I finally finished The Hunger Games trilogy

Camy here, and I just finished Mockingjay yesterday.

Overall, a highly entertaining trilogy. I don’t always think Katniss is a very likable character, but I really felt for her struggles. I could wish she did somethings and not others, but then again she’s a seventeen year old girl and her government and the Capital society is cold-hearted and corrupt. Who am I to say I wouldn’t make some of the same choices? Because I think that I probably would.

Heather over at OurAdvocate pointed out something I hadn’t noticed before--throughout the entire series, there is not one word about any type of religion in Panem. That’s something worth noting, because I think that we as humans are created to believe in something. We’re built to have a spiritual hole that we try to fill, but can only be truly satisfied with Jesus.

I’m not going to try to attribute any type of Christian themes to the Hunger Games trilogy, because I don’t think that was the author’s intent anyway. But it was a good commentary on our society, and more importantly what we could be capable of.

We are all human, all fallen short of the glory of God. But thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord, that where my sin increases, His grace for me increases all the more (Rom 7:25, 5:20).

And where your sin increases, His grace for you increases all the more. Peace out, chicks.

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is the first book in her new series, Protection for Hire, which is like Stephanie Plum meets The Joy Luck Club. She is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Visit her website to sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

Yearly Check-up

This time last year to the day, January 3, 2009, I blogged right here on this very site about my goals. I felt a bit nervous putting them out there. But going public must have held me accountable. Of course, I didn't get an A+ with each one, but I saw consistency.

Here they are again from last year below:


Writing Goals

1. Continue meeting with face-to-face fiction editing group twice a month.
2. Read and edit the entire novel I printed and take two days to do it.
3. Get novel proposal to its best, let it go, and stop obsessing. Try to get it out by Jan 15.
4. Develop plot line for next novel.
5. Ask and believe that God’s Spirit will lead me to the right stories/articles.
6. Be watching for a story for the Guideposts spring workshop.
7. Trust God. Trust God. Trust God. In everything.


Personal Goals

1. Become more aware of negative thinking and consciously fight it.
2. Expect good outcomes. Believe the best.
3. Guard my tongue being careful of my words.
4. Go to the Y four times weekly.
5. Make first thing in the morning quiet time a priority. Before computer time.
6. Pray for my husband daily.
7. Recognize joy in the little things every day.

Here's how I did.

Writing Goals

1. Yes, I did this. :-)
2. Yes, I did this. :-)
3. Yes, I did this. I also found an agent in September!!
4. Yes, I did this. :-)
5. Yes, I did this. :-)
6. Yes, I attended the Guideposts spring workshop. And the fall one too. :-)
7. Hmmm. Trust God in everything. :-( Not every single day in everything.

Personal Goals

1. I'm more aware of negative thinking, but I've messed up some in this area.
2. I'm getting better. Not perfect on this one.
3. At least now, I'm aware after I say something I shouldn't have....
4. No, I didn't make it to the Y four times every week.
5. No, I didn't always have my quiet time before anything else. Some days, it didn't happen at all.
6. Most days, I prayed for my husband, but not every single day.
7. I trusted more this past year but I didn't have total trust.

But you know what? It's okay. I used to think I had to be perfect to be loved by God, but that's soooo not true. Today at church a scripture jumped out at me from John 1. Part of it said these words ....grace upon grace. And that's the beauty of it. God's grace covers us. It's more than enough. Thank you, Lord. Your Grace covers all my slip-ups.

Love,
Julie