My Silver Linings Playbook

I hate summer. Okay so hate is a strong word...that's why I used it. As silly as it may sound, I actually go into a mild depression months June through September—my husband can attest. The heat makes me crazy! I will go to extreme measures to pretend it’s anytime but summertime. You might find me with the thermostat set at 60 degrees, cuddled up in a blanket on the couch, with a mug of hot chocolate watching Christmas movies in July. One negative reaction after another came in response to my dislike for summer, so I actually started keeping a list of all the reasons I do not like this time of year. That way I could be quick to defend my statement. It looks something like this:

Trying to cool off a car with an internal temperature of 115 degrees is almost impossible.

There are no comfortable clothes when it’s hot outside. And forget about fashion.

The electric bill goes up, the balance in my bank account goes down.

Excessive shaving is required.

All of the good television shows go on hiatus.

The days are long…way too long. Can it just get dark outside already!?

Schools out. Teenagers are everywhere!

June bugs.

Mosquitos!

I sound really whiney right? As a Christian I struggle with my negative reaction to God’s creation. Troubled by my icky feelings I started to think of a recent book turned blockbuster movie; Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. While I don’t condone the foul language in this masterpiece, it brought a very refreshing and entertaining light to the age old questions of life, love, and happiness.

“I don't want to stay in the bad place, where no one believes in silver linings or love or happy endings.”  ― Matthew Quick and Pat Solitanohas

"You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest. If you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." ― Matthew Quick and Pat Solitanohas

Those are my two favorite Silver Linings quotes. The basic moral of the story was to look for the good through the bad no matter your circumstances, and make that your focus. As trivial as my feelings of hopelessness during the summer season may seem, they are real. And after watching this movie, I thought, I need a silver linings play book for summer! God never intended for me to mope around and loath, waiting for days to pass with no purpose other than to make it to September 22^nd every year. So I started writing down all the things about summer I like...

Snow cones after dinner.

Shark week on Discover Channel!

So it’s not quite a list yet, but summer’s not over and I’m working on it! My true playbook is my Bible. And when I searched my Bible the following is the closest thing I could find to “silver linings.”

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8:26-28 MSG)

We have a choice to be positive and look for the silver lining. It’s not always easy to cope with the difficulties or the things that make us sad, but we always have our Father there to hold our hand and help us recognize the good in whatever gloom may be invading everyday life. I prefer cloudy days to sunny ones, which means LOTS of silver linings! Only 58 days of summer left! But, who's counting right?

The Freedom Runners

Just a little taste of what I’ve been working on for National Novel Writing Month…don’t judge, it hasn’t been edited. It’s my work in its rawest form.

The sun beat down on my shoulders sucking new freckles to the surface. The smell of tar was thick as heat rose from the road. My mind wanders from the cute boy I saw at Pharmacy last week, to the hunger pangs in my stomach. I was supposed to go directly home after school, but I couldn’t bring myself to face my parents relentless arguing again. So instead, I decided to go on an adventure. There was a hint of an opening to a very overgrown dirt path off of old McConnell Road. For months I had been eye−balling it on my way home from school. Today I would find out where it went. Overgrown grass, vines and branches try to detour my journey, but I push through. A dirt path ran along a small creek. I stop long enough to watch small silver fish do their best to swim against the current. Trees provide shade to cool my skin. I remembered reading about trails such as these in my recreational books. They were referred to as hiking trails.

The deeper into the path and woods I went, the further my mind drifted from reality. Here I was able to forget about my parents and their childish behavior toward one another. And here there were no Assistants breathing down your neck watching your every move. As soon as all of these thoughts brought me rest, a rush of worry followed them. What would the consequences be if I were caught here, wandering with no reason. In that moment I decided it was time to turn back and head home. I started to follow my previous footsteps back and saw something to my right in the distance. A small stone building. Curiosity got the best of me, as it always does, so I gave myself five minutes to explore further. Everything came clearer into view upon approach. In front of me stood a small building made of wood and large gray stones. You only saw something like this in history books at school these days. Everything in the Cities was white, man−made, and uniform. Sterile.

The garden around back brandished a short wooden fence. A small, simple shed stood adjacent from the fence. Someone must live here. I approached the garden and spotted the biggest, reddest, most tempting strawberries I had ever seen! My stomach gurgled at the sight. I had to have one. Just one, I thought. I bent down and plucked one from the vine. Its flavor was like nothing I had ever tasted before. Sweet, with melodies of earth swirled in. I reached for another. A loud crack caused me to jump. I swirled around and around and saw nothing.  I heard it again. It was time to leave. Not before grabbing a few more berries though. I heard the cracking sound again. I moved away as fast as I could from the stone building. Along the path with the creek. Crack! My pace quickened as the cracking sound finally began to fade behind me. The wind whistled past my ears and my heart was beating against my ribs. The wind whipped my hair like reigns on my back. I felt…alive. I looked down as each foot moved swiftly, one in front of the other. That was the first time I ever ran. I was 15.

Penny’s Vampire Diaries

Tonight, I revel in all things fictional. I’ve had my ticket for six weeks, and it’s finally here! It’s the end of an era. In hours the Twilight Saga will come full circle for America. I didn’t pounce on this young adult pop phenom trend until late in the game. I began reading the books after viewing the first movie, so my wait has been less than others. All I want to say is that I have enjoyed being on the journey with Edward and Bella, and I’m oh so glad Suzanne Collins has already provided us with a new trilogy to obsess over. I am in no way likening the works of Meyers to Collins, nor comparing any of the film productions. I’m just delighted the trend of inventive fictional books are being read and presented in HD.

Still unsure? I was too. I wrote about my first Twilight experience four years ago. You can read about it here.

http://www.pennylovespeanutbutter.blogspot.com/2009/06/pengs-vampire-chronicles.html

LEWIS

My brain ached as it absorbed the difficult task set before me. How could I get close without upsetting her? I couldn’t risk leaving the envelope unattended or have someone else deliver it for me…except for maybe Anna. Anna could do it. Grayson use to talk about Clara and Anna being inseparable all the time.

My intention was to intercept Anna after school. But passing the school this afternoon I saw crowds of students gathered around outside in the courtyard. Reaching into my brown leather satchel my fingers tightly grip what might be the most significant piece of paper I have ever held.

It doesn’t take me long to spot Anna in the sea of students. Even with overcast weather her red curls reflect light like the moon. I inhale enough frost bitten air to fill my lungs as well as my feet with sufficient motivation to move. I hope I don’t regret this, you owe me one Grayson.

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All right guys, I know I have not been consistent with posting the short story but I am continuing to write it. I will post when I can, but I have also taken the Nanowrimo challenge and began writing a novel this month. So that commitment is trumping a lot of other things in my life for the month of November. I will post excerpts from my novel here. The working title is The Freedom Runners. Wish me luck and send some creativity fairies my way ;)

ANNA

Sorry for the delay on entry number two. I was without a computer for a week. However did I survive? Enjoy :)

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ANNA

I didn't mean to do it, truly. At first it was just a foolish and fleeting thought, and the next thing I know my fingers are tugging at the handle of the fire alarm­­­−my scapegoat for the afternoon.  Clara had to be warned before she found out for herself. At least I could ease the blow of a painful memory strolling back into her life. Standing on top of the old and rickety rust red picnic table in the courtyard I spot her. What a lost looking little puppy dog my bestie appeared, I thought while running towards her to commence operation break out.

For a second, I lost Clara in the assembly of students. I turned a half way around only to thwack directly into Lewis. Lewis Cole? It can’t be. “Lewis! What are you? I just don’t under…?” “Anna, listen to me right now. Give this envelope to Clara. Straight away. Don’t tell her I was here.” Before I could summon up any sort of response he was gone.

CLARA

Okay guys, I'm dipping my metaphorical pen into the fictional ink, so to speak. I will be posting pieces of a short story weekly. Please read, comment, share ideas, and share with others through social media. This is my attempt to grow an audience as well as work on skill and creativity. Thanks for all your support and encouragement in regards to my writing over the years.

Penny
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CLARA

Peering through dew glazed windows of the school gym; my mind couldn’t help but wander. Did he notice me? It's so dark and loud there in the evening, there’s no way he saw me. I did drop a whole tray of drinks about five feet from his table so he might have… no, no he didn’t. Tugging at the tops of red and white striped tube socks I snap back into reality as the sound of a fire alarm assaults my ears. Another fire drill, what is the deal? Like herds of cattle every student at Heritage High pushed through the school doors to wait for further instruction. Any other time I welcomed these unplanned breaks from the monotonous rhythm of a school day. Not today. The air was cold and brittle. Each breath drawn assaulted my lungs like sharp needles. It was unseasonably cold for September in Virginia. 

The bright sun caused me to squint. I watched my peers nestle into their usual groups. Quickly I scan the huddles of students to locate Anna. She has to be out here I thought. Just as my mind was about to stray back to the fool I had made of myself the night before, I saw him and Anna. Across the courtyard I watched as he handed her something. A white sealed envelope. Something was scribbled across the crisp white paper in thick black ink. A name…Clara Frost. My name.

Hello Friends! I am posting an old entry today because it was featured on www.mypurposenow.co and I also wanted to make sure my blog was linking to all of my other social networks. Please take the time to follow/share my blog as well as the My Purpose Now website with others.

I have been working hard on some new blog posts so stay tuned! Now that Aceland is older I'm finding a little more time for reading and writing :)

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BE INSPIRED

I know someone who just…
Joined the Navy.
Said a prayer.
Jumped out of a plane.
Flew to Australia.
Won ten-thousand dollars by doing a little tango.
Welcomed home their first child.
Said yes.
Took a break.
Planned a road trip to deliver their mother’s ashes to their final destination.
Competed in a body building show.
Waited.
Bought a diamond ring.
Ran a marathon.
Stopped making excuses.
Started their own business.
Recovered from alcoholism.
Moved to LA.
Said what they needed to say.
Lost thirty pounds.
Ended a toxic relationship.
Took a traveling job assignment.
Did the dishes, cooked dinner, fed the baby, cleaned the living room.
Forgave me.
Read a book.
Placed their faith in God instead of the world for the first time.
Lost their job, and found another.
Rekindled a friendship long lost.
Said thank you.
Danced.
Got signed.
Said I do.
Learned to play the guitar.
Ate a cheeseburger.
Went back to school.
Went fly fishing.
Wrote a blog.

Whether you find yourself in a discouraged, ordinary or extraordinary state. Be inspired. Mediocrity is for the apathetic. You were created with greatness in mind!

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)


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Penny is our fifty-something in training. We know she will be fabulous – she’s got more than 20 years to prepare! Penny works with the women of MPN as our editor and is responsible for making sure articles are posted each day. She’s a talented writer and we are excited to be featuring her for the first time. We’d be lost without her and are glad to have her on the team! – Deb, Karen and the team at MPN
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Penny DeArmond: Penny lives in Grapevine, Texas with her husband, Bryce, and sweet baby boy! A hairdresser by trade and writer by aspiration, she sees both of these commissions as opportunities to minister. Currently, being “mama” is priority, but in her free time she runs the park trails of Grapevine and snuggles up with a good book and a cup of coffee. 


As a writer, Penny is joining her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law to share the possibilities of healthy women-in-law relationships in a book on the topic. 


Penny serves as the website editor and moderator for My Purpose Now. She is excited to be a part of the ministry while learning so much from the previous generation. You can keep up with Penny on her blog at pennylovespeanutbutter.blogspot.com