I’m back! More lessons in cooking…

Here we go.

Last time we heard about smashing out main characters into who they start out to be, well, now we get to meet a bit of the butter that softens them up.

Think of the closest person to you…think of someone you look up to…think of someone who drives you nuts…think of a person you aspire to be like…now think of the people your are around everyday whether you like it or not(yes, I'm talking about siblings, parents, coworkers and classmate).

Okay, now imagine they are suddenly taken away.

Just gone.

Imagine you never knew them.

Who would you be?

Okay, now let’s ask something a little different: do you think you would be a better person, or a worse person?

I am the third child in a family of six kids. For as long as I can remember, I've always landed somewhere in the middle. My mother, was the daughter in law to a Latino man, who died some years ago. She was all over the place and therefore, sometimes, my older sister had to watch the five hellions she called siblings. She kinda became a second mom.

Something she taught me was that even though everything tries to stop you and tackle you down(especially little people who think you must remain theirs for all eternity), you pray, surrender to God and keep moving forward.

My mama taught me that perspective changes a lot.

My older brother taught me that detail matters.

My little sister taught me that sometimes it’s okay to die over a silly thing in debate.

My other little sister taught me that it’s okay to still be a kid.

My little brother taught me that being bouncy is not just for little boys.

My dad, taught me to keep fighting.

Each of them, has been a key piece in my character. I don’t know who I would be without them, but I know for a fact that losing a single one of them would be the end.

Well, with characters and their teams of people in the books, you see a subtle shift. Sometimes a character is learning to be who they are meant to be. Sometimes a character is learning to laugh more. Other times a character is learning to put their walls down.

All those little branches or veins of personality being poured into another character by friends or family, nudge, push and lots of times shove the main character to meet the theme of the book. But the beauty of it is that these characters are all chasing that same theme.

Their purpose is to fulfill the goal, not just throw another person in.

Okay, now…the author of life. God, in clearer terms….

There are lots of places in the bible that talk about people and those you surround yourself with. In Ecclesiastes it talks about how two is better than one and three is even better than two. In Galatians it says to carry each others burdens. In Proverbs it says that a brother is born for the time of adversity.

However it also says that there are people that you should stay away from, people who you lead you into sin.

I don’t need to talk about bad influences too long. I think most of us know where they can lead to and what they’ll do to a person’s character.

Nonetheless, we live in a world where bad influences are around every corner.

That’s why God should be the main influence in our lives.

I have a few best friends, a good amount of good friends, and an even bigger handful of friends. But none have changed my life as much as God has.

This last summer, I was at a Bible camp working as an assistant cook for two months. But the thing about some places in Alaska is that even though they’re only and hour and a half away, rather than jumping in a car and driving out, you have to fly there.

It certainly wasn’t the farthest I've been from home, but it has been the longest of my few adventures.

And I was alone. I knew of people, and I was a bit familiar with the grounds, but otherwise I had no friends, and nothing familiar except for a stuffed dog.

The first week, I was anxious. So anxious, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t do anything involving a persons opinion unless it was cooking a meal(terribly irrational, I know). But then, a woman out there, whom I love dearly and have admired both in Sunday school and out in a bible camp, gently took me under her wing and taught me to look beyond all the things I was focusing on, and just focus on God.

That changed EVERYTHING. It was still uncomfortable, and i learned a bunch of things the hard way, but I wasn’t alone anymore. And because the Lord brought that lovely lady into my life, He opened the door to a world of renewed friendship with Him, and soon to follow the rest of the team out there.

His influence changed my entire summer.

Esthrousalem J Storylark Christian Fantasy Author from Alaska. Her Debut Novel "​Echoes After Death​" Deals with self-worth in a fresh and captivating way. Click ​HERE​ to read more about Esthrousalem!

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