Monthly HapPENings: May

It's already time to do another one of these? Dang, it feels like I just wrote one. (I also realized that I never wrote one for February . . . whoops.)

Life stuff, life stuff . . . what kind of interesting stuff happened in my life this last month? Well, we celebrated Mother's Day, so I suppose that's something. On one Saturday, my sisters and I went out to the nearby city for lunch at a very delicious burger place. Since restaurants were take-out only at the time, we found a school park in a very quaint and quiet neighborhood to have a picnic. Then we did some shopping--I picked up a mini sketchbook, some drawing pens, and a few books. We concluded our day out with some milkshakes and a walk in the park. Made for a pretty great day.

I also mentioned last month that I'd had a job interview. Well, I ended up landing the job and started it a couple of weeks ago! I now do copyrighting for work, and that's been great so far. I work with some wonderful people (including my oldest sister), and I am enjoying it a lot so far. Still adjusting to a job where I sit all day, as well as finding my rhythm in the work flow, but that'll come with time. I'm just very thankful that I got a better job where I can use my skills and abilities more. It was definitely a Godsend.

Bookish HapPENings

Well, uh . . . guess I psyched myself up last month for nothing. I have started another book, at least. That's something, right? Maybe?

HapPENings on the Screen

I have now finished watching EXO's Ladder. Very different from anything I've really seen, but super entertaining with a lot of funny moments. I know I mentioned this a while back, but watching EXO interact with one another is a lot like watching a group of close-knit brothers. They may tease and poke and prod each other, but you definitely know that they love each other a lot. And though I saw for the better chunk of a year, it still felt a little sad to wrap things up. Gonna have to see it again several years down the road!

I finally got around to watching Psycho-Pass: The Movie, and it was very interesting! The plot and its themes were super intriguing, as always, and seemed to fit current world situations in some aspects as well--something that Psycho-Pass has done time and time again as I've been going through it. (I did find a little amusing how a certain voice actor showed up, and I was like, "Oh, he's played villains in both Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia. I wonder if he's going to turn out to be bad in here?" My guess ended up being correct.) Now I have to see if there's someplace where I can watch the other three (shorter) movies, as well as S3.

So! Jujutsu Kaisen! I was very eager to start this show, because the trailer looked epic and because Preston and I were going to watch it for the first time together. That's something we've never done before--normally one of us is showing the other an anime they haven't seen yet. I've seen only a few episodes of this one so far, but MAN. Is it ever good! If it keeps going the way it is, I would not be surprised in the slightest if it ends up being one of my top favorite anime. It's just so fantastic in every way.

AGH. I HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST HALF OF SEASON 4. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THIS WINTER BEFORE I CAN SEE HOW THIS STORY ENDS. AND I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING TO PRACTICALLY ANYONE. Seriously, you need--and I mean NEED--to see this if you haven't! You're missing out on what I would consider one of the greatest stories of all time.

Gaming HapPENings

So my youngest two sisters and I have just started playing Miitopia on the Switch. Most of that time was spent just making characters, but that was to be expected, especially at the beginning of the game. We've made some pretty hilarious choices for who should be the main hero, the Dark Lord, the villagers, etc. I can tell it's only getting to become more amusing for us. If you have a Switch and missed out on this game back when it released on the 3DS, now's the perfect time to pick it up!

We also recently finished Planet Alpha on the Switch. That was a very pretty, very interesting game. You have to piece the story together yourself by paying attention to what's going on throughout the whole game, while solving puzzles and avoiding enemies. Even at the end, I'm not sure I totally understood what was all going on--but not in a bad way. It's one of those games that lends itself to a lot of interesting theories. On top of that. it had some gorgeous scenery that was only enhanced by the game's unique art style. I'll have to replay it sometime and see if I can figure everything out then!

Writerly HapPENings

Recall how I mentioned last month that I was working on a story for a newsletter at my old job. Well, with the announcement of my new job, I had to buckle down and try to finish up the story as quickly as possible. I ended up succeeding with time to spare, somehow. It was an interesting challenge to limit the length of the story as much as I did, but I sincerely hope that the people there will enjoy reading it. If you'd like to read a 35-page mini story, I'll contact you and find a way to get it into your hands! I wouldn't say it's my best work, but it felt good to do some writing after such a long period without it.

And thus, that was my May! How was yours? What're you up to these days? Any stories of any kind--be it a book, movie/show, or game--that you'd recommend?

Monthly HapPENings: April

Okay, so it's May already. Let's all try not to panic. It's fine, it's cool, it's not like a third of the year is now over . . . except it actually is. F'real though, WHY IS IT MAY ALREADY???

Now to remember what kind of interesting life stuff happened. Oh wait, it's coming back to me. It's . . . nothing! Because we can't do anything these days!

. . . That's not entirely true. Interesting stuff did happen, and we can do some stuff. I just feel like I've had a lot less to say in this section for the past year. Here's to hoping that can change soon!

So what happened? My middle sister, my mom, one of my grandmas, and my "adopted" grandma all had a birthday, which meant there was a lot of celebrating going on. I also had a job interview that seems super promising, which I am ecstatic about. I've wanted to get a new job for a while now, but there's never been any opportunities that have jumped out at me. Maybe the reason for that was so that I could get this one. I'll definitely keep you all posted!

Oh yeah, my youngest two sisters and I also randomly decided to go out for supper one evening, and that was fun. You start to miss the simple pleasure of eating out now and then. We had two waitresses since one was in training, and we shared a lot of laughs. It was a very good time with delicious food.

Bookish HapPENings

I will finish a book this month. I will finish a book this month. I will finish a book this month. I will finish a book this month. I will, I will, I WILL!

(This is me psyching myself up to actually finish a book so that this section stops being boring.)

HapPENings on the Screen

Okay, so I've seen only one of the Mission: Impossible movies before this, and that was Rogue Nation. Its sequel, Fallout, not only builds off of it, but it does everything even better somehow. From the plot to the action sequences to the score, this film improves every moment while never forgetting the humanity in the characters in the midst of the crazy secret agent plot. I was blown away by it and am honestly already wanting to rewatch it. I haven't watch the first four movies in the series, but I can already say that they're worth seeing just to get to the latest two, especially this one.

I finished S2 of Psycho-Pass not long ago, and what an ending it was! It was different from how I thought it was going to go down, but that doesn't make it any less good. I did feel some parts of the last episode were a bit rushed; I wouldn't say it affected my overall opinion, though. I really don't know why people thought this season was worse than the first. To me, it was just as good, but in a different way. I'm curious how the movie is going to wrap things up with these characters, since S3 has entirely new ones.

I had added Noblesse to my queue on Crunchyroll quite some time ago, and now I'm finally getting around to it. Based off of a Webtoon, it's about a man named Rai who wields the power of the Noblesse and awakens after a 820 year slumber in the modern age. His servant Frankenstein enrolls him in a high school to hide him from his enemies, but soon they come knocking on his door. It's pretty good so far, but I wouldn't say it's great. Not yet, anyway. Also didn't help that I didn't realize you're supposed to watch a prologue episode that released four years before the main show, so I ended up watching EP1 and was confused about some stuff. I'll have to see where the show goes and report back as to whether it gets better or not!

Gaming HapPENings

I recently got this game called Shotgun Farmers after watching Markiplier play it and thinking it looked like a good time. I will say, it's surprisingly addictive. The gameplay is fairly simple: two teams of farmers duke it out, and their vegetable themed guns grow plants that give you more ammo or new guns if you miss a shot. There's a few different modes that get cycled through when you're playing online, and it's quite fun. I'm also not too shabby at it, which doesn't hurt. In one game, I even got six kills in a row, an achievement that only 11% of players have gotten. That makes me feel pretty confident in my skills as a fighting farmer.

So Preston and I decided to try out Zookeeper Simulator the other day, in which one person is a zookeeper trying to complete several tasks and the other person is an animal trying to kill them. You can have multiple animals, but not multiple zookeepers, which can get interesting. This game is . . . something else, I tell ya. It's got some very whacky physics and is broken as heck, but it is so, so hilarious. When I played with both Preston and Megan a couple of weeks ago, we were laughing pretty much the entire time. It was amazing, even if the game is not.

I've also been playing a translated version of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Prosecutor's Path, and it's been a blast so far. A very worthy sequel to the first Investigations title, with some interesting cases. Then again, I expected nothing less from an Ace Attorney game. I'm waiting to see when the overarching plot is going to reveal itself, because from what has been shown so far, it's going to be amazing. Again, this is a staple when it comes to the Ace Attorney series. Have I ever mentioned how much I love these games?

Writerly HapPENings

Believe it or not, I have been doing a bit of writing recently. At my current work, in which we support individuals with mental and physical disabilities, we've been sending out a monthly newsletter to the people who can't come into work right now. I offered to write a serial story for it, which I started in April. It's called The Hunt for the Greatest Treasure, a story about a brother and sister (both adults) who end up stranded in the middle of nowhere when they go for a road trip. Fleeing people with unknown intentions, they wind up at a cabin where they find a map proclaiming it leads to a fantastic treasure. They grow closer along the way and end up realizing that their relationship is the greatest treasure.

The biggest challenge of this so far has been writing a story in a simpler language, which means I'm avoiding more complex words and expressions, while still keeping it adult. I haven't written much yet, but the first part seems to have gotten positive feedback, which is good. But if I wind up landing the new job, I'm going to have to pump out the rest of the story in the next two weeks. Wish me luck!

And that was my April! How did yours go? Anything noteworthy happen? What've you been reading/watching/playing/writing recently?

Monthly HapPENings: March

Well, hel-LO there, April! How'd you get here so fast?

Seriously, where the heck did March end up going? It was here one minute and gone the next. And guess what? I didn't do squat! I know this is probably getting super boring at this point, but for real, there's nothing all that spectacular or noteworthy happening in my life right now--though I suppose that's the same for a lot of people, what with the lockdowns and restrictions and what-have-you. I did go to a local restaurant with my sisters for supper the other day. That was fun, since we haven't eaten out in quite some time. I just want things to get back to normal already.

Bookish HapPENings

Didn't really do any reading last month; in fact, I haven't even started my next book. But I want to get at least this one novel done before May, so . . . cross your fingers with me!

HapPENings on the Screen

I recently watched both Incredibles movies, and dang! I knew I absolutely loved the two films, but I think I had forgotten just how much. Like, I'm tempted to blog about them sometime, because they're actually some of the most mature Disney-Pixar movies to date. Plus they got really creative with their spins on the superhero genre, the first installment doing this even before the genre was popular. I need to get them for myself one of these days.

Just finished Joker Game several days ago. If you want a really interesting spy movie with more realism than Mission: Impossible despite being animated, you should watch it. The ending was very different from what I thought it would be, but I can certainly appreciate it. And while the whole show is very episodic, I think it does very well at telling the story and the messages that it wants to tell. I'd divulge into it more, but spoilers, am I right? (I really need to start a series of posts where I analyze anime.)

So I've been watching S4 of My Hero Academia for several weeks now--really loving the plot of the first arc. It's creepy, it's intense, and the fact that there's some dark realism to some of the plot points just makes everything hit that much harder. (Can't discuss those points, because, y'know, spoilers.) And then there's also the fact that I have no idea where the season is going to go afterward. Makes me very, very curious--and a tad worried.

While we're on the subject of hero shows, I've started watching S6 of The Flash. I'd say it's pretty solid so far! There was a time where the show was looking kind of meh, but I think it's found its stride again. The plot is pretty interesting, especially with how it was set up with stuff from the previous season. I also appreciate that it's only 19 episodes this time around. I've often felt like the other seasons have had a few "fluff and filler" episodes, so perhaps this will ensure that the plot is honed in on.

I was a bit nervous going into S2 of Psycho-Pass, as I'd seen people saying it wasn't as good as the first season. I needn't have bothered--I've found the second season to be just as good as its predecessor. Both are dark, violent tales that have very interesting commentary on society and free will. In fact, I'd say a lot of those messages and warnings hold true with everything going on these days. It makes it a very timely watch for me. I look forward to seeing how things conclude in this season!

Gaming HapPENings

Last week Saturday, I ended up playing Super Mario Odyssey for an hour or two. In that time, I reached Bowser's Kingdom, and was I not expecting it. First off, the architecture itself is unlike the usual for the Koopa King. He tends to have blockier, medieval-style castles. This one, as you can see, veers into the Japanese style--which I absolutely love. The backdrop of a moonlit sky with colorful clouds also helps make this final world a very memorable one. Did I mention the music, by the way? Because it is DOPE. I suspect I'll be finishing the main story in this game the next time I play, so I'm curious about that, as well as the endgame content.

Normally when I play my 2DS XL, I'll play a few different games at a time before I decide to change to a few other games. Not so in the month of March. During that time, I instead played 15-20 hours of just Tomodachi Life, and I loved every moment of it. Like, I really enjoyed the game before, but in the span of 31 days, I think it's become one of my top favorite 3DS titles of all time. It's so much fun and so nonsensical. For example, a character from The Flash show recently broke up with Tracey and was feeling super sad about it. My youngest two sisters and I hosted a pity party for him at the café, but the saddest part was that--while us other three had the most random and hilarious conversations--whenever we'd look at him for input, he'd stare unblinkingly at his cake. There are also the little things that make the game amusing, like how I gave my friend Preston a boxing suit, which he loved. He then proceeded to, whilst wearing his boxing gloves, type away furiously at his keyboard while someone sat there with him. If you have a 3DS or any of the other systems in its family, you need to buy this game.

Writerly HapPENings

And just like last month and the month before and so on and so forth, I have nothing to say in this section. I don't know how long it's been now since I last properly written, but . . . yeah. Maybe April will be different? Guess we'll see.

So that was my March! How was yours? Did it also fly by way too fast? What did you end up doing? Oh, and happy Good Friday/Easter to you and your family!

Monthly HapPENings: February

Oh . . . it seems to be March already. Guess it's time for one of these.

I'm honestly blanking out on life stuff right now, but maybe that's because I didn't really do anything? Like, aside from my regularly scheduled stuff--working full-time, watching my shows on Monday evenings, watching shows with Chloe and Kaitlyn on Tuesday evenings, watching anime and gaming with Preston on Thursday evenings, gaming with Preston and/or Megan on Friday evenings, gaming with Chloe and Kaitlyn on Saturdays, and doing my usual Sunday stuff with my family--I didn't do much of anything. I suppose that's just life these days.

Bookish HapPENings

Wonder of wonders, I managed to finish a book last month. Although these novels are pretty short, so I'm not sure how much it actually counts for. I definitely enjoyed this one. It's hard to talk much about the plot, because a lot of it hinges on that of the first book, which has some interesting twists. I look forward to seeing how the last two books wrap up the story.

HapPENings on the Screen

I'd already seen this movie a couple of times, but it was just as good the third time around. I really dig this type of secret agent/spy/espionage/action-adventure/whatever-you-wanna-call-it film. It's got a good mix of thrilling fight scenes, chases, and general escapades. The characters are all interesting, and the villain was a unique one--which I think is largely due to his voice, believe it or not. It's kind of this high-pitched rasp, which gives him a very different vibe. And the music is killer too. Basically everything about the movie was great!

So Preston recommend an anime called Joker Game to me, which is about a special group of Japanese spies in World War II. That alone makes for a very interesting story, but what adds to that is the fact that each episode has its own contained plot with a separate spy. Things seem to be starting to connect together, though, so I'm anticipating where that will lead and how everything will go down. (I also love two of my more recent episodes and their spies because of how kindly they treated children. So wholesome!)

While we're on the subject of recommend anime, Preston also suggested this one to me. 91 Days is about a fellow named Angelo, who joins a family of gangsters during the Prohibition Era in order to exact his revenge for the murder of his own family. I'm super into it so far, but I'm worried about how it's all going to end. Part of me wonders if it's going to wind up being a tragedy . . . and the opening, I tell ya. It's so emotional and hits me in the feels every single time. So good!

I'm rewatching Tower of God with my sisters for our Sunday anime stuff, and I'm a bit conflicted about it. I still love it, don't get me wrong--but I'm also a little more critical of certain things this time. Like, if it would've had some shading as part of the art style, and if they rushed some things less, I think it would definitely solidify the show even more. As it stands, I still quite enjoy it, but it's not the highest title on my list of favorite anime.

I finished S2 of Arrow, and it was just as fantastic as the first season was! The final fight was pretty cool in how it was shot, as it seamlessly transitioned from the present battle to one that occurred between the two characters in the past. But it definitely didn't end off perfectly, and I'm highly anticipating where and how S3 will pick up the plot. Until then, I'll be watching S6 of The Flash!

Gaming HapPENings

So I'd played a bit of Wargroove beforehand, doing the occasional match against Preston. But now I've started the solo campaign, and I think I've fallen in love with the game. It's a strategy, turn-based combat where you move in grids to defeat the enemy. It's a bit like the fighting in Fire Emblem games, actually. The music is a total bop, which makes the title 100% accurate. Definitely a solid indie game if you're looking for more of those!

Ah, Terraria, how I've missed you. Preston and I ended up playing it again the other day for the first time in almost a year, and man, that was a nostalgia trip. We used to, back in the day, just play this together. At first we used only the text chat for talking, which is an impressive feat considering how often you need your hands free for other things. But eventually we started to voice chat, and our friendship grew as we gamed together. I think that's one reason why this game holds a special place in my heart. And now that I've dipped my toes back into it after so long, I really want to fully dive in one of these days and play it on a more regular basis.

Writerly HapPENings

Does writing blog posts count? I have been doing a lot more lately thanks to the Music Monday Awards, so that's gotta mean something. Other than that . . . nothing really. I need to get back into one of my stories sometime soon . . .

Anyway, that was February! How was it for you? Anything interesting or noteworthy happen? What have you been watching or playing lately?

Monthly HapPENings: January

Well, it's been a couple of months since we had one of these, but now it's back! It's time for . . .

So, life stuff that happened in January . . . honestly, it's just been my usual stuff: the regular Sunday routines, working five days a week while hanging out with my sisters and Preston and Megan in the evenings, and chilling on Saturdays. My sisters and I did go sledding once, though! The side of the hill was pretty much just sheer ice, which was great for going down, but not so much for heading back up. My saucer decided to catapult me forward at one point, so that was fun. (Note: sarcasm. It was actually kinda painful.)

Also, I slipped on some ice recently and sprained the muscles in my left knee. 0/10 would not recommend nor try again. I've had a bit of time off work for recovery, so any prayers would be appreciated.

Bookish HapPENings

What? I actually finished a book?? Will wonders never cease??? Once I got into the book, I was really hooked and blazed through the rest of it. There were definitely some unexpected twists--though I don't know if you should take my word for it, because I didn't expect the ones in The False Prince, but others found them super obvious. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I'm a little more forgiving knowing that there's a fourth book coming. All in all, a solid quick read that wraps up the trilogy pretty well, which has me wondering where book #4 is going.

HapPENings on the Screen

Watching EXO's Ladder is very different for me in two ways. One, I've never really watched a reality or variety show before, because the vast majority of them just don't interest me. Two, I have never watched the second season of any show before watching the first one. But this is a lot of fun and is super hilarious too! All eight members are so cool and amusing in their own ways, and they seem so much like brothers. I'm just over halfway through, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest!

Yo, I'm nearly finished S3 of My Hero Academia, and man, has this season gone in places I wasn't expecting! Can't believe there's just one episode left . . . I'm already having predictions about what's going to happen in the next one. But if it ramps up the intensity and the emotional side of things even more, it's going to hurt my heart. I didn't think the show was going to make cry over the things it has. S4 is going to be fire, I just know it!

I have caught up with Bungo Stray Dogs (and am eagerly anticipating S4), so now I'm rewatching it, but with Tracey. I'm definitely reminded why it's one of my top favorite anime. The characters and their dynamics with one another is just the best, and then the plot starts getting very, very interesting when S2 rolls around. Also, the music is something else, I tell you. Very unique, and quite enjoyable. (I honestly wish more anime had their soundtracks released for purchase.) Don't sleep on this show if you're into anime!

What if I told you that Erased was one of the best shows involving murder mysteries and time travel? Would you believe me? Because you should! I'm watching this with Preston (he's seen it already and is showing it to me), and it's so difficult to watch only one episode a week. I have four left, and I must know what happens! I have theories that are really crazy, but I think I might be on to something . . . Plus it touches on some very dark, but very important themes and subjects. I really want to say more, but I don't want to spoil a single thing. Anyway, you need to add this to your list of shows to watch. You won't regret it, I guarantee that.

The first season of Psycho-Pass is nothing short of brutal and chilling. The whole setup is really interesting--latent criminals working under police inspectors to fight crime and stop people with unchecked psycho-passes--but man, the show is pretty grim. What makes it all the more frightening is that at one point, China was wanting to implement a similar system. Which probably explains why they banned the anime, as it exposes the deep-rooted flaws in the system. Add a villain whose motivations make a lot of sense and some dark violence and deaths on top of that, and you've got quite the show. I'm super intrigued by it, and while I wouldn't recommend to anyone who gets queasy easily, I do recommend it if you enjoy gritty cop stories with some interesting commentary on society.

AGH. SEASON FOUR IS FINALLY HERE AND AHHH. AND I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL STUFF BUT AAAHHH! . . . That is all. (I can say that the visuals have somehow improved even more since S3, and I'm just constantly impressed??? So yeah.) . . . AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Gaming HapPENings

I picked up the Assassin's Creed Chronicles trilogy for my computer a couple of years ago, but with my poor excuse for a laptop that I had back then, playing them just wasn't possible. Now that I have a proper gaming laptop, I now am able to experience these for the first time. China is the first in the sub-series and has the most appealing setting to me. (Assassin's Creed game in feudal Japan with ninja and samurai when?) I've played the first two chapters so far as of when I'm writing this, and I'm quite liking it! It's neat to have a 2.5D platformer AC title instead of the standard 3D with more free-roaming. The art style is also quite different from the main series, but it's super appealing. I look forward to seeing where the game and the plot goes.

When Team17 announced a battle royale entry in the Worms franchise, my curiosity was piqued. All of the main series Worms games had been turn-based, so what would a real-time title be like? In two words: very entertaining. I wouldn't necessarily call it a battle royale--or at least, it's very different from the standard BR games I've played. But that doesn't make it any less fun. I like to think that I'm decent at it. I tend to get an average of five kills per match, though I also tend to die a lot. I've played only a couple of hours so far, and sometimes the matchmaking takes a little while, but I'd say Worms Rumble is probably my favorite Worms game thus far.

Writerly HapPENing

Well, I did end up doing a little, itty-bitty bit of writing in January. I'm trying to get back into writing by doing a shorter project that's written like an anime. I'm calling it Death Under Maddison Bridge, and I think I've got some really cool ideas for it. I don't know how much I can really share at this point, but I will keep you all updated if you're interested!

So that was my January! Hard to believe we're already one month into the year. How was your January? Also, do you still like these posts, or do you have any suggestions for what I could do to make them more interesting?

The Best of 2020

So . . . would you look at that. Today is the first day of 2021. 2020 is now behind us.

I think we can all agree that 2020 was not what any of us expected it would be. And I wouldn't be surprised if many people remembered it as, like, the year of COVID or something. Most will probably consider it a bad year--but was it really?

See, a year is just a year, right? It can be bad or good, but that all depends on how you look at it. That's not to say that, if you had to deal with some hardships this year, it doesn't count. If you did, I'm sorry that you had to experience those difficulties or trying times. I'm not trying to belittle your situations or demean you for having to go through them. However, as someone who also had stuff happen to him, I can say with confidence that 2020 was a good year overall. Different, for sure, but good nonetheless.

You see, it's all about focus. I'm choosing to focus on all the positive things that occurred last year, because it sets me up for a better 2021. Have you ever noticed that the people who are negative 24/7 always have negative things happen to them? And then when positive things do show up, they brush them aside for any number of reasons/excuses. Negativity begets more negativity, and the same is true for positivity. What you focus on, you amplify in your life.

Because I wanted to stay positive-focused, I decided to forego my usual Monthly HapPENings post today. After all, how different is it really going to be? I celebrated Christmas with my family, but didn't do much else. I finally finished (The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen), which was really, really good! I watched more movies at work and more anime at home. I played some games and didn't do any writing again. It probably would've been a boring post, and considering that November's didn't get any comments, I might have to look into revamping them or finding some way to make them more interesting while doing them less often.

ANYWAY. That was a bit of a rabbit trail. The point of today's post is that I want to share ten things that made 2020 a good year for me. I'm determined to start this year right, and I think this is one way to do just that.

1. I was still able to go to the city with my sisters for a hangout day in summer--not once, but twice. We've made it a yearly tradition for a while now that we'll go to the nearby city at least once in the summer to do whatever we feel like. In the last two years, we would take a surrey bike around a park, but that wasn't an option this time around. That doesn't mean we didn't have fun, though. The first time we went for burgers and milkshakes before perusing some Asian food stores and taking a nice, long walk in a park. The second time was when we went to Olive Garden for a supper of soup, salad, and breadsticks, took a shorter walk in a park (thanks to the overabundance of mosquitoes), and finished off with some fro-yo. I couldn't have asked for a better time with my sisters.

2. I did some more gaming on my own. I feel like I've gone through seasons of life in the past where I hardly get an opportunity to do any gaming, and I do notice. It was one of the best ways to get me relaxed and my mental health refreshed. Thanks to being at home a lot more often this year, I could start working more on my backlog of games--and trust me, it's quite the serious backlog. But I was thankful that I got more opportunities to do it, as it made for some very relaxing evenings. Which was needed with how work was this year.

3. I discovered Zoom. I had never heard of it before, and honestly, it was one of the greatest discoveries I made this year. You see, I had gotten the idea that it would be fun if Preston and I could watch movies or shows together, but we didn't know what to use to do that. We attempted screen sharing with Google Hangouts, as we used it for our chats, but it didn't work well. Before we could try Skype, I found out about Zoom, and it's worked like a charm. Preston and I began watching Attack on Titan together, and he is now as obsessed with anime as I am. We're now watching Ergo Proxy and Erased while we wait for S4 of AoT to be dubbed. My weekly hangouts with him have become even more of a highlight for me.

4. I've hung out with my sisters more, especially on Sundays. We practically have a Sunday routine at this point. We'll get up to watch the 9am online church service before eating breakfast, which has often been homemade cinnamon buns. Afterward, I'll watch a couple episodes of a show with my sisters. We used to watch stuff like The Flash and Once Upon a Time, but I'm so glad that we decided to ditch those shows and turn to anime instead--because honestly, it often tends to be leagues better. We convinced Tracey to watch Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia with us, and now we can all nerd out about them. It's been fantastic. Afterward, we'll go for a walk, sometimes to get a drink from a nearby café and sometimes just to stretch our legs. When we get back, we'll draw together at the table--though I sometimes do stuff on my laptop instead. Sundays have become even more of a favorite day in the week.

5. I decided to get subscriptions to Crunchyroll and Funimation. I figured I'd bring this up now, since I'm on the subject of anime. I'm not sure what exactly made me decide to try both streaming services. I do know that I came to the realization that there were a lot of anime that I wanted to watch, and not enough money to buy them all on DVD. I took the free trials on both sites, and the rest is history. I've watched so many amazing shows thanks to them: Tower of God, Ergo Proxy, Fire Force, Goblin Slayer, Bungo Stray Dogs, Erased, and Psycho-Pass (while also finishing Avatar: The Last Airbender and watching Ace Attorney on DVD). It's been another great way for me to just relax and enjoy myself. I definitely not regret getting the subscriptions.

6. I was still able to take a summer vacation with my family. Last year, we'd gone to a cozy lakefront cabin just a couple of hours away, and it was one of my favorite holidays that we've taken. We'd hoped to go again this year, and thankfully, it worked out. Sure, it was a bit different this time, as we couldn't eat in restaurants and had to order out instead. But it was still so much fun! I have nothing but fond memories of the time we spent together. I enjoyed every moment of it, and I look forward to whatever our next vacation will be.

7. I've begun developing my art skills. One of the best parts about the vacation is that I decided to attempt to improve my drawing. I used to just doodle weird people and monsters and whatnot. It never looked all that good, and if I attempted any serious drawing, it never worked out like I'd hoped. But while I was on my holiday, I figured it was time to try again. So I did, by sketching the antagonist from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. And it actually turned out . . .  not too shabby? My confidence grew, and so I continued drawing--going so far as to even do three sketches in one afternoon. My attempts grew less when we got back home, but then Inktober happened, and I chose to participate. Comparing my first piece to my latest one, I can see how much I've improved and (hopefully) I've begun to develop my own art style. You can expect an art post in the near future, by the way.

8. I gamed more often with Preston and Megan. In years past, our hangouts didn't happen quite as often, but it feels like we gamed nearly every week in 2020. I believe it started occurring more often when I got my gaming laptop (one of the other best things to happen last year). We started off by playing tons of Realm Royale. At one point, Megan and I were even competing to see who could nail a solo win first. She ended up getting that achievement, but I've had more solo wins than her since then. While we still play a lot of RR, we also ventured into Among Us, which always provides an interesting experience with every game. I'm so glad that I got to spend more time with them both, and I hope that our frequent gaming sessions continue in 2021.

9. I discovered that I'd let fear become normalized in my life. I know this is a subject I've talked about a lot lately, but that's because it's very important to me. God brought it to find several weeks ago while I was out delivering flyers for work, and it's stuck with me since. So often I've let stress creep into my life and been okay with it. But now I realize that all I was doing was letting fear run things for me, and I'm not going to take that anymore. I'm tired of letting it have such a huge effect on me. I decided that I was going to take back my life and live it in such a way that fear has no place. Since then, I feel like I've noticed a change. Not a big change yet, but a perceptible one. And I'm happy to keep that change going.

10. I have become closer to the people I deeply love. Throughout last year, many difficult things tugged at me. I wish those things had been different, sure. But I also realize now that they were turned around and were made for my good. One way that truth was revealed to me was through a different realization: that I had eight anchors in my life. Those anchors are my parents, my three sisters, and Preston and Megan, and Jesus. While my family was having a snack on Christmas Day, it truly hit me then, and I told them that I had no idea how I would've gotten through the year without those eight people. And then I started to cry--not because I was sad, but because I was thankful for them from the very depths of my heart, and because I loved them with every fiber within me. They are my closest friends and my greatest allies. With them, I am supported, encouraged, and blessed--and they are the main reason why I can say that 2020 was a good year.

To conclude: a day, a month, a year--even a life--does not have to be defined by the negative experiences. It is easy for God to turn those situations around and bring some good out of them, even if we may think it impossible. I challenge you to take a look at your 2020 and see where God has brought forth positive things despite negative circumstances. And as we march into 2021, let this question be on the forefront of our minds:

What will we choose to focus on?

Still the Prince of Peace

Wow, I'm posting a day early? What kind of sorcery has bewitched me??? Well, I like to call it the sorcery of being prompt! (Not really, but it's for the sake of the joke, okay?) After all, no one's really going to be checking my blog on Christmas Day--or at least, you shouldn't. Either way, this one is going to probably be a bit shorter, 'cuz festivities, y'know.

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You may recall that back in Christmas of 2017, which was indeed ages ago even though it's only been three years, I made a post simply titled, "The Prince of Peace." I have definitely improved in my writing skills since then, but even so, the message is good. Which is why I felt it was a good topic to bring up again this year.

In that post, I talked about the Hebrew word for peace, which is shalom. Shalom is a Jewish greeting that sounds like you're blessing the other person, for shalom is far more than just peace. It's a perfect wholeness that covers everything from your health in all areas to prosperity, both spiritual and physical, and many other things. And Jesus is the Prince of that good shalom peace.

Isaiah 9:6 in the Voice translation reads, "Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams, a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift. And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great. The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders. His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing, Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace." This is such an awe-inspiring, breathtaking image of Jesus. He is great from birth to death, from resurrection to ascension, now and forever. I love the titles Master of Wholeness and Prince of Peace. It lets you know exactly what He is, and how in Him, there is no lack.

For a lot of people, this year has been nothing but anxiety and stress for them--in other words, a year of fear. But that is not what Jesus desires for us. He says in John 10:10 (The Message), "A thief is only there to kill and steal and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) adds, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (And please, don't take this as me bashing you if you've felt anxious or worried this year. Both Jesus and I understand that we're only human, and we don't judge you for that. Just know that He wants things to be better for you.)

During any difficult situation or circumstance, Jesus is still the Prince of Peace. As I mentioned in my old post, this title for Him seems to be used only during Christmas . . . but why? His peace is for you every day of your entire life. With how much life has changed in 2020, some might be tempted to think that everything is bound to change. But that's simply not true. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) confirms this: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Jesus is the one thing in your life that's guaranteed to never, ever change. I know I needed His unchanging, steadfast anchor in my life this year, and He knew that too. That's why the Bible says what it does, to remind us of how faithful He is, how He's always with us and will never leave.

So you can trust Him when He says that He is the Master of Wholeness and the Prince of Peace. As the last week of the year unfolds, I encourage you to take the time to meditate and reflect on this promise. Christmas seems to be a good time to do this, as it serves as a reminder of why Jesus was born in this broken world: to offer a beautiful exchange, in which He would bear all of our mistakes, our struggles, our fears and give us all of the benefits of being a child of God.

As cheesy as it may sound, that is honestly the most wonderful gift we will ever receive. I'm eternally grateful for what Jesus has done for me.

Merry Christmas to you! May you be filled with the perfect shalom that Jesus offers, and may this season be one of joy, love, and laughter.

Monthly HapPENings: December

GUYS. HOW IS THERE ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT IN THE YEAR???

Sorry, didn't mean to freak out there, BUT SERIOUSLY! I mean, I want 2020 to be over, but it's still crazy that it's almost reached the end.

Obviously, with how things are going these days, my life wasn't too crazy or anything. Besides work, two of my sisters had birthdays, so we celebrated those! Other than that . . . well . . . there wasn't anything else that happened. No surprise there.

Bookish HapPENings

I didn't finish any books in November, but I have been reading some more lately! I've really been getting into my book, so I hope that I'll finish at least a couple of books in December.

HapPENings on the Screen

So at work, with how few people we're supporting right now, our management has allowed us to watch movies in our departments. One of my coworkers happened to have a projector, so we've watched a lot of films, such as Up, Coco, Bambi, Oliver and Company, The Grinch (2018), Alpha and Omega, Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, and others. A few I'd never seen before, but most of them were just reminders that I loved them and I need to watch them more often. Aside from that . . .

YO! I started watching Bungo Stray Dogs because the trailer looked super interesting, and this show is FIRE. It's probably one of my favorite anime now--though to be fair, I've loved all of the anime I've seen so far. This one's about a group called the Armed Detective Agency, whose members wield supernatural powers that they use to fight crime and save civilians. It's basically a perfect blend of action, drama, and comedy. I love the main character, Atsushi, and his character arc of becoming a hero over the course of S1. Dazai and Kunikida's relationship is one of the greatest and most hilarious parts of the show so far. Plus, Akutagawa is a very cool, intense antagonist who seems to have more to him than meets the eye. I just love it all so much!

Fire Force continues to be heckin' dope as well. As of when I'm writing this, I have two episodes left in S1. Some answers are finally being given, but it seems information is mostly on the enemy's side. One thing the show is really good at is giving us intriguing villains. They've introduced a lot of really neat ones lately, even if they're a bit more minor than some of the others. I'm really curious to see how it's all going to go down, because at this rate, it's not gonna end well.

I'm nearly done watching S3 of Attack on Titan with Preston, and I've just started watching it with Chloe and Kaitlyn. It's just so, so excellent in every way imaginable. I don't think I could really choose a favorite season, but if I was forced to, it might be this one . . .? It's really hard to say. Honestly, if you're sleeping on this show, you really are missing out. I don't regret a single second I've spent watching it.

Gaming HapPENings

Super Mario Odyssey is a game I've been playing a good bit recently, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The graphics are killer, not gonna lie. I'm constantly in awe of how amazing everything looks, from the grand worlds down to the threads and stitching in clothes. I feel like I'm probably over halfway through world-wise (not in terms of actual completion), possibly more. It's definitely been a nice variety, even if there are still some similarities to classic Mario world themes.

I've just started playing Fall Guys, and I think it's safe to say that I'm already addicted. Think of a battle royale game in the style of minigames from the Mario Party series. It can be absolute insanity sometimes, but it's so fun. Even though it's competitive, it doesn't make me frustrated or anything--not yet, at least. I'm just having a blast! I'm not even all that bad at it. Just watch, one day I'll be a professional Fall Guys player! (Probably not, but one can dream.)

Writerly HapPENings

Who woulda thunk? I didn't any writing in November. I really didn't want to participate in NaNo, especially this year. I've occasionally thought about writing about something for Havok, but I haven't thought about it too much. I'm really hoping that 2021 is just better for everything.

So that's that! Was your November any more interesting than mine? Have you been doing things to keep your mental health in a good place? Are you looking forward to Christmas? (I certainly am!)

Fighting the Fear

We live in a world dominated by fear, ever since Adam and Eve hid from God because they were afraid (Genesis 3:10). The media gobbles it up and feeds it to as many people as possible. It runs rampant on social media, no matter how much you may try to avoid it. Your coworkers, friends, and family may speak it--sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, and sometimes nonstop. And with what's going on in the world today, when words like "pandemic" and "outbreak" are used more frequently, it's not hard to see just how prevalent fear is.

Now, of course there's nothing inherently wrong with expressing your fears. It can be healthy to vent or get it off of your chest. The question is, are you letting that fear control and dictate your everyday life? Your honest answer to that could very well change your life.

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First off, let's discuss why fear is not something to be dwelled upon. God told us people over and over and over again, "Do not fear." It's hard to find a consistent number just by Googling, and it also depends on which translation you're using, but I believe it's in there 200 times, possibly more. God was obviously serious about this, knowing that we humans are quite susceptible to fear.

What does fear do to us? It does many things, but let's just cover a few of the major points:

1. It causes us to turn our eyes off of God and focus on the natural. This one is huge. We have the Creator of the universe on our side, the One who breathed life into us and desires to be with us for all eternity. Yet we'll focus on what's going on around us and totally freak out, despite serving a God who is bigger than anything our enemy and the world throws our way. Case in point: is God bigger and greater than a virus? There is no hesitation in my answer. Yes, He most certainly is. So why should I have to fear it? He promises us health and protection so many times in the Bible. One of my favorite examples of such is in Psalm 91:7, where it says, "A thousand may fall on your left, ten thousand may die on your right, but these horrors won't come near you" (The Voice).

You see, we tend to focus on the problem and not the Problem Solver. We focus on the mountain and not the Maker, on the storm and not the Savior . . . on the devil and not the Deliverer. (And I'm preaching to myself here too, okay?) God gave us a standard as to how measure our thoughts and our focus in Philippians 4:8 (The Voice): "Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy." He doesn't want us to keep our eyes on the negative things in life; we are to keep our gaze on him. Doing so will push back the fear.

2. It causes us to speak things that affect our life for the worse. There seems to be this idea for some people that what you say and what you think don't have an effect on you. They think the idea of "mind over matter" doesn't make sense. But we are created in the likeness and image of God, right? And how did He create the world way back in the beginning? He spoke. Our words are very telling about what we believe, think, and focus on. As for the mind side of things, Proverbs 4:23 (ICB) says, "Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life." Your deep-rooted heart beliefs also have a huge part to play in what you say and do. After two blind men told Jesus that they believed He could heal them, He said, "Become what you believe" (Matthew 9:27-29, The Message).

Have you ever noticed how people's lives follow their words, thoughts, and beliefs? Some say that they'll never get ahead in life, and they never do so long as they keep confessing it. Others complain about their family or their spouse all the time, which results in continuously negative relationships. Heck, even saying, "I'm always tired," true as it may be, will result in one being tired all the time. There are other ways you can see this too. For example, I know a girl who has dated a few times in her life. In all those instances, I've always seen it end badly, with the guys hurting her in very similar ways. Why is that? I obviously have no right to say, because I don't know her heart. But there's something there that is preventing her from finding a decent dude.

The long and short of it is, what you think, say, and believe are intricately tied together, whether you like it or not. The enemy would love nothing more than to see fear come into your life and render you helpless because you used your own God-given power against yourself. Don't let it dominate your life. You can choose today to speak against it.

3. It finds a way in because we have normalized it and have become acclimatized to it. Fear has a way of slipping into our minds and hearts if we aren't diligent in guarding them, and that's never a good thing. The sad thing is, we don't necessarily recognize it right away--some people never do. Would you ever say you've been stressed, anxious, or worried? Society likes to give out fancy names to new diagnoses, but truth be told, it almost always links back to fear. Let's say I'm stressed about a performance review at work. I may use the word stressed, but the reality is that I'm afraid that I didn't perform good enough. Or what if I'm living in constant worry because of all the news and updates about the virus these? It means I'm afraid of it and what it may do to me or my loved ones. (This is not to say that I don't think we should take the virus seriously, but we should also approach it knowing that our God is mightier and not letting fear control our reactions to the situation. Besides, I believe fearmongering on the media's part has made the whole thing far, far worse than it should be.)

This is where we need to turn to the Bible and seek out more promises. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). "The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance" (John 10:10, The Voice). "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Eternal, 'plans for peace, not evil, to give a future and hope--never forget that'" (Jeremiah 29:11, The Voice). I'd definitely encourage you to read the whole of Psalm 91 and 23, maybe even in a translation you don't normally read. Different phrasings might mean more to you personally than others.

Fear should not be your norm. God never intended us to live that way, and it does cause our bodies to react poorly and break down quicker over time. He is the Prince of Peace, and no matter what we're facing, we can experience it for ourselves. There was a time last year where I was under constant stress at work, partially because others were putting it on me and partially because I put it on myself. I didn't deal with it properly, and it led to a much worse, much darker situation later on. I don't talk about it a lot because it was the worst time of my life, and I thank God I've recovered from it. But if I hadn't accepted the fear back then, how much different would have things panned out? Never let fear be normal.

Now what about the solution? I think I've actually covered a lot of it when discussing the problem and what it does to us. But there's another part that I have yet to mention, and it's found in what He commanded Joshua after Moses died and Joshua was to lead the people (Joshua 1:9, The Voice): "This is My command: be strong and courageous. Never be afraid or discouraged because I am your God, the Eternal One, and I will remain with you wherever you go." That is extremely powerful. The key to remember here is that you do not have to be completely free of fear in order to be courageous. Rather, being courageous means you act despite still feeling that fear. That plus knowing God is always by your side will help you to fight back the fear. This will be something you'll have do many times in your life as you stay ever-vigilant, but it's better than just rolling over and letting whatever happens happen.

The first step is, of course, often one of the hardest, and that is to admit there is a problem to begin with. Once you do that, you allow yourself to work toward taking action and defeating the fear. So with that, I'll leave you with a portion of NF's song "Mansion" to ponder as you determine what you will do, dear friend.

Fear came to my house years ago, I let him in

Maybe that's the problem 'cause I've been dealing with this ever since

I thought that he would leave, but it's obvious he never did

He must have picked the room and got comfortable and settled in

Now I'm in the position it's either sit here and let him win

Or put him back outside where he came from, but I never can

'Cause in order to do that I'd have to open the doors

Is that me or the fear talking?

I don't know anymore