Jerome and I were quiet the whole drive to his house. I had never seen where he lived, and it was surprising yet not entirely unexpected that he lived in a lower-income neighborhood. We stepped inside to a spotless and organized living room with minimal furnishings.
“Have a seat and make yourself at home,” Jerome said. “I’ll put on the kettle and get out some leftovers in a moment.”
I nodded and sat down across from a small bookshelf, tilting my head to read titles. Jerome passed through once or twice, and then to the left I heard the sounds of utensils on dishes.

The quote at the beginning of each section is from the picture of the doctrines of grace that I originally posted on Instagram.
ELECTION: "Before creation, because of His sovereign good pleasure God chooses some people to be saved."
(From Webster's 1828)
ELEC'TION, n. [L. electio.] The act of choosing; choice; the act of selecting one or more from others. Hence appropriately,

He's my man and I'm his wedded gal
He's more than a spouse, he's my pal
We got hitched and we're stayin' that way
By God's will and His will don't sway

(CHORUS)
He ain't afraid to let me wear his sweater
He ain't afraid to open up the door
He ain't afraid to promise for the better
He ain't afraid of bein' rich or poor
'Cause he's mine and I am his I know
He's the kind of man can take a blow
He ain't a brute nor a feminine guy
He'll be gentle when the storm rolls by

I asked if he felt the chill on the breeze and he said he did and I asked what we should do and he said he didn't know and I cried because winter was coming and I didn't know what to do I didn't have a jacket because I thought it was always warm here and now I am cold and so is everything and my hands feel numb and they crack and bleed at the slightest provocation and he's quiet and I'm crying and we're so lost out here nobody gave us a road map but we went off on our own and I just want a beacon of light to save me we stopped feeling excited somewhere along the line and I lost the feeling

I looked out the window onto the street below. School girls in dark blue skirts and sweaters meandered through the narrow, cobblestone roads. Their dark hair was wet with the light rain that had been falling all morning. The sky was grey, mimicking the sea that lay beyond it. A donkey ambled along the street, and its owner shouted to his friends in Arabic as he passed by. I looked toward the sea, where potholes teeming with sea life waited for the tide to cover the porous rocks.

They say that sirens speak the truth so harsh that men jump to the sea to ignore it
but those who survive can learn
I was a fool and plugged my ears I didn't hear their warning
I danced too close to the edge and you lead me off
With those naive little thoughts you put in my head
They've come to stab me in the back
I wish I was the kid from can it really be a year and seven months ago
I wish it were me now I wish I could be the type who falls in love with each day
But I've got a clouded mentality now it's like we were fated

I don't know about you but I am a rather timid person when it comes to public relations. I get sweaty-shaky nervous when I go through the checkout line, and can barely make eye contact with the cashier. I purposefully avoid chatty cashiers, especially the chatty male cashiers.

Hey Guys!

So, I've wanted to create an online publication forever, and now seems as good a time as ever to do it. I've come up with the concept of 'New Words' which I'd ideally like to focus on diverse/varying viewpoints on all different topics. I'd like to keep the writers all young, so that the next generation can share their vibrant viewpoints/opinions on different topics. This is non-discriminatory, so all subjects (well...within reason, unless you're writing about something TOTALLY insane, as in, mental-institution insane) are welcomed.

Be brave and strong,
Have courage, walk tall.
Never give up and never back down;
Always remember the cross and the crown.
There is such a great love,
It's your gift from above.
Always share it,
Make others aware of it,
Show it, shine it, live it, find it,
Know it, define it, understand it.
Your rank is not in who you are,
But what He made you by far:
Be that, show that, and see
That He is greater than you will ever be.
Be a great man and strong.
Show Him in your work, play, and song,

“Two days till Christmas!” Ema cried as the bell above the café door rang the next morning. She ran to me. “I saw you coming, and had to make sure you knew.”
“You won’t let me forget,” I said, picking her up. “Where’s your mother?”
“On the phone. But in our room. She said for me to come get her if anyone came to buy food.”
“Do you know who she’s talking with?”
“Miss Kate, I think.”
“Oh, good.”
“What’s good?”
“Your mother is hoping to help Miss Kate. She’s going through a hard time right now.”
“Oh. Did you know tomorrow is Christmas Eve?”