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3 Habits of Satisfied People
More than likely, our lives have or will turn out differently than we plan. Even so, we can know the satisfaction of a life well-lived. The deciding factors have less to do with mountain-top moments and more with our everyday habits. Last month, I had the opportunity to share with Alpha Omega Academy’s graduating class some habits that will help them live meaningfully, and I don’t think these practices are just for teens. They’re ones I have to work on intentionally every day. Maybe they’ll help you, too. Habit #1: Guard Your Priorities. We might be able to multi-task, but we can’t do everything. Or, if we try, we’ll do less…
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Live Rare in a Medium-Well World
This coming Friday, I’m honored to give the virtual commencement address for my school, Alpha Omega Academy. The best part? Since it’s virtual, you can attend! Many of you know I enjoy a good pun, but the title I chose for my address has a serious point. How can we live meaningfully when the world wants us to settle for status quo? To join the live stream, click here and find the specific event for the graduation. The event starts at two o’clock Central time (or three o’clock for all my East Coast friends). Plus, join me on Twitter during my address to answer a lighthearted (but related) poll. To…
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AOA Teacher Authors Message of Hope
The following article was featured in my school’s company newsletter, and the editor who conducted the interview graciously gave me permission to share it here with you. I’m so blessed to work at a place that supports my writing! *** The genre of dystopian young adult fiction has become highly popularized in recent years with blockbuster novels like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Giver; however, Alpha Omega Academy teacher Kristen Hogrefe knew she wanted the genre to offer more than just entertainment. “I wanted to offer hope,” the first-year AOA teacher said in a phone interview from her home in Spring Hill, Florida. “Dystopian novels are oftentimes so bleak.…
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Jamestown Lessons on Faith and Government
There are so many places I could share with you from my trip to D.C. and Virginia, but today, I want to leave you with just one more: Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America. The second day of the Alpha Omega Academy trip took us to Jamestown, or rather, the scale-size model of that first community that sits on the opposite side of the James River where the actual excavation site lies. There, we encountered replicas of the three ships that brought the first settlers to American soil: the Godspeed, the Discovery, and the Susan Constant. Next, we explored a Powhatan Indian village and the fort itself, including the church…
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Announcing the Flag Design Contest Winner!
Congratulations to Brianna Ford for her winning entry of the fictitious ASU flag, which will be featured in The Revisionary. I want to thank all the participants for their outstanding designs. It was an honor to share your creativity with my website readers. Here’s some extra exciting news! My editor and I were so impressed with the submissions that we’re going to publish the runners-up in a special spread in the back of the book. All participants will have their names and designs in print. Having these Alpha Omega Academy students be part of my book makes it all the more special to me. Thank you again to all who submitted…
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Flag Design Contest: Vote for Your Favorite!
What teacher doesn’t enjoy seeing her students’ creativity? I sure do! I’m privileged to teach English for Alpha Omega Academy and invited our middle and high school students to design their version of the ASU pennant (the fictitious flag of the dystopian society in my new young adult novel). Today, I’m posting their designs here for you to vote on your favorite. The winner’s name and design will be published in The Revisionary, available for pre-order next month. Below are the submissions, and I’m honestly glad you’re choosing the winner and not me! They are all outstanding and meet the submission guidelines: to design a flag that includes a child, scroll, and olive…
