Raising my APFT Score

     I have decided to undertake the 100 push-up challenge so I can improve my APFT score through ROTC. My goal is to max the push-ups in my age group which is 42 perfect form push- ups. In my first APFT back in October I was only able to do 17, but I want to be able reach greater goals with my APFT. After I finish the 100 push-up challenge I will be moving on to the 200 sit-up challenge to raise my sit-up score. The max for sit-ups for my age group is 78 sit-ups in 2 minutes.
    My goal is to improve my score in the long run through the push-up challenge and the sit-up challenge along with doing PT with ROTC three days a week and Remedial PT the other two days a week. I would also like to implement  daily doubles into the days that I have remedial PT by doing this workout.
Daily Double Workout:
-100 Push- ups
-Sprint a lap
-100 Sit-ups
-Sprint a lap
-40 Burpees
-Sprint a lap
-40 Squats
-Sprint a lap
-20 Pull-ups

What Are You Thankful For?

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Have you sat down and thought of what you are thankful for this year? Personally I'm thankful for that my stepmother with whom I am quite close to survived cancer this year. That my grandparents that have health problems are still with me for another year. I'm thankful for the opportunity to pursue higher education, because I realize that not every individual gets that chance. I am also thankful for my siblings growing up together was tough, but I still know that I have their back and they have mine. I'm thankful for my wonderful boyfriend who loves me in the good times and the bad. Mostly this year I'm just thankful for the wonderful family, friends and that have always been there for me. Before the rush of thanksgiving hits and everyone gets excited for Black Friday, take time to realize what you are thankful for and maybe think about giving back to the community. Whether it be helping at your church, at a homeless shelter or an elderly couple who needs help maintaining their yard. We all have countless things to be thankful for why don't we show that thanks by lending a helping hand to others!

One Word: College

These past few months I have been too busy to update my blog, because I have undertaken a new endeavor and the next step in my life. College. Currently I am studying Criminology & Criminal Justice and I am really enjoying these courses. I am also participating in the ROTC program on campus, and it has really opened up doors for new friendships. College has also opened my eyes a bit that not everyone in this world is alike. I had been sheltered for the last 18 years and there are several things I wish I had known about this world prior to entering college. One: Some people will knock you down and tear you apart for what you believe in, but you just have to stay true to yourself. And you have to come to the conclusion that you just must agree to disagree. Two: That your friends in high school won't always be your best friends forever. And finally Three: That college is hard. It's nothing like high school. You can't just not study and expect to get good grades. But in the end as the first semester is nearing to a close I have learned that throughout everything you still have God by your side. Through exams, to dating, to even when you are out in the middle of the field for leadership lab God is always with you. Come hell and high water you know that someone always has your back. And that's why I'm glad to have God as my battle buddy.

The Soldier's Creed

Even if you are not a soldier this is a good creed to live by!

From High School Grad to Wait What's Next?

Summer has hit and with it, the realization that I will be a College Student in a few short days. It's all coming so fast, but I realize that I need to get organized and actually get ready for the onslaught of work. Which means postponing my publishing date for my book. Setting aside other work that will have to wait. I am delighted though at the fact that all of the classes that I will be taking are both beneficial to pursue my degree in Nursing, but also interesting to me.
 For starters I'm taking a class over the Literature of the Trojan war. I looked over the required reading and it was already books that I was planning to delve into anyways. And then the other classes I'm taking are General Psychology and Statistics.
 I decided to take summer classes to jump start my learning, and in the long run, hopefully I can graduate in three years instead of just four. Maybe I will stumble across new adventures along the way, but who knows?

Class of 2014: Graduation

    Wow I just can't believe it. I finally graduated, it's like a breathe of fresh air, yet fear fills me as I anticipate the unknown. The real world. Life filled with college, work and careers. I plan to pursue nursing and I know what I want. But everything that you can plan can still be blown to smithereens. 

     Between online classes, work, color guard and my boyfriend my summer will be packed. Will life fall into a monotonous pace or will a new adventure be waiting for me around the corner. Sometimes I wonder what God has planned for me, but I know that it all will be revealed in due time. Right now I have to focus on the most important thing and make it the most important thing.

       High school has taught me a lot and that I need to be careful about who I trust, what I am involved in and what I focus my mind on. Overall the graduation was everything that I expected and so much more and I can't wait to take on the world. I am planning for the future while living in the present. I have goals and I know that I can accomplish them. But this fear of college still finds a way to creep itself into all of the cracks. 

      So in the long run when you are feeling down Jeremiah 29:11 might help. :)

 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

Young Military Marriage -- Right Choice? | Military.com

I found this article awfully interesting... Maybe it is the right choice.

Young Military Marriage -- Right Choice? | Military.com

NEW BOOK COMING SOON!

"The Sunburn Demigod" Coming to Wattpad July 2014!

Check out my book the "The Sunburned Demigod" it is coming to wattpad on July 1, 2014. I am hoping to get the first ten chapters written before them. You can read the introduction of the book HERE! Also Follow me on twitter @DanaNewNovember for more writing updates!

{COMING JULY 2014} All Annie has ever done is run. Constantly chased. And always evading capture. But what happens when people start asking questions. Will they discover that she is harboring a secret that could destroy all of humanity? And will she be able to stop the destruction of San Francisco?

Jem Long: "The Runner"

Hey guys check out Jem Long's somg "The Runner" on indie.com. Let's get him to 1st place so vote for his lovely Original Song!!! CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!!
Follow Jem Long on twitter here: @Jem_Long_

Just Eleanor by Dana Robertson

Just Eleanor

By Dana Robertson

The fairies were perched in the trees

Danger lurked in the depths

The songbirds no longer sang their cheery tune

And one had to always watch their step

Not far from this dreary land a cheery castle gleamed with light

Its halls were always filled with song

Outside of the glimmering castle stood a small abode

It was dwarfed by the large throng

A small family lived in this serf's shack

No longer did they live in the castle bright

This fallen family had lost their prestigious place

Because the old noble had left the light

Now only the mother and her fair daughter lived

Banished to a life of toil

The girl longed to once again be a fair maiden in the courts

No longer forced to work the soil

So she set out to see the castle

Filled with Lords and Ladies for the ball

To her uncle the earl to whom her family was a vassal

The maiden, Eleanor, went to call

Dearest Uncle, will you help us

My mother is dying

What will become of me?

Shall I be left to crying?

My father paid dearly for his crimes

Why should we still suffer in shame?

So your sister has sent me to your castle

To regain fame for our family name

My mother would like me to attend the ball

Since we have done no wrong

To betroth me before she dies is her wish

So I will have somewhere to belong

I have heard your please said the earl

Since you are my sister's daughter I shall show you grace

Some fine knight will want to make you his wife

As soon as he gazes upon your face

Eleanor was taken to the wondrous ball

Her gown shimmered in blue

She danced with her suitors

And several left her a clue

Nobles elegantly bowed

To the fairest of them all

To think that the poor maiden shimmered

And became the Belle of the Ball

-----

This is a poem I wrote for my book "Just Eleanor"

Check it out here: "Just Eleanor" on Wattpad!

1 Corinthians 13:1-10

New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

Hello from Sacromento!

For the 2nd day of music tour we arrived in Sacromento! We sang at a grade school today.I had a solo for one the songs... Lets just say that I got really nervous and half way through the song I forgot what my solo was... Luckily O remembered just in time! Today has been a lot of traveling, but we went to the sky  trampoline thingys today. I got to play dodgeball on a trampoline! It was so awsome!
Anyways today has been a lot of fun but it's not over yet! Pooltime later! Today I also worked on some of the covers I'm goimg to record! They are all songs by Wilhelm Tell Me & I Heart Sharks.
Set List:
Neuzeit by I Heart Sharks
Surburbia  by I Heart Sharks
Trouble by Wilhelm Tell Me
Kite by Wilhelm Tell Me
Aviary by Wilhelm Tell Me

If you have any other song ideas just commemt below!

Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

I'm here... But My Heart is in Rabi...

I was sitting here looking at pictures from last year's mission trip and I realized something... No matter where I go or what I do I always think back to Rabi. Well more to the fact of 'I wonder what Rebo and Teatu are doing today.'  Or 'I wonder if Uncle Buren will ever settle down.' Or 'I wonder what Ma and Mary are making for dinner tonight.'  To tell you the truth I fell in love with Fiji.
Not just the fact that it was Fiji. To most people it would be that they missed the warm beaches and 'paradise'  as they would call it. But even I know there is trouble in paradise. Just like Eden.
As I set off on journey for music tour tomorrow my mind will be over 1,000 miles away. In a little village called Lasilasi.
One of the many things that Teatu taught me was that no matter what church we belong to whether it be Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, or Mormon; that we all are brother's and sisters in Christ. Our Heavenly Father made every single one of us and He doesn't want us going at each other with torches and pitch forks. So show as love today & and hug a brother!
Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

Verse of the Day: Day #3

Psalm 23:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

The 10 Most Popular Books of the Bible (and Why)

The 10 Most Popular Books of the Bible (and Why)

Verse of the Day: Day #2

Verse of the Day

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20 NIV

Human Trafficking!

27 Million... Not Something to just Blink At!

Did you know that over 27 Million people are involved in human trafficking! In Portland there is a ton of Sex Trafficking. Read an article about it HERE!
The first step of getting rid of this horrible practice is to raise awareness. Did you know that people are out there slaving over your everyday goods. The shoes your wearing, your t-shirt, your food, make-up, and many products in your home were all made by slaves. How many hands of slaves did your belongings pass through before they came to your door?
Take the Slavery Footprint Quiz to find out!!! Remember you can make a difference! Stop the slavery and all of this madness.

San Francisco Here I Come!

So I'm going on Music Tour In 2 Days!!! And we will be in San Francisco! I'm so excited! The school year has flown by and it just amazes me... Man I'll be off to college sooner that I thought. Anyways we our touring for 6 days in Cali! Fun times & tons of pictures will be coming our way!!!


Hopefully I will be able to update the blog, but I'm not sure if I will get the chance! But keep up with me on twitter @DanaNewNovember while I'm gone!!!

Happy Easter

Today is Easter and we should remember what it is all about. Happy Easter and check out this wonderful Easter Article written by my good friend Zachary White.
I hope that God blesses you today as you remember what he gave you on this day around 2,000 years ago. :)

I Do Not Fear Death

"City On The Hill"

“City On The Hill"
By Casting Crowns

Did you hear of the city on the hill
Said one old man to the other
It once shined bright, and it would be shining still
But they all started turning on each other

You see the poets thought the dancers were shallow
And the soldiers thought the poets were weak
And the elders saw the young ones as foolish
And the rich man never heard the poor man speak

But one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade
In the City on the Hill, the City on the Hill

Each one thought that they knew better
But they were different by design
Instead of standing strong together
They let their differences divide

And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade
In the City on the Hill, the City on the Hill

And the world is searching still

But it was the rhythm of the dancers
That gave the poets life
It was the spirit of the poets
That gave the soldiers strength to fight
It was fire of the young ones
It was the wisdom of the old
It was the story of the poor man
That needed to be told

It is the rhythm of the dancers
That gives the poets life
It is the spirit of the poets
That gives the soldiers strength to fight
It is fire of the young ones
It is the wisdom of the old
It is the story of the poor man
That's needing to be told

But one by one will we run away
With our made up minds to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade in the City on the Hill

One by one will we run away
With our made up minds to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade in the City on the Hill
The city on the hill

(Come home)
And the Father's calling still
(Come home)
To the city on the hill
(Come home)

Verse of the Day: Day #1

Philippians 4:13

New King James Version (NKJV)

13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.

This really inspires me and helps build me up, when you feel like you are down and out. God is there. When you are struggling with an addiction or self-harm. God is there. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You will get through this I know you will.

Obama's Democratic Party Braces For Losses In Midterm Elections

Here is another interesting news article I found. It about the upcoming election and social unrest. Many people are turning to the tea party, as a source of relief. Read the article HERE!

A protester wearing the communist symbol on a shirt during a tea party march that took place last month.

US college students studying abroad prime targets for espionage activity, FBI warns

The FBI is warning U.S. College students to be aware of foreign intelligence officers.

"The cash-strapped college junior from Jenison, Mich., soon became an easy target of Chinese intelligence officers, who first paid him to write political papers in what seemed like a benign job. The People's Republic of China officers then befriended Shriver -- sometimes meeting him in swanky hotel penthouses -- and asked that he consider applying for U.S. government jobs. "

Have you read about this? What do you think?

Read the article HERE!

Bucket List

Here Are Somethings On My Bucket List... What's On Yours?

Full List of 101 Things To Do Before You Die Coming Soon...

Wanderlust

Dreaming of traveling the world while I'm still here.

Climbing mountains, sailing seas; I just want to get out and explore. Whether it is from mission work overseas or studying abroad. I want to learn other cultures. Experience total immersion. Learn new languages. Wanderlust defines me. I want to visit the Eiffel tower. Write about the people of Nepal. Visit Ukraine and interview the resistance. Be a war correspondent. See the Sistine Chapel.

Kite by Wilhelm Tell Me

Kite

I’m so tired of living like
Living like a kite
I pulled my head off the clouds and
And started walking for miles
But strings made me stumble
And winds made me tumble like leaves
It’s all going down
Until one’s back on his knees

And some say if you’ve been that far
You’ll never get home

Won’t you run away with me
For all the things that we could be
Somewhere I can lay my head
Someday they won’t hold you back

This city’s got stories
That nobody knows
But we won’t be one of them
If you just let me know
But strings made you stumble
And winds made you tumble like leaves
It’s all going down
Until you’re back on your knees

And some say if you’ve been that far
You’ll never get home

Another Lovely Song By Wilhelm Tell Me

Mission Trip to Rabi, Fiji

I have a dream to go to Rabi, Fiji for a mission trip to help the community. I helped construct a hurricane shelter last year on the island and now I am hoping to go back this coming August. I want to make an impact on the people in Rabi and to have them see God's light through me. Most importantly it is not about me, it is about the people of Rabi. On this next trip I am hoping to compile a journal of life stories of several people on the island and report on them.

I would like to bring awareness to the poverty in the third-world countries. Most people just see Fiji as a luxurious vacation spot, but many do not see the day to day lives of the people living on the outer islands. Rabi is inhabited by the Banabans and you can learn more about Rabi here!

I will be going on this trip in August with the Pleasant Valley Church, Through the Jabez Humanitarian Project

Several Projects that they have accomplished in Rabi are: Water Improvement, the Rabi TB Project, and other medical projects.

My goals on this trip outside of the building projects and the initial project with the group:

- To Prepare my Journal for the first part of the book

- To interview several Fijians and Banabans about their walk with Christ

- To take photographs for the book

- To Provide Bibles for the Pastor of the Lasilasi community for him to distribute to his community.

What I still need for the trip:

- A good camera for taking quality photos for the book and interview process and to take pictures of the Mission Compound

- Compact Bibles to Distribute

-Your Prayers

Would you like to help me minister to the people of Rabi? 

Check out my GoFundMe Page for more information!

If you are not able to help financially, then you prayers would greatly help us on our mission of hastening Christ's soon return!

My Writing Endeavors: Just Eleanor

So for a while now I have been working on a new manuscript. It first originated out of a class assignment called a "Knightly Tale." Then I turned it into a short story called "The Broken Code of Chivalry." It focused on a Lord's daughter and how she dealt with the aftermath of her world crumbling to pieces. One day she was living in the lap of luxury and then the next she was homeless wandering about in the forest.

Later I entailed that her father had broken the code of chivalry, because he had an affair with another woman, and he was killed in the fire that demolished their castle. Eleanor, the main character struggles to survive in the forest on her own and she decides to go to her uncle and beg to be a servant for him. Never the less I managed to twist and change the plot again and that is how I came upon "Just Eleanor."

My cover art is flexible, but the picture above was what I used for wattpad, but I am looking for someone to create a cover for me or I artistically devise one myself. After the Heartbleed virus was present on Wattpad I took down the beginning of my story and I had accumulated over 9,000 reads. Now I am hoping to piece that story back together and revise it before I post it again. I am still working on writing the story, but "Just Eleanor" has come from a short story to an over 8,000 word document in the beginning stages of work.

If any writers out there have tips for me and how I can build and grow let me know! I would love to hear from you!