I thought that today I'll go ahead and answer some questions that I have been asked in comments and emails.  I'll be answering ten more questions in a week or two as well.  If this doesn't interest you, feel free to exit out.  I won't be offended.  At the end of today's post, I'll be asking you five questions that I'd love for you to answer.  I want to know more about you, my readers. 


Is your name really Emily?
Yes, it really is.  I didn't make up a name for the sake of this blog.  I have been called Emily since I was born.

How old are you?
I am eighteen.  My birthday is October 14, in case you'd like to mark your calendars. :)

Where do you get the inspiration to write about what you do?
I get my inspiration in a lot of different ways.  Sometimes a song or the weather will inspire me to write.  Seeing how much apathy dwells in the lives of young Christians inspires me to write quite often.  I try to find hope through my writing.  Hope gives me a lot of inspiration. 
 
How long have you been a Christian?
A little over eight years.  You can check out my testimony here.

Why is this blog called "EmilythePerson" or "Emily is Smiling"?
- My little blogs and things from the past have been called "EmilythePerson" since I was in early middle school.  In middle school, everyone has to have a stereotype: goth, emo, prep, skater... you know the drill.  I hated the idea of being classified into one group that controlled the way I dressed and acted, so I called myself Emily the Person, if anyone ever asked me what my label was. 
- Emily is Smiling actually comes from a Facebook status.  Original, eh?  Through my past, I have suffered through depression more than once.  At one point, it was a big deal if I actually was smiling and feeling happy.  I don't ever want to go back to the dark place I was, so titling my blog Emily is Smiling is a daily reminder of the joy I feel from knowing Jesus.
 
Where can I contact you?
You can contact me at emilytheperson@yahoo.com, but be warned: I rarely check that account, so there's a chance it could be a long time before I see your email.  The best and quickest way to contact me is through the comments.

Why do you write so much about modest trends?
I was homeschooled when I was younger, so I know the tendency people have to believe that homeschooled girls are "modest," but total nerds.  I believe that you can dress modestly, but still look cute.  That's why I write a lot of Modest Trends posts.  I like to give style options for girls like me who strive to be modest. 

You review a lot of books.  What are some books/authors that you recommend?
Tosca Lee and Ted Dekker are my favorite authors.  I'd recommend anything by them.  Frank Peretti is another great writer, although he hasn't come out with anything new in a long time.  I'm currently reading the "Left Behind" series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.  I recommend those books as well.  "Deadline" by Randy Alcorn is also amazing.  Khaled Hosseini is an amazing author as well.

How do you have the time to write something new every day?
To be honest, I don't have a whole lot of time.  I'm a senior in high school with a crazy-busy schedule.  It's time to let you in on a little secret... I don't actually write all of my blogs on the day they're posted.  I write a lot of my blog entries before the actual day and schedule them.  This way a lot of stress is taken away and I don't feel as pressured to post everything on time.  Some entries I do write the day I post them, but things like the Modest Trends, poetry, and Music Artist Reviews, I schedule to post ahead of time. 

How much time does it take to maintain a blog like this?
If you're considering making your own blog, let me tell you: Keeping up a daily blog takes a lot of time and dedication.  I plan what I'm going to write on little calendars that I keep on my desk.  I write lists of blog post ideas when I'm at school.  Planning is time-consuming, but fairly easy.  The writing is hard to keep up with at times, I'll admit, but I have a huge passion for writing, so I enjoy it.  I wouldn't bother keeping up a blog if I didn't love to write. 


Questions for You-
1. What is your name?
2. How old are you?
3. Do you have a blog... if so, what do you write about?
4. Who is your favorite author?
5. Do you read blogs regularly (doesn't have to be mine)?

Yes, this week's recommended songs are coming twice.  There will be no playlist next week.  For today's list of songs I recommend for you to put on your iPod, I thought I'd do something new.  I'm opening my playlist of favorite songs, putting them on shuffle, and the first five songs that come up will be featured in today's post.  Here goes.

"Caroline's a Victim" by Kate Nash
I nearly burst into laughter when I saw that this was the first song to come up on my shuffled playlist.  This may possibly be the weirdest song I have ever heard in my entire life.  For that, I love it and I listen to it occasionally.  But it's weird.  One of my best friends gave it to me on a CD as a joke.  It's not Christian, but it has no "iffy" or inappropriate lyrics, so no worries.  The lyrics are pretty simple, "Caroline sits in her room playing killer killer killer killer beats... Caroline's a victim...  Caroline wishes that she could meet all the boys and the girls who live down her street, 'cause she knows that they share that tapping of the feet when she plays that killer killer killer killer beat..."  And that's basically the entirety of the song, repeated over and over.  It's quite catchy and a bit startling when you first hear it, but sure, I'd recommend you to add the song to your playlist.  It's very fun.  I believe it's about a girl who lives in fear of being rejected, so she's a victim of society.  I love Kate Nash's accent.  You can have a look at the song on YouTube.

"Stand in the Rain" by Superchic[k]
This is an older Superchick song.  It's very pretty.  It's about a girl who is struggling to survive, but "stands in the rain."  I love the chorus.  "Stand in the rain. Stand your ground. Stand up when it's all crashing down. Stand through the pain. You won't drown, and one day what's lost can be found. Stand in the rain."  Very pretty.  It's a slow Christian rock song.  If you've ever been through a difficult struggle and possibly even despaired of your life, this song is perfect.  It's a song of redemption and healing.  Superchick is very talented.  Check out the song here.

"Turkish Delight" by David Crowder* Band
David Crowder wrote this song after the Chronicles of Narnia's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  It's about Edmund's addiction for Turkish Delight.  The song is very catchy and fun.  I love it, even if the topic is weird.  Everything about David Crowder is weird, right?  The song begins by telling the story.  "Stumbled through the doorway to the strangest thing: an unexpected magic land with snow beneath my feet.  Came across a lady who was dressed in Southern white.  She took her coat to cover me and in a query cold as ice, 'What do you want?'"  Clever, really.  Check the song out here.
 
"Jellyfish" by Julian Smith
This is another silly song.  It comes from Julian Smith's YouTube video of the same name.  It's a funny song that kind of makes sense...  "Jellyfish... jelly fish... This world is full of compound words. Speak slower, bro, or you won't be heard. If you talk quick, you might sound slick, but I also might think you just asked me to make you a real jellyfish sandwich.. and you'll die!"  I would recommend for you to add the song to your playlist as a joke and to support Julian Smith, who is one of the funniest YouTube comedians I have ever seen.  Check out his videos.  They're hilarious.  You can see the video- and the song- here.
 
"Reality" by Newsboys
This song comes from the old Newsboys, back when Peter Furler still reigned and they still had their old style of music.  My favorite album of theirs, sniff.  Reality is a fun song.  It's basically calling crazy dreamers to turn back to God and follow His plans in order for your dreams to come true in a better, real way.  The first verse starts out like this: "Mom and Dad, I'm fine. How are you? I have joined a small circus, that much is true. I'm a little malnourished, but try to relax. Could you find a better photo for the milk carton backs? Send money."  I love the second verse just as much.  The old Newsboys were geniuses.  No one could think of funnier Christian lyrics than they could.  "Mom and Dad, I'm fair. How's life? Lent the money you sent me to the clown with the knife. My career as an acrobat hasn't begun, but I'm busy giving blood and shoveling elephant dung. Send money."  Check out this song and laugh along with me.

Well, this week's recommended songs were very strange, weren't they?  I enjoy them all though, so I still recommend them all for your playlist.  Check'em out.  Which of these is your favorite?