Give Thanks

Everyone has people or things that they are thankful for. At this time of year, we should think about that which we are thankful for and why we appreciate them.

1. Family- My family means the world to me. When all else fails, family is always there. My parents especially will help me when I need help and try to get me whatever it is that I need.
2. Friends- Along with my family, I know that my friends are there for me too. They can always cheer me up. All of us are like a family. We are close to each other and I really care about all of them.
3. My health- Not every person fully realizes how much of a blessing good health is for them. I am a very healthy person, and have generally always been that way. I realize that many families must face horrible diseases, so I am glad that I have been graced with my good health.
4. Church- Church is a very big part of my life. I am thankful for church because it has shaped me into a good person. The people at my church are always eager to help those in need.
5. Ballet- As my major hobby, ballet takes up a huge part of my life. Ballet serves as a safe haven for me. I can forget whatever is going on in my life and just dance.
6. Economic status- Money is not the most important aspect of my life, but no one can deny the fact that money is important. Luckily, my parents work hard so that my family is pretty well-off.
7. School- Here in Batesville, we have a good education system. I feel that my education here will help me in college later in life. Not only that, but school also keeps me out of trouble. What else would I be getting into if I was not generally occupied with schoolwork?
8. Our soldiers- I often think about the soldiers that are in foreign lands protecting our country. We live in the best country in the world and I know that the United States would not be so successful without the help of those who are willing to serve it.
9. My house- I honestly love my house. Of course, I am thankful that I have a house, but the one I have been granted is simply the bomb. I have been allowed to re-do my room, and it fits me perfectly. I will be very upset when I have to leave for college.
10. Morals- I have been instilled with good morals since I was very young. These morals will help me throughout my life. I am thankful for them since they will benefit me from now on.

The Lost Symbol Review

What happens after the action of The DaVinci Code? Apparently more action and mystery. Dan Brown continues the adventures of Robert Langdon in his suspense filled The Lost Symbol. This book had me hooked with its thrilling mystery.

The Lost Symbol follows Harvard professor Robert Langdon on another adventure. He gets a call from what seems to be one of his friend's assistants detailing a lecture at which Robert's presence is requested. After flying to Washington D.C., Robert soon discovers that there is no lecture, but there is instead a search for the Ancient Mysteries of Masonry. Langdon's friend Peter Solomon has been taken captive, and his captor only wants Langdon to decode all of the Masonic symbols and riddles involved in the search. The other Masons, including Peter, do not want Robert to unveil the Ancient Mysteries. Along with that, Peter's sister Katherine is in danger. Peter's captor does not want Katherine's research on Noetic sciences to become public. Who is this strange captor? Will Robert be able to set Peter free?

Dan Brown has written The Lost Symbol from the viewpoints of many different characters. Each chapter is from someone else's view. Sometimes, the changing viewpoints can get confusing, but it shows how what is occurring in the story affects each character. Brown also ends almost every chapter with a cliffhanger. Obviously, this keeps the reader engaged if the exciting story is not enough.

The main character in this book is Robert Langdon. As a teacher, Langdon sometimes seems out of place in the action-packed scenes, but he only become more interesting to read about. Every character is described in detail, not only physically, but also in how they think and feel.

The Lost Symbol is set in Washington D.C., so some of the monuments mentioned are familiar to readers and thus easier to picture. Those that are not familiar however are adequately described by Dan Brown. The book also puts a new twist on these places with "hidden secrets" in the story.

The places, organizations, and ideas mentioned in the novel are real, so connections can be made to our real world. However, Brown adds fictional story lines to them.

As far as books go, The Lost Symbol is one of the best. I would recommend this book, along with other Dan Brown novels, to anyone. They are exciting and engaging. This book was very long, but The Lost Symbol was not very hard to read.
509 pages

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey is a guide for teenagers who want to live a good, meaningful life.

The most helpful chapter for me was "Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood". This chapter gave lots of good insight into the mind of other people. It also helped me to learn how to listen and negotiate better. "Habit 5" showed how much relationships depend on good listening from both parties.

I have mastered Habit 3, "Put First Things First". I have good priorities in my life, and I make sure to try to keep them balanced. School, family, friends, ballet and church are all important to me, but I try not to let one take over my life. A balanced life is much less stressful than an unbalanced one, and I definately do not need any more stress.

"Habit 4: Think Win-Win" is the habit that I need to work on the most. I tend to go to one extreme or the other. I am either a cut-throat person who needs to win, or a push over. Most of the time, I just let the other person win if we are in a conflict. I like to avoid such conflict. I need to learn to compromise more.

Sean Covey wrote a very helpful book. I would recomend this book to every teen. We all can pick up some tips from it.