The Cost of Exaggeration

Exaggeration. I think we’re all guilty of it. 

I’m not totally against exaggeration. In fact, I’m quite an exaggerating person. My friends can testify. ;) But since I don’t want all those embarrassing stories to come out I don’t think we’ll ask them to. 

I can think of several good reasons to exaggerate. (Well, more or less good ones, depending on your personal tastes and opinions. ;P) First off, it’s humorous. I don’t know about you, but reading exaggeration often makes me laugh. Well-written exaggeration can sometimes bring up the most hilarious scenarios in your mind. I like to laugh, and exaggeration is often something that I can laugh at. 

Two, it’s emphatic. Emphasis is important. I’m a very emphatic person so maybe I’m biased. Emphasis makes your stand clear and can be very useful. ;) 

But as useful (or enjoyable) as exaggeration is, it does hold some danger. Think about this for a minute...

...if everything is “soaking wet,” what will we say when things are so wet they’re dripping water?

...if every time it’s hot we “boil,” what are we going to say when the temperature rises by ten degrees?

...if everything makes us “laugh our heads off”, what is going to happen when something is so funny we laugh ourselves speechless?

...if everything is “the most adorable thing ever,” what will we say when we see something heart-melting? 

...if everything makes us “literally,” do something, how will we convey that we actually did literally do something? 

If every time something happens we “die”... 

then why are we still alive? 

Exaggeration is all very well in its place, but if we constantly use it, then it loses its flavour and weakens our words. 

What if instead, we said...

... that the towel we just used was “wet,” and that when we went running in the rain we were “soaking wet”?

... that last week was “hot” and that this week it’s “boiling” in Pennsylvania?

... that the meme we just saw was “really funny,” and that our father just made a joke that made us “laugh our heads off”?

... that the puppy was “super cute,” and that our little sister’s baby smile is “the most adorable thing ever?”

...that we “virtually hit the roof” and that our mother “literally cried with joy” at her surprise birthday party?

And let's not “die” of emotion.

If we save exaggeration for the times when we really want to express ourselves strongly, it will be much more effective. 

... Just some thoughts that I had recently. What do you think?

The Sunshine Blogger Award & the Liebster Award

Hey everyone! I'm here with two tags that I borrowed from a friend... and I also borrowed her idea of having a sibling answer the questions about me! I had my two oldest sisters do it, and... they sometimes know me better than I know myself. ;) 

Rules: 

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.
• List the rules and display an award logo on your blog post.
• Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and notify them by commenting on any of their posts.
• Ask the nominees 11 new questions.

Kassie posted the tag and didn’t tag anyone, so I nominated myself. xP I am using the questions that she was given.

• Do you have any food allergies?

Ummm... cocoa upsets my stomach, so like brownies don’t sit too well with me (I eat them anyways xP). 

Lissa: No. 

Becca: No. 

• When was the last time you had a bowl of cereal?

Uhhhh.... I don’t know?? I think I had some this week... 

Lissa: You don’t like eating cereal, so probably when you were a kid. I haven’t seen you eating cereal and milk for a long time.

Becca: *rolls eyes* I don’t know. A week ago? 

Lissa: She never eats cereal. 

Becca: Yeah, but she eats dry cereal. So yeah, yesterday morning. Or the day before that? [This was written on Saturday, July 19th.]

• What is your favorite cereal?

Harvest Crunch because I can mix it with yogurt. Frosted Flakes when I haven’t yogurt. I don’t drink milk so I eat my cereal dry. 

Lissa: Harvest Crunch.

Becca: Umm... the religious cereal. Quaker. [Harvest Crunch.] 

• What is your favorite flavor of chips?

Cheddar!! I love cheese. I also like the original flavour though.

Lissa: Cheese, probably? 

Becca: Oh, I don’t know. Salt & vinegar? [I hate salt & vinegar so I have no idea where she got that answer!]

• What is your favorite meal containing pasta?

I love pasta sooo much! It would either be Cheesy Pasta Soup (aka a twist on Lasagna Soup) without onions, or pasta with cheese melted on top. I love pasta with just tomato sauce though. And I absolutely LOVE spaghetti!!! 

Lissa: Just pasta and cheese, I guess. 

Becca: Pasta & cheese. 

• Do you enjoy cooking? If so, why?

I don’t mind cooking most of the time. I don’t like trying new recipes because I generally absent-mindedly do something wrong or forget something or... things like that. 

Lissa: Nah. 

Becca: [Because] you get to eat after? I don’t know. 

• Do you prefer fast food or sit down restaurants?

Sit-down restaurants take so long, but they taste better. But I don’t mind fast-food, except McDonald’s sometimes gives me a stomachache. 

Lissa: Sit-down restaurants? 

Becca: Sit-down. 

• What is your least favorite fruit?

The first that comes to mind is bananas... but it would be easier to ask what are my favourite fruits. I had some fruits I love and then the rest I don’t like at all. Same with vegetables. 

Lissa: Fruit? We don’t eat all the fruits anyway. *shakes head & contemplates* Umm... banana?

Becca: Mangoes? [I don't like mangoes either!]

• Have you ever had food poisoning?

I... don’t think so... 

Lissa: Nnnno. 

Becca: Um, I think once. [She might be right. Not sure if it was food poisoning though.]

• What is your favorite month of the year?

Probably late August/early September? I love when it’s warm but not hot and the trees are so golden and green. 

Lissa: I have no idea. 

Becca: *laughs* January? [It's my birthday month.]

• Have you ever seen the US White House in person?

Nope. xP I doubt I ever will too... I expect the Canadian version of this would be "Have you ever seen the Parliament Buildings?" Which NO I NEVER HAVE, but I want to so bad!!

Lissa: *snickers* No. 

Becca: *rolls eyes* Why would you have seen the US White House in person? [We've never been even close to it, I don't think.]

I’m gonna skip the nominees because I don’t have enough followers for that. But if you want to do it, PLEASE DO! In the comments, even! :) 

Annnnnd the next tag is....

Rules: 

• Acknowledge the blogger that gave it to you and display the award. 
• Answer 11 questions that the blogger gave you.
• Give 11 random thoughts about yourself.

No one gave me this award... I just stole the tag from Kassie... xP Again, I am using the questions that she was given.

• Are you an evil author? Do you make your characters suffer?

Yes. And it totally doesn’t bother me. Which is weird because generally I hate having people hurt!! 

Lissa: Not purposely? *snickers* 

Becca: Yes. 

• What is the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?

*thinks for a moment* *suddenly remembers and does a facepalm* There was this one time we had a celebration at church and there were bottles of soda. Keep in mind our family never gets a bottle of soda (like maybe once a year). Anyways, my little brother wanted soda and I picked up a bottle to give him some. He told me to shake it, and I—I was thinking of something else, and I did it. Someone exclaimed, “Oh, no, don’t do that!” It was too late by then. I can’t remember if I opened the bottle or not, but I was mortified. xP

Lissa: You probably said some piece of advice I gave you. ‘Cause you always take it the wrong way. [I almost did say that, lol!]

Becca: I don’t know. 

• If you had to choose between having hair for nails and nails for hair, which would it be?

Umm... neither?! Like what??? I guess hair for nails because I like my hair and I have no nails anyways... so I could just keep my finger-hair trimmed xP.

Lissa: You’d look hideous either way. Umm... nails for hair would look kind of cool. It’s look like you’ve got armour hair. You’d probably... I guess hair for nails. 

Becca: Hair for nails.

• Do you like to write with something to eat or drink? If ya do, what would that be?

No, it’s distracting. :) But I love to snack while reading! 

Lissa: Um... no. 

Becca: Yes... I don’t know [what].

• Do you ever tire of life and want to simply lie in bed all day?

NO! It would be far too lonely! I got enough of that when I’m sick. 

Lissa: *to the world in general* If you do you’re pretty dumb.... *to me* It won’t happen unless you’re sick. 

Becca. Yes. *says something about recharging* 

• What is your earliest memory? (yes, I’m making you…)

I think it was when my father baptized someone and forgot to take his keys out of his pocket so the automatic unlocked keypad thingamajig didn’t work anymore and we were locked out of our car... I was 5 or younger. 

Lissa: Ooo, hard. I have no idea. 

Becca: You getting stitches? [She’s right. I was less than 5 then. Traumatic memory, but what bugs me most is the lie one of the nurses told me!]

• Pumpkin pie or apple pie?

Apple!! I love apple pie sooo much. Swedish apple pie and traditional North American apple pie. I love pie!! I love apples too. And I don’t like pumpkin so I don't like pumpkin pie. It's a waste of pie crust. (Which I love). 

Lissa: Apple pie. 

Becca: Apple pie.

• Why is it that all the characters of other author’s books I’ve met always tell of how their authors make them go through terrible life situations? 

Because life does have terrible situations but God can always turn them to good, and we like to remind people of that. Besides, your stories are just like that and we can’t change it. Sorry. 

Lissa: Because they like to emphasize. It’s a matter of pride for authors how much they make characters suffer and then make the characters much better after. 

Becca: Because they think it teaches them. 

• If you could say anything for the whole world to hear for one minute, what would it be?

I have several things I’d say. But I think this is the top thing: There’s so, so many things to worry about and be afraid of. But God doesn’t want us to have a spirit of fear. He delivered us from the biggest worry and fear by sending Jesus to save us. And He can help us in our everyday life, giving us peace and joy and letting us cast our cares on Him. Don’t let the fear cripple you, Step out in faith. It’s worth it, I promise. 

Lissa: Oh, my, I don’t know what you would say. Um... let’s see... oh, you’d probably... *she’s unpacking while doing this so she’s distracted* I have no idea what you’d talk about for the whole world to hear. If you were talking to just a bunch of authors you’d probably talk about your favourite book. I don’t know if you’d tell that to the whole world. You might, actually. 

Becca: I don’t know! I don’t know what you’d say. It depends what the situation was and where you were. 

• Plants, games, or paint?

I don’t like gardening. I dislike painting because I can never paint what I see in my head. So games. :)  I like playing board games and card games quite a bit. 

Lissa: Games, ‘cause you don’t like your paintings. 

Becca: Games. 

• What is the first story you’ve ever written?

My early stories were mostly plagiarisms. xP My first all-mine story was probably the one I wrote from this story prompt (scroll to bottom), set during the Sir William Wallace’s time.

Lissa: Oh my word, I don’t know. About some prince and princess stuck in a castle or something? Or a Pollyanna-type story. 

Becca: One of Gwendoline Mary. [She’s actually right—my first real story was about a girl named Mary (no Gwendoline involved—similar names caused confusion). I never finished it but it wasn’t that bad. xP]

And now for the....

11 Random Facts: 

1. I love the water but I am terrified if I cannot feel the bottom. 
2. I love hanging clothes up on the clothesline (unless I'm like too hot or busy doing something else, haha!) I have very particular mehods--lots of pattern making. ;)
3. I twisted my knee when I was 12 while I was running and I just lay down and cried and moaned. Afterwards I felt so ashamed because a friend sprained his hand and didn't make a duss. 
4. I love to watch babies and toddlers but I never want to babysit them (unless the toddler is a sibling) because they can't explain themselves to me and I hate that. 
5. I adore calligraphy. 
6. I have burned myself badly in the kitchen at least 3 times. (I'm sure there were more). I also burned myelf less severely and cut myself often. All in the kitchen. 
7. I have seldom seen fireworks but I love watching them so much!
8. I both love and hate reading translations of books (English-French and French-English) because I remember each little phrase and notice how its different. It's both cool and annoying. xD  
9. I love to listen to Swedish. Like, people talking Swedish. (I'm also learning it (a little...).)
10. I collect names. Girl names, boy names, full names, last names, pet names, ship names...
11. I am allergic to dust. (Not fun). 

Lissa: 

1. She never likes doing her hair fancy.
2. She never makes her bed unless she really has to.
3. If you met her, you would think that she isn’t very girly...
4. ...But she loves pretty things.
5. She hates having things messing up her bed. Such as teddy bears. They’re unceremoniously kicked off.
6. It’s very easy to get her to fangirl about something.
7. She’s allergic to painting her fingernails. [I’m allergic to the paint]
8. She probably spends a quarter of her day reading something. 
9. She loves poetry. 
10. She has a great fear of getting lost.
11. And a great fear of many other things. 

Becca: 

1. You have glasses.
2. You broke a wall. [She’s right... unfortunately.]
3. You’re scared of losing people.
4. You’re scared of big dogs.
5. You have a lot of friends. 
6. You’re good at knowing big words.
7. You sometimes brush your teeth at lunch. [Gab: She does that often. Me: what??] 
8. You keep on breaking your earphones. 
9. You never do anything to your hair.
10. You tend to over-exaggerate. 
11. You always prefer good people to bad people. [Me: Doesn’t everyone??] 

I’m gonna skip the nominees again because I don’t have enough followers for that. But if you want to do it, PLEASE DO! In the comments, even! :) 

~ / / ~

I hope you enjoyed this... xD

Camp 2019: Highlights + What I Learned

This Camp was my first experience of any kind of camp whatsoever. I learned so many things... and I also came back with so many beautiful memories. I’m going to be sharing them today so this might get a bit rambly.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Singing in the dining hall. My cabin was singing outside during the lineup for lunch and we kept singing when we walked into the hall. The boys in line ahead of us joined in, and we sang while we waited. Then my cabin sang the camp theme song for the kitchen staff as a thank you and we sat down to eat. The boys began to sing random hymns and we joined in. It was beautiful. The hall was just perfect for the sound and the boys and girls sang very well. Our cabin’s voices mingled so well and we were sad we only found that out on the last day of camp! 
• Singing in the bus as we drove to the YMCA that evening. <3 Just the girls, but still beautiful. 
• Staying up till 1 PM sharing testimonies. It was amazing. We cried and laughed and talked... time just flew by. But we bonded over that. 
• Friday morning I got dizzy while sitting in chapel because I was dehydrated and one of my friends gave me her bottle of Gatoraid. Little things, guys... <3
• The sermons. They were amazing. 
• The time when the Juniors’ speaker’s wife have her testimony. She was just so smiley and happy and so full of Christ... it was a huge blessing to watch her. 
• The skits that the camp workers acted out for is Wednesday night.
• Riding on the bus. And playing Telephone. 
• The Night Game on Thursday. It was super fun. I don’t like the dark and I hate being snuck up on, so I began to get a bit panicky, and my friends kept making sure I was okay. <3
• The chapel games. I was completely astounded by all the yelling and clapping and stamping (never met anything like that before...) but it was ridiculously fun to do. xD 
• Wednesday Water Wars. Again, nothing like I ever did but overall, it was fun. ;) 
• Our cabin wearing the same hairstyle on Thursday! #spacebuns
• Getting my friends to sign my autograph book. They are the sweetest. <33
• Playing mini-golf with one of my counsellors and two of my cabinmates. (And singing “When He Cometh” in French in the middle of the course). 
• Needing to ask questions constantly because I don’t understand... and my friends amswering so patiently.
• Talking all about French stuff and Canada things with my cabin mates and counsellor. 
• Making s'mores! I've only had those once before in my life. THEY WERE SO YUMMY. 
• Memorizing Psalm 19 and figuring out why it was so hard for me... #itsnotmylanguage.
• Saying goodbye to my friend. Don’t get me wrong, I was sad to say goodbye to everyone. But I don’t often get hugged by my friends, and this girl said the sweetest words, hugged me, and let me cry on her shoulder for a minute. 

WHAT I LEARNED:

• There’s other people with a salvation story like me. Non-exciting and even uncertain. 
• Don’t judge people by the outside. You have no idea what the inside is like. 
• The Unknown can lead to beautiful things. 
• Fear will cripple your life if you let it... don’t. 
• #breakthebox and let God use you. 
• Give compliments, because they mean so much. 
• Smile. 
• Sisters are a huge blessing. 
• Crossing the border isn’t that terrible... (although I still hate it).
• I love watching volleyball. (It’s beautiful. Fascinating).
• Americans have a pledge of allegiance. (We don’t have anything like that and I was completely  astonished by it).
• God can do things bigger than you even dreamed. 
• I have the best friends. <33
• I can’t even start saying what I learned in the sermons. Just go listen to them. 

Camp had caused quite a bit of ripple effect in my life. I'm so grateful I got to go. I'm so grateful for all the workers an counsellors and speakers there. I'm so grateful for that experience. It was worth stepping into the Unknown.

The Music Tag

Today I’m doing a fun tag that Mikayla left open a loooong time ago and which I found in her archives. ;) I enjoyed doing this tag a lot! I got all the music off Naxos, which I believe is only a Canadian thing. 

Rules:

1. Write ten songs that come on shuffle (no skipping).
2. Write your favourite lyric from each song.
3. Tag some people.

Confession: I skipped one song which I don’t like the lyrics of, just the music.

1: “Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven” by Henry Francis Lyte (Worcester Cathedral Choir, “Blessed City: Hymns from Worcester”). 

I love how rich and praiseful this song is. And this choir sings it so well!! The last stanza <33 

“Fatherlike He tends and spares us;

Well our feeble frame he knows.

In His hand He gently bears us,

Rescues us from all our foes.

Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him!

Widely yet His mercy flows!”

2: “Tell Out, my Soul,” by Timothy Smith-Dudley (Huddersfield Choral Society, “The Hymns Album”). 

This hymn is very singable and has lovely truth :)  

“Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice.

Tender to me the promise of His Word;

In God, my Saviour, shall my heart rejoice.” 

3: “Hills of the North” by Charles E. Oakley (Huddersfield Choral Society, “The Hymns Album”).

This song is so spirited and triumphant and has beautiful words... and this arrangement of it is perfect. ^_^

“Isles of the Southern seas,

Sing to the listening earth,

Carry on every breeze

Hope of a world's new birth:

In Christ shall all be made anew,

His word is sure, His promise true.”

4: “Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Dwelling-Place” (Westminster Choir, “Favorite Hymns & Anthems”). 

This arrangement is perfect for this hymn!

“Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever Thou hast formed the earth and the world,

Even from eternity to eternity, 

Thou art God.” 

5: “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” by Walter Chalmers Smith (Worcester Cathedral Choir, “Blessed City: Hymns from Worcester”). 

A song of praise... not my favourite, but I love the music. 

“Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.”

6: “Let All the World in Ev’ry Corner Sing” by George Herbert (Queen’s College Choir, Cambridge; Cambridge University Brad’s Ensemble; Matthew Steynor; & James Weeks, “Wedding Hymns”). 

So joyous and happy!!  

“Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing,

‘My God and King!’

The church with psalms must shout:

No door can keep them out.

But, more than all, the heart

Must bear the longest part.

Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing,

‘My God and King!’”

7: “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” by Sebastian Temple (Salisbury Cathedral Choir, “Hymns From England”). 

I love this arrangement of this song. I never heard it before, but the music is gorgeous! 

“Make me a channel of Your peace

Where there's despair in life let me bring hope,

Where there is darkness, only light,

And where there's sadness ever joy.”

8: “Abide with Me” by Henry Francis Lyte (King’s College Choir, Cambridge, “Love Divine: The Essential Hymns Collection”).

I love this whole hymn!!! (And they sing all my favourite verses). It’s so hard to pick one stanza. 

“Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;

Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”

9: “Onward, Christian Soldiers” by Sabine Baring-Gould (Salisbury Cathedral Choir, “Hymns From England”). 

Not my favourite lyrics, but I love the tune and they sing it so well. 

“Crowns and thrones may perish,

Kingdoms rise and wane;

But the church of Jesus

Constant will remain.

Gates of hell can never

’Gainst the church prevail;

We have Christ’s own promise,

And that can not fail!” 

10: “Amazing Grace” by John Newton (Queen’s College Choir, Cambridge; Cambridge University Brad’s Ensemble; Matthew Steynor; & James Weeks, “Wedding Hymns”). 

Amazing Grace—who doesn’t love the lyrics of this hymn?! 

“The Lord hath promised good to me,

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures.” 

And I tag... Kassie & Ryana Lynn. Anyone else who wants to do it, feel free! Enjoy! ;) 

Have a lovely Saturday, everyone! <3