saget" Chicken (or Potatoes)




Ingredients: 


  • 1 lb Chicken Thigh Meat, Sliced into Strips
  • 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil (do not, I repeat, do not, use canola)
  • 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock (obviously, I cook with a lot of chicken stock)
  • 1/4-1 Teaspoon Cayenne, to taste (I like my food spicy)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/2-1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika (depends on how smoky you like it)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric 
  • Salt, to Taste

Directions: 


Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Once oil is hot, add the chicken, chicken stock, and spices. Cook until chicken is cooked through, maintaining a thin sauce in the pan by adding extra stock, if necessary. Once chicken is cooked through, taste your sauce and tweak spice levels until it tastes how you like it! I recommend serving it over basmati rice with peas, Indian-food style.

Simple, and delicious!

You can also make this recipe with potatoes instead of chicken, just nix the chicken stock and keep a little water in the bottom of the pan to maintain a thick sauce over the potatoes.

Yum!

[love]

{Rani Divine}

p.s. Just for the record, I also call it "Spicy Chicken" or "Spicy Potatoes" to make myself feel less silly.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Peeled Off

It's the last week of the All Things Rani series, and I thought we should try something that I don't generally even write down:

Recipes.

I've known how to cook since I was a kid. Literally, I was four when I taught my father how to cook pasta.

So, it wasn't that surprising when college rolled around and I decided to make a few of my own recipes.

This week, I'll be sharing three of those recipes with you.


Rice Pilaf 




I know, sounds kinda boring, doesn't it? But trust me, it's delicious and it's not that difficult to make.

Ingredients: 



  • 2 Tablespoons Butter (real butter, mind you)
  • 3/4 Cup Rice
  • 1/4 Cup Orzo (you can use a full cup of rice and no orzo if you prefer, but then it wouldn't technically be a pilaf)
  • 1 3/4 Cups Chicken Stock (find the richest one you can—I like the one from Trader Joe's. I like my rice a little crunchy, but if you like yours very soft then go ahead and use 2 full cups)
  • 1 Tablespoon Kikoman Soy Sauce (yes, it has to be Kikoman)  
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1-2 Teaspoons No-Salt Seasoning from Costco (pic above)
  • 1/4 Cup Chopped Cashews or Blanched Almonds
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Cooked Chicken (I use breast meat off a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 Large Carrot, Chopped (I used a purple carrot, because that's what I had)
  • Soy Sauce to Taste

Directions: 


In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add rice and orzo and toast until grains are lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and Kikoman soy sauce. Stir. Add salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and no-salt seasoning.

Here's the important part: taste your broth. Make sure it tastes like what you would imagine is a delicious chicken soup. Add more seasonings until it tastes right (don't add too much salt here if you're like me and want to put soy sauce on top when it's done). Once your broth tastes delicious, put a lid on your pan, lower to medium-low heat, and let it sit without lifting the lid for about six minutes.

After those six minutes, remove the lid and stir it up. There should still be about half of the liquid remaining, and the rice should be approximately halfway cooked. If it needs a little more time, don't be afraid to give it. Now, add your nuts, chicken, and carrot, stir it up, and put the lid back on. Do not lift the lid for at least four minutes.

After that time, take off the lid and stir. By now the majority of the liquid should be cooked out and the rice should be mostly tender (I like my rice a little crunchy). (If there's only a little water left in the bottom of the pan at this point, put the lid back on and turn off the heat; leave it for about five minutes and it'll finish cooking). If you think it needs more time, give it — but don't leave it too long or the rice at the bottom will burn to the pan.

Fluff with a fork and serve with soy sauce.

Delicious college-y dinner that only takes twenty minutes to make. Woo!




[love]

{RD}

Friday, October 23, 2015

R

It's Friday! And I actually have the day off! Actually, I'm taking a bunch of time off. You'll find out why... eventually. Sorry guys.

Today's the last day in the television show series, and so I wanted to do something a little more fun and tell you about three shows I watch religiously -- three shows that have pretty much nothing in common whatsoever.

Huh?




1. The Walking Dead


You guys already know I watch this show. I was semi depressed when I realized I wasn't going to be in town to see the premiere a couple weeks ago, but I got to spend some time with my great grandmother, so it made up for it.

Despite the horror themes, which I'm honestly not generally a fan of, this show caught my attention and has refused to fully let go. Every time I start to think that I'm done, they do something that pulls me right back in again. I don't know how they do it.

I've become so invested in these characters and their lives that I can't give it up... which makes it one of very few currently running shows I watch (12 Monkeys is the other favorite currently-airing show).

2. Downton Abbey


Pretty soon here, I'll be able to add this to the list of cancelled shows I still binge on. I'm a little sad about that.

From episode one, I couldn't stop. But it's not the infamous Lady Mary that keeps me watching. In fact, it's the people downstairs. They intrigue me, how they can do what they do and be so content with their lives, and yet all at once they decide they'd like more out of living. It's fun, it's intriguing, and it usually ends with me mimicking the British accent, because it's what I do.

If you have an accent and you talk to me, I will copy it. I apologize. I honestly can't help it.

3. Moonlight


Show of hands, how many of you have actually heard of this one?

Now, how many of you have watched it?

Not. Many.

It's okay, I didn't expect many people to have seen it. In some ways, I don't even know why I've seen it, or why I bought the DVD set after having watched only two episodes. But I did. And every year or so I pick it back up and watch it all over again -- all one seasons of it.

It's a vampire private detective. Yup, it's about as good as it sounds.

But I can't freaking get myself to stop!

... help.

[love]

{Rani D.}

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

SF

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I hoped you enjoyed my prior post, because we're not changing the theme of the week. You're stuck with it until Monday. What am I doing Monday? Well you'll have to wait and see.


Sci-Fi



 Obviously, I'm a science fiction kind of girl. It's what I write the most, and it's what I enjoy the most in the world of telie -- but there are three shows that take the cake. Okay, technically four.

1. Stargate


If you've read my bios, you'll know I first developed the science fiction bug with Stargate SG-1. One of my brother's friends told him to watch it, so we watched it together, and now I have all of the seasons and the movies. Oh, and Atlantis, the spin-off, which I liked almost more than the original. How often does that happen?

Stargate was the thing that pushed me into the world of science fiction, the show that opened my mind to new possibilities in story, and it was really part of why I started writing in the first place.

Despite the fun characters, amazing writing, and interesting plot lines, that's enough to make Stargate #1 in my book.

2. Firefly


No, I didn't watch this show when it first aired on TV. I didn't hear about it until well after the show had been cancelled, but that didn't stop my watching it — or my occasionally dreaming that I'm a part of their world.

That's what really made Firefly amazing, was that Joss Whedon made everything come to life and made us all want to be a part of that story. It's a difficult thing to do, especially with a television show, and yet he pulled it off with seemingly minimal effort.

That's what keeps me watching this show, even now.

3. Sanctuary


I'll admit it, I was livid when I found out this show was over. There was no warning, no final season, nothing. Syfy just decided at the last minute that they didn't want to bring it back. So... it's gone.

But Sanctuary was something of a breakthrough for me. Not only was almost the entire show filmed on green-screen, but I didn't care. The characters, the story, everything was believable enough that I didn't care how fake some things looked. All I wanted to do was keeping watching and know all my favorite characters were going to stay alive, which, spoiler alert, some of them didn't.


I could also mention shows like Warehouse 13, Eureka, or Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I felt like that would be going a bit too far.

Boy do I have a thing for shows that don't run anymore.

[love]

{RD}

Monday, October 19, 2015

C

Occasionally, writers need a break from writing. That's a little bit of what this week is going to be about, here in WEAATR. Wow that's a weird acronym. Remind me to think of a better way to shorten that, will you?

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of television. But... I'm not as much a fan of many of the more recent shows. In fact, I tend to have more of an affinity to things that have now ended. So this week I'm going to tell you some about those shows, and what it is that keeps me going back for more -- even though I've already seen every episode multiple times.

Today's theme:

Comedy



I know, I know, I've told you before that I don't like comedy. And that's true. But you know what I've liked a few of? Sitcoms.

Only a few, mind you.

1. Friends


I basically grew up with this show. I may not have watched it when it first came out, but by the time I was a teenager it was almost over and I really enjoyed it. I'm a Monica, in case you hadn't already figured that out. Yes, I've taken the quizzes. And I've known from the beginning that I would be a Monica.

But especially now that this show is on Netflix, I watch it a lot. I probably watch it more than I should.

Why?

It's not just because it's funny. It's because the writing is so dang good. There are only a few times when the characters seem static, throughout the entire series, and that's amazing to me. I've witnessed so many shows go down the drain because the writers couldn't keep the characters straight.

2. HIMYM


Okay, okay, this one hasn't been dead that long... But it's still dead. And I'm not sad about it. I do wish they'd given it another season, but it's okay.

Up until those last two seasons, the writing for this show was outstanding. The characters made sense, the plots made sense, and everything fit together beautifully. And then it all went down the drain when the writers realized they didn't have as much time as they thought they did.

So here, I just pretend there were only seven seasons, and I make up my own ending. It's better that way, trust me. I had a much better ending in mind for each and every one of those characters.

3. Gilligan's Island


Weren't expecting this one, were you? This show only lasted three seasons... All of which I now have on DVD. Again, I pretend there wasn't as much to the series as they really did (i.e. no movies, thanks much).

If you don't like stupid, don't watch this show.

If you like stupid, watch this show.

If you're a writer and sometimes you need to get out of your own head by living in the moment and laughing at the absurdity of people trapped on an island that apparently lots of people actually know about but nobody can do anything about it... watch this show.

Trust me, it breaks the monotony quite nicely, without reverting to crude humor that, let's face it, isn't even funny.


[love]

{Rani D.}

Friday, October 16, 2015

Other

To Learn or not to Learn



Like I said on Monday, Russian is only the first in a line of languages that I'd like to learn. Hopefully I'll find the time to get myself at least partially fluent in Russian within the next few years, so I'll have a chance to start on the next.

But here I have four languages listed -- two that I want to learn, and two that I don't -- and the why's.

1. To learn: German


Why? My brother went on a trip to Germany when we were in high school, and it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. We both ended up taking a class in German while we were in college, and I actually have friends now who are fluent in it. It's a place that I would greatly enjoy visiting and traveling across, and I think it's a little funny that a lot of their words make them sound unhappy when they're not.

2. Not to learn: French


Ever heard the stereotype that French people are bossy and rude? It's not far off. I'll admit that I do know a few very nice people who speak and are from France, but as a whole they tend to pride themselves on their rude demeanor and difficult to learn language.

And wonder of wonders, I don't find their language attractive. In fact, I'm somewhat repulsed by several of the sounds they make.

It's a little weird.

3. To learn: Hindi


Did you know my dad is from Pakistan? Some of you did, I'm sure.

He used to know Hindi, until several years after moving to the states. Now he remembers bits and pieces here and there, and I'd like to see if he'd remember more if I started learning the language for real. It's a bit of an experiment.

Not to mention the fact that I'd like to go to Pakistan to see the land from whence my father came. 

4. Not to learn: Spanish


I live in New Mexico, and I have since I was two years old. However, this doesn't mean that I have an affinity for Spanish. In fact, it's quite the opposite. No offense intended to anyone who likes Spanish, speaks Spanish, or is Spanish, but I don't understand why when a word is rooted in Spanish we have to speak it like we're Mexican. I don't get it. It confuses me.

Maybe I'm weird.

Okay, I am weird.

But we already knew that, didn't we?

[love]

{Rani D.}

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Weleekish

Happy Wednesday!

Today I thought I'd continue the trend and tell you a little more about my affinity for...

Language



1. Yiddish


No, I'm not saying that I really want to learn Yiddish. I'm saying that I really like the sound patterns and intonation of the language -- and I like the lettering enough that I've actually borrowed from this language in one of my books.

Sorry guys, you wouldn't know what book it is. I'm hoping to release it next year or the year after though, so keep your eyes peeled!

I chose Yiddish for that particular story because it was fairly guttural, which was exactly what I was looking for. Only a few of the characters in the book used the language, but all of them were ones who would've spoken in these tones. 

2. Greek


I've actually used Greek in a couple of short stories as well. At the very least, it's a fun language to riff off.

I tend to use it when I'm writing things that are heavily influenced by Christianity, because the New Testament was written in Greek. It makes things interesting, because it helps to "hide" words in plain sight, by tweaking them and writing them in Greek (or with Greek spelling, if you can't muster their letters).

3. Welsh


If you've read anything of the Druid Novels yet, you'll know about this one. The language the druids speak is actually a variant of Welsh. If you're fluent in Welsh and were expecting the druids to speak fluent Welsh, you're in for a surprise. They weren't.

This language I chose because of something I'd heard in one my classes -- that the original druids were, in fact, Welsh. And I'd named the species druids, so... it fit. 


Another surprise: these aren't the only languages I've riffed or tweaked for my writing.

[love]

{RD}

Monday, October 12, 2015

Russia

Hey-o!

How was your weekend? (I guess you'll have to post a comment to let me know...)


Today we're continuing in our All Things Rani series by talking a little about my slight obsession with language. No, I don't mean foul language. I just mean language in general. And not just English. I may have a bachelors degree in that subject area, but it doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the others.

Russian



I've been learning Russian now for about a year and a half. It hasn't been steady, so I won't try to insult your intelligence by telling you that it has.

It's hard work, learning any language.

But by now I've mastered several hundred words and phrases, and I've done it all in my spare time. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Things could've been faster, but I don't like to push myself -- especially when it's something I'm doing for fun and in my downtime.


So for funsies, here are my top ten reasons why I picked Russian as my first (you heard me, first) secondary language:

  1. The language is beautiful
  2. The people are beautiful
  3. I've never been one to believe the American stereotype that says all Russian people are evil -- and I'd like to be able to better prove my case
  4. I don't understand how their communication style works, and I've always been fascinated by communication styles
  5. I want to travel the world, and Russia is a larger portion of the world than people tend to think
  6. I've always wanted to learn to roll my r's, but I never liked Spanish or many of the other languages where they're prominent (bonus: it only took me a month or two to fully master the sound!)
  7. I watched the Sochi Olympics, and I fell in love
  8. I like the cold far more than I like the heat -- I know, I live in the wrong part of the world for that
  9. I found that there's a lot of Russian choral music, and I have an affinity for choral music
  10. Because... I could. 

That's really the brunt of it. I picked Russian because I could.

So there, now you know something about me.

If you want to learn it with me, I highly recommend Byki software and The Everything Essential Russian Book by Julia Stakhnevich. Don't get the Penguin book. It's far too confusing and a little out of order, in my opinion.

[love and laughter]

{Rani D.}

Friday, October 9, 2015

All Choked Up

It's Friday! *happy dance* Oh wait... I work on Saturday's too. Oh well, it's still Friday!

Thanks to those of you who've sent me your pictures of your homemade products -- I'm glad some of you tried them out, and that you're liking them so much. If you'd like to see more stuff like this on the blog, let me know!

Today, however, we're not talking about hair or makeup. We're talking about necklaces.

Some of you, I'm sure, have noticed that I literally always wear a choker. Really, the necklace has become something of a security blanket for me. I feel weird when I'm not wearing one, like I left the house and forgot to put on my top or something. Weird.

But they're expensive. Sheesh, they're expensive. I don't like that part, but I haven't been able to convince myself to stop wearing them.

What's a Rani to do?

Make them herself, of course!

Although, having a basic knowledge of sewing helps.





This one was really quite simple to make, and only took twenty or so minutes (once I figured out what bead I wanted and which clasp worked best).

Step one: Find your lace.


I recommend fabric and craft stores, to make sure you find what you're looking for.



Step two: Beads.


Again, craft stores are your friend. Go ahead and get lots of stuff, so you'll have options for all of your laces. Not every bead will work with every lace.



Step three: Clamps, Clasps, and Chains


Use whatever you know you can fasten easily and quickly, because you never know when you're going to be in a hurry to get your choker off. I've gotten them caught on things before.



Step four: Put it together!


This is the fun part. Use your creativity, some craft glue, some thread, and make something beautiful. Easy peasy (with that basic knowledge of sewing, of course).



Now, I've only recently started doing this, but so far it's been a lot of fun and I've already come up with designs that I've never seen anywhere else.


How many of you make your own jewelry? Let me know or send me pictures in the comments!

[love]

{Rani D.}

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Washed

Happy hump day! ... I've always felt weird saying that. But I hope you guys enjoyed Monday's post -- I have a lot more in store for you.

Today, we're talking about hair. Things might be a little girly this week, sorry guys.


Two weeks ago was the last time I washed my hair. Sounds gross, doesn't it? You'd think that it would be. But I've been doing my research for a while, and I decided I'd give it a shot.

You guys already know that I'm holistic. So I guess the question would be, why not just make my own shampoo? It's harder than it sounds. Hair has a specific pH, and I am not scientifically minded enough to figure out how all that works. After researching that for a while, I didn't even want to try.

So I looked into different options.

As it was, I already stopped washing my hair so frequently. For almost two years, I've stuck to the pattern of washing my hair 1-2 times a week, depending on what I have going on that week (i.e. if I need to see people, I washed my hair twice, if I didn't, I only did it once).

I kept finding all these bloggers saying how great it was when they stopped washing their hair, because hey, people did it for years with no side effects.


I figured, I already don't wash my hair very often, why not try stopping completely?


So I did.


I would show you a picture, but I've been so busy today that I haven't even made it to the shower. Yet.


But I will tell you that it looks pretty good, and that I keep getting compliments on how cute it is. My hair is short, so the grease doesn't take long to work itself out. By now it feels pretty great, and it'll be a lot easier on my budget.

Why? Because I no longer need to buy shampoo or conditioner.

But sometimes, especially in the beginning, the grease gets overwhelming... and for that, I have a solution for you:


Dry Shampoo




Like Monday, this is a recipe day.

Unlike Monday, there are only two ingredients.

  • 1/4 Cup Arrowroot
  • 5-10 Drops of Lavender or Geranium Essential Oils
  • (plus a cute bottle to put it in)

Mix em up in a bowl, so the arrowroot will develop a smoother consistency, and funnel into your little jar or bottle. Apply to the roots of your hair with an old makeup brush. Leave it in for one or two minutes, then comb it out until you no longer see any white and all the grease has been soaked away.

Magic.


[love]

{Rani D.}

Monday, October 5, 2015

Toned

Happy October everyone! I hope it's actually cool where you live... because it's only just starting to cool down here.

That's just not right, in my book. #NewMexicoProblems



Anyway -- this month I thought it'd be fun to do something I've never done before, and let you in on some of the other parts of my life.

This blog is called writing, editing, and all things Rani, so why not go with the All Things Rani portion?



Now, you know I do my own nail art almost every week (apologies to those of you who were looking forward to this week's art -- making an Indian feast made me far too sleepy to see straight), but did you know that it's not the only crafty thing I do?


I'm pretty holistic. I won't say that I'm insanely holistic or that I refuse to eat anything or use any product that doesn't match those standards, but I do have a higher standard than the majority of my friends.

Sorry guys ;-P

Eating organic has been a big part of my life for a while, since I developed... erm... let's just say some foods were making me not feel good when I was a kid. So my family switched over to eating organic and natural foods, sustainable when possible, and holy hannah I got healthy in a hurry!

My mom and I figured, why stop there?

This past spring, we started making our own beauty products. In all, we've made chapsticks, lotions, in-shower lotions, body wash, face wash, toner, mud masks, blush, and foundation. I think I'm missing something, but you get the gist.


Really, this post is for the ladies. Sorry men, I probably should've stated that sooner. Feel free to click that little X at the top of the tab now if you like.

For the first day of our "All Things Rani" series, I thought you ladies might like the recipe for one of the easier and more amazing holistic products I've started making:

Toner




Ingredients:

1-2 Green Tea Bags
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 tsp Vodka (to prevent molding/spoiling)
1/4 tsp Vitamin E (the contents of a capsule is entirely acceptable!)
5-10 Drops of Essential Oil (my favorites are ylang ylang and frankincense)
A pretty bottle to put it in!

Directions:

Empty the contents of the tea bag(s) into the boiling water. Allow to steep for 1-2 hours, until the mixture is completely cool and you're pretty sure you've gotten all you're going to get out of those leaves. Strain twice and funnel into your bottle. Add your vodka, vitamin E, and essential oils, seal up the bottle, and shake to combine. Use twice a day, after washing your face and before moisturizing, and experience happy skin.

If you don't have any essential oils, don't worry, you don't need them. Some of them are very nice for your skin and help with acne, dryness, or oil -- depending on your skin type -- but the tea on its own also has amazing benefits for your skin.

If you don't have any vodka, substitute with any "flavorless" alcohol. I don't recommend rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, because these can seriously dry out your skin -- and nobody wants that.


Let me know if you try it out! Me and my mother have been making it for every woman we know, and we've yet to find anyone who doesn't obsess over it.

Keep checking back in for more fun tidbits about me and possibly another recipe or two!

[love]

{Rani Divine}

Friday, October 2, 2015

Holy

If you haven't heard yet, go to The RAD Store to check out the sale! All books have been discounted while the company is getting ready to change locations -- meaning both Coetir and Telekinetic have had their prices cut FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Check it out soon, or miss out on your chance.

~

#1, Part two. The Holy Bible



1. Life


Most people I know who've read the Bible agree that it's a study in how we ought to live. For a while, that was how I saw it. This, to me, was a book that talked about how we were supposed to be and how much we sucked at it.

But then I dug a little deeper. Then I found the truth in the words, and I started to understand what the books were really talking about.

It's not about beating us down when we've done something wrong, not about telling us how very wrong we've been in life, but to point us to the person who got it all right.

Through this book, I learned all I really needed to know about life.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

That's all there is to it, in the end.

2. Writing


For me, life involves writing. I can't separate the two, and I don't believe that God would ask me to. I honestly believe that it was God who gave me this desire to write, who put in me the imagination to create so many different worlds and different people.

Through the Bible, I didn't just learn about life. I learned about my writing.

It taught me what I should be writing, what I shouldn't be writing, and how I should really piece words together to get everything the way it should be. And I'm not saying that my writing is perfect, but I am saying that the Bible has helped, and continues to help, get me a lot closer.


If you really want to know what I mean, then I hope you'll ask. I have a lot more to say, but I'm not the type to write something so personal on my writing blog.

Hope you don't mind. :)

[love and peace]

{Rani Divine}