Surprise!

What is it about my husband leaving town that ignites this independent, "I am woman!" instinct?  Each time he heads away for a week, a few days, whatever, I fight this overwhelming desire to do something to "surprise" him.  This started years ago when the kids were really young and he had to leave for a 2-week business trip.  "Really?  Two whole weeks?"  I thought.....hmmmm, what could I get into/accomplish in 2 weeks.....all by myself.  Aha!  That's it!  Paint the kitchen cabinets and wallpaper the whole room!

Two years ago, it was "Surprise!  I bought a new puppy - for me!"  Last year, I drove around for a whole week with a huge pond insert in the back of my van anticipating the freedom to set the thing up the way I wanted to.   Maybe that's it - the freedom to do stuff without the voice of rationality within ear shot.

This year, however as the tail lights head down the road, I have no plan.  No surprise up my sleeve.  No big thing I feel an overwhelming desire to run out and purchase.  So, what's wrong with me?

I think I must be getting old because I really just want to clean up and spiff up what I already have.  I want to clean up the garden, mow the lawn, pull some weeds, clean bathrooms, stuff like that.  Sounds boring, huh?  Maybe my big surprise can be to finish one of my writing projects.  Probably not half as exciting as a new puppy, but pretty darn rewarding nonetheless!  Hmmm, I wonder what I could get in/accomplish this time?

What Will You Do With Your Brand New Day?

Praise God!  You woke up this morning to a new day.  You were able to crawl, leap, spring or somehow emerge from your restful place to greet the morning.  Isn't that awesome?  Lately, that miracle alone is a major thing to me.  It's totally and completely up to God whether or not to grant us the special gift of a new dawn.  What we choose to do with it is up to us......or is it?
     What do you think the Lord will call you to do this day?  I've learned that oftentimes my to-do list isn't the same as God's.  Even when I begin the day in prayer and ask him to be in all I do and say, he reminds me that I'm to go about my day according to HIS agenda instead. 
     Like yesterday; I set out with a goal to begin on a certain page in my young adult book.  I had the best of intentions until one simple phone call and an encouraging email shot me in an entirely different direction. I ended up revamping a 7-step study I'm putting together to encourage women to identify and go after their dream in life.  I was still moving forward with something.  Still productive, and still edging closer toward the end of a project that began a year ago.
     I made quite a lot of progress on it, and really feel that it will be of help to women once it's completed.  Ultimately, it was what the Lord wanted me to do.


Lord Jesus, I thank you for the precious gift of each new day.  Let us never take them for granted.  I know you want to accomplish something new and amazing in me today.  I am a willing vessel, Lord.  Guide me.  Lead me.  Help me to live according to your plan.  Amen.

Seasons

My year is divided into two seasons:  gardening and holidays!  I can't believe it's August already.  Didn't we just celebrate our graduates and set off fireworks for the 4th?  
     I'm really bad about jumping ahead - once the calendar even hints of fall, I break out the sweaters and "The Great Pumpkin"  Charlie Brown dvd. Unfortunately, here in my part of the world, autumn means suffering through a time of hot, dry winds before cooling off enough to enjoy a cup of cocoa by the fireplace.
     Likewise, while everyone's still picking Christmas turkey out of their teeth, I'm the first one at the nursery eager to buy up the bare-root roses and fruit trees.
"What do you mean, 'it's too soon for summer phlox and coneflower?'" I ask the sales guy (wrapped up in a scarf and gloves).  "This is California - people garden here 10 months out of the year."
     Anyway, I'm excited about the season ahead; back to school (yay), marching band for my daughter, college and band for my son, football games, parties, new recipes, shopping, decorating and planning - I love it all!  I especially love the fact that, because we know Who brings the changing seasons, we're able to approach them with optimism and hope.  We welcome the shifting winds, the shorter days and crisp mornings not really knowing what the new season will bring, but we know Who brings the season.
     On a personal note, I'm excited about the new ideas and plans for our women's ministry.  Helping to encourage and support other women all in the midst of various seasons of life is where a big part of my heart lies.  Autumn seems to be a time of regrouping and reconnecting with one another.
     I'm also excited to be in the writing mode, adding not only words but whole scenes and pivotal events to my manuscript.  
     So, I welcome the here and now, this moment in late summer, but know that I can look forward to the horizon and whatever the Lord has planned for the coming months.  It's His grace, mercy and perfect timing that carries us through every season of life.

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat, summer and winter,

day and night will never cease."

(Genesis 8:22) NIV

Murky Waters

"It's gonna get worse before it gets better."  That's what the guy told me about the pea-green water in my pond that I can't seem to clear up.  He wore the title of  "Acquatic Specialist" on his name tag, so I suppose I should believe him, right?  But for now,  I can't even see my fish!  The poor things look punished, living out their days on death row and swimming around in stuff that looks like dirty antifreeze.  Yet, I'm supposed to do nothing while my new filtration system is busy forming its delicate little eco-system?  I could upset the balance of the entire universe if I empty the thing out and scrub it down with bleach like I want to.

"One day," he added, "You'll walk out there and the water will be crystal clear - just be patient."

Patient?  Did the man really use the "P" word with me? 

If he only knew how empty my tank of patience really is these days, and how I've exhausted every last drop of it on my manuscript(s)!  Like my pond, I'm sure the whole writing process is destined to get worse before it gets better.  Right now, the water is murky.  I can't see the bottom.  My characters are like the fish fumbling around in the dark trying to find their way (bare with me here). 

I know they're in there moving around in the story waiting for me to solve all the problems, find all the solutions, tie up all the loose ends in a neat little package and finish the thing before I'm 80!  Also, like the pond, I'm probably creating more problems for myself when I should just let things progress naturally.  Anything forced, especially when it comes to creativity, is never appealing or believable.  And since I want this story to be both, I will need to tap into my reserve tank for a bit more patience.  Then hopefully, like the man said, one day, I'll wake up and everything will be crystal clear.

Writing Inside the Comfort Zone

I love coffee!  That first cup in the morning is the best.  My friend, Michelle, has introduced me to a hazelnut flavored creamer, and I'm even more addicted than before.  Now I can't live without the stuff!  Thanks, Michelle!

It's funny how we gravitate toward simple pleasures in life; the things that bring us comfort and security, like your favorite PJs, a certain herbal tea, your favorite seat in the house or maybe a particular shade of lipstick.  I suppose that's why I associate my desire to write for the middle grade market with a certain cozy factor.

My parents divorced when I was 6, which sent my whole world into a jumble of chaos and confusion.  But it was in the pages of some great books that I found a sense of security.  I loved when a book was so captivating and held my attention so much that it sort of grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into the pages to live among the characters!  I loved and appreciated the escape element a good story provided, and I believe now, perhaps unconsciously, that is the basis for wanting to share that same feeling of security and of comfort with kids who are at an age where they're devouring great fiction like they're French fries!

I only wish I could remember the titles of the books I found so intriguing.  Some were wonderful short stories packaged together in book form, just the right length for a kids' attention span.  Others were chapter books I couldn't bring myself to dog-ear and close up just before bedtime.  Either way, they took me out of my tumultuous world just for a little while and transformed me to a place of security and well-being.  What a blessing it would be to give that back to kids today!

All About the Cross

Would you go against what the Lord has called you to do if it meant gaining a portion of your "reward" now?

I've posted about the Ventura Book Festival that took place about a week ago.  It was a great place for writers, authors and wannabe authors to congregate in hopes of rubbing elbows with the few mingling literary agents and successful "book people" there.

I also posted about my encounter with an agent from an LA based agency who seemed interested in taking a look at my synopsis and sample chapters of my young adult book.  Interested, that is, until I mentioned it was a Christian project.  Christian meaning that it was purposely written from a Christian perspective, with a protagonist living out an unwavering faith despite her set of circumstances.  She was very sweet and stated that she doesn't represent Christian authors.  OK, that's fine - I'm good with that; a little bruised and disappointed, but I'm sure my breathing will return to normal on my way out to the parking garage........

If I'd written my manuscript for the mainstream young adult market, I would have come back smiling and empty handed.  Instead, knowing that I'd prayed about the the event before I even left the house, I knew that it was still in God's hands.  So, as I returned home with my package, synopsis, author bio and 3 sample chapters all intact, I also felt a sense of excitement - God had something else planned!  How cool is that?  Even though my plan was to hand off my hard work to a real-life, flesh and blood agent, God was letting me know that my time hadn't come yet.  It's that whole "Your will, not mine" thing.

The dream God has placed within me is sincere, as should my desire be to live a life that glorifies him.  I've known from the start of this whole book-writing journey that I would only produce material that would reveal to my reading audience the awesome, amazing, life-changing love and mercy of our Creator.

I know that God doesn't want my heart sometimes; he deserves so much more than a flip-of-the-switch faith, turned on and off depending on who I'm with, what they expect of me, or how happy I am on any given day.  I'm not about to waver in my purpose for writing, or change direction of the dream just to satisfy an editor's requirements.  The Lord has directed me to write for him, and "Writin' 4 Him" is what I love most!

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

(2 Corinthians 3:3)

Discipline!

Here we are again on the brink of another weekend.  How do you plan to spend your free time, if you actually have any?  If you're like me, maybe you start out with good intentions vowing to devote a specified amount of time to normal Saturday obligations before allowing yourself the luxury of doing what you really want.

I suppose life is all about priorities. Because of my work schedule, I rely on my Saturdays to get the house clean and do food prep for the week.  I run errands around town, get whatever shopping out of the way, and spend time with family if we decide to do something together.....doesn't leave much time for writing at the end of the day, does it?  Besides, by then I'm exhausted and any shred of creativity is locked away behind a deep desire to get to bed!

I've realized that if I'm ever going to meet my writing goals that my priorities have to shift.  It's not enough to be "writing in my head" throughout the day if I'm not actually adding to my word count!  I have to make the time, especially on the weekends, to plant my rear in this chair and dive into my story/book/mind-numbing venture.

I'm in awe of series book authors who somehow manage to crank out 30-40+ books over their writing career.  Math isn't my strong point, but that's like a book or two every year!  Wow, now I'm feeling really ridiculous that mine has taken so long!  Does one truly possess 30-40+ DIFFERENT stories in one's brain, and then sit down for an interview to discuss them all appearing calm and composed as if the words just simply rolled from their fingertips with little to no effort???

Didn't they have chores, errands and family time on the weekends too?  What about sick days, vacations, overtime at the office, soccer games and piano recitals?  Perhaps they learned the fine art of living a disciplined author's life early on.  Obviously, they factored in their writing time, and actually added it as a task on their To-Do list.....and stuck to it.

So, that's what I'm going to do.  Today, my goal is to sit down at 4pm and give my full attention to the last few holes that need filling in my story.  If Gladys Lois Leopard can put so many Mandie books in the hands of middle-grade readers, and Debbie Macomber can supply every grocery store, drug store and book store with her many accomplishments, then so can I!  So, 4 o'clock it is! (prayers welcome).

Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Psalm 119: 133