A Season of Winter

Although I live in an area where snow is a mainstay four months out of the year, I hate winter. I love the beauty of the season, but I hate the cold.

In our part of the country, winter is necessary for spring. When blooms fade and plants lay dormant, they are preparing for a new season in their life cycles. When the snow melts and crocuses bloom, we know a new season is coming. A season of fresh starts. A season of new beginnings. A season of renewal.

At the beginning of the year, several doors of opportunity flung wide open for me. My spirits soared to the mountain tops. It's been an amazing month.

This past week, however, I've been discouraged by some challenging situations in my life. I'm feeling helping because there isn't anything I can do to change these difficulties. I shared my concerns with my Ponderer girls on Friday, and they lifted me up in prayer and encouragement. I'm so blessed by their friendship and love.

My good friend Jo is our pastor's wife and the assistant pastor at our church. She knows of our circumstances right now and shared this with me via email:

"Winter preserves and strengthens a tree.  Rather than expending its strength on the exterior surface, the tree forces its sap deeper into its interior.  In winter a tougher, more resilient life is firmly established.  Winter is necessary for the tree to survive and flourish."  ~Richard Foster

 

This made me think of you, b/c I believe you are a "winter season" now.  Life is hard.  There is not way to soften that.  Yet God is developing you and molding you in a way as to preserve you.  For one day, you will survive this and flourish.  I know you will, I believe you will and God will bring it to be.

 

God is awesome. He is Jehovah Jireh--The Lord will provide. He is Jehovah Rophe--The Lord Who Heals. He is Jehovah Nissi--The Lord Our Banner. He is Jehovah Shalom--The Lord Our Peace.

Why do I allow doubt and discouragement to clutter up my thoughts? I'm human. When God does mighty things, Satan simmers and tries to get a foothold. Instead of rejoicing and clinging to the hope and joy in God, I allowed those negative thoughts to bring me down.

God heard my cry and filled my path, shoulder to shoulder, with incredible friends, who continually encourage me. He showed me in many ways that He hears my cries. Like the tree burdened with snow, I, too, will survive this season and flourish.

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. ~Psalm 61:1-2

Your turn: Are you in a season of winter? Discouragement is exhausting. What is weighing you down today? Share so we can pray over you to help strengthen you so you can flourish.

Writers need to be readers too!

From the time I learned to read in first grade, I was hooked on books. Reading became my escape when life became topsy-turvy. Books have been a mainstay in life for as long as I can remember. When we were little, my mother used to read to us all the time.

I've read to my boys since they were infants. I'm thankful they love reading as much as I do. Every year they receive books as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and upon my return from the ACFW conference.

For me, a life without books is too hard to comprehend.

Imagine my surprise when a fellow writer commented she didn't have time to read. With her busy schedule, finding time to write was a challenge.

I can understand that. We're all busy. I don't know anyone who isn't. And our time is what we make it. I don't know what happens in my friend's life minute by minute, but I do believe if she wanted to read, she could find stolen moments to do it.

For me, I read every night before bed. I head to bed half an hour before lights out, and pick up the latest book on my headboard. Last night, I just finished Point of No Return by Susan May Warren. Confession time here--I read past my bedtime. I had just two chapters left and had to read the ending. After reading, I sighed in contentment over another wonderful SMW novel. Reading Point of No Return made me want to go back and re-read In Sheep's Clothing and Wiser Than Serpents to visit with those wonderful secondary characters from Point whose stories were developed in Wiser Than Serpents.

Reading is an escape. Those characters aren't calling to me for dinner or to help find that misplaced paper. Reading gives me time to myself. Women, particularly moms, tend to care for everyone else and care for themselves last. Reading expands my knowledge. I've learned a lot by reading novels--different topics I normally wouldn't choose to research.

Reading as a writer helps me to analyze how best selling authors craft their words to create those stories that linger in my thoughts long after I've finished the book. This past week, my Ponderer friend Alena blogged on the MBT Ponderers blog about analyzing authors' writing techniques. She provided terrific information for writers to consider. In the comments section, I mentioned how the thought of writing in a book horrified me, but then I realized it's part of my learning process of becoming a better writer.

Your turn: Do you read on a daily basis? What book are you currently reading now? How do you use published novels to help you in your writing journey?

Got Block? Get Bubbles!

The other night I opened my WIP to work on a scene I've been struggling with for quite some time. I'm not one of those writers who can move forward and go back to fix something. I have to be satisfied with one scene before I can write the next one.

My crit buddy and I had been IMing about the scene. She left to fix dinner, and I decided to spend the next 45 minutes writing before I had to participate in the My Book Therapy Monday Night Chat. Instead of writing, I grabbed the newest Susie May Warren novel and headed for the bathroom.

As I sunk to my chin in a tubful of bubbles, I opened Point of No Return and picked up where I had left off the night before. Although the story is engaging, my mind wouldn't stop thinking about the scene I continued to struggle with. I set the book down for a minute, leaned back, and closed my eyes.

Within minutes, my muse relaxed and words formed coherent sentences. Sentences flowed into paragraphs so quickly, I had to keep repeating them over and over in my head so I wouldn't forget. After a few minutes, I dashed out of the tub, wrapped a towel around myself, and grabbed a notebook and pen off my desk.

I climbed back in the tub and spent the next twenty minutes scribbling as quickly as the words would come. Afterward, I typed the scene, smoothed out the edges, and then submitted the chapter to my critique partner.

I admire beautiful prose. I'm not one of those writers who creates breathtaking sentences that linger with the reader. From time to time, though, my muse flashes a sentence or two that makes me smile with contentment. Last night was one of those times.

So, the next time you have writer's block, sink into a tubful of bubbles and let Calgon take you away to a place where your muse has free reign.

Your turn: How do you work through challenges in your writing?

Everyone Has a Story

About eleven years ago, a friend introduced me to the wonderful world of scrapbooking. As a child, I saved things that had sentimental value to me. I'm a romantic, and when my husband and I dated, I saved his letters, cards, ticket stubs, and other mementos that reflected our relationship. Once we had children, I did the same thing. All of those items tell a story.

The phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words," is so true. I have boxes and boxes of photos in my craft nook, and files of them on my computer, waiting to be put in albums. I've started dabbling in digital scrapbooking, which I like so much more because there's no cleanup.

A week ago, I had the honor of putting together a slideshow for a memorial service at church. Our very talented, passionate pianist breathed her last cancer-laden breath and went home to be with Jesus on January 2 at 9:20 a.m. Our church hosted a Celebration of Life memorial service this past Sunday to honor her memory.

As I went through her photos from infancy to present, I was touched by her beauty and passion for Jesus. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, educator, missionary, pianist, and friend. She always had a smile, laughed even when her illness caused much pain, and spread her joy to others.

I'm intrigued by the stories we have to tell about our lives. I have a friend who has encountered more trials in her years than any human should be allowed. Through abuse, grief, sorrow, sickness, her life shines brighter than ever. God used her different experiences to reflect his Glory. She is one of the strongest prayer warriors I know. Another friend posted on the MBT Ponderers blog how God showed her the true definition of her life.

We all have a story to tell. Our circumstances can grind us down, or they can be used to make us stronger. Imagine if the photos in your life were put to a slideshow. What story would they tell?

Building Relationships--Vital to a Writer's Career

In her query policy posted on January 3rd, Rachelle Gardner stated she was closed to queries except those from authors who have previously published with a royalty-paying publisher, personal referrals, or longtime blog commenters and others she knows.

After reading her post, I realized again how important building relationships are for writers. Attending conferences, retreats, & organizations allows you to meet potential mentors, critique partners, editors, and agents face to face.

I signed with Rachelle last March after establishing a relationship with her by meeting with her two years in a row at ACFW, reading & commenting on her blog, and following her on Twitter & Facebook. She was not a nameless agent to me.

For the rest of this post, head over to MBT Ponderers blog where I continue my discussion on the importance of building relationships. Leave a comment and your email for an opportunity to win a first chapter critique from me.

ABCDEFs of Goal Setting

With the new year upon us, many people will spend the first part of January making resolutions...and spend the rest of the month breaking them. No, I'm not trying to be negative, but realistic because I've done the same thing year after year and wind up with the same feelings of discouragement and failure.

On Monday's MBT Ponderers blog, my friend Beth Vogt wrote about banning new year's resolutions and how liberating the experience was for her. Instead she focuses on one word each year and uses that word to help her maintain focus on what she wants to achieve throughout the year.

During the My Book Therapy Monday Night Chat, Susan May Warren talked about goals and shared strategies she uses to keep her goals in alignment throughout the year. Instead of me repeating what she said, you can read about it here.

Setting goals is a great way to help you stay focused on what you want to achieve, whether it's being a smaller size by this time next year, paying off credit card debt, or completing that novel. In order for you to succeed in achieving your goals, follow the ABCDEFs:

• Achievable--Keep goals within your power to maintain. Once you determine what your goal will be, you need to put steps in place to help achieve those goals. For example, if you want to finish your novel this year, look at your schedule and determine how much writing time you will have. Then, determine how many words you need to write daily to achieve your goal.
• Believable--In order to achieve your goals, they need to be believable or realistic. Saying you're going to write six book this year may be a stretch, especially if you have a full-time job. Make sure your expectations are realistic. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure.
• Concrete--To be successful, goals need to be concrete and measurable. Make a list of your goals. Seeing them on paper helps you to stay focused. Determine what makes your goal measurable. Determining you will write 1500 words a day gives you a target to help you stay on track for achieving your believable goal of writing a novel this year.
• Deadline--Give yourself a deadline for achieving your goal. If you plan to pitch your novel at a writer's conference, use that date as a deadline to have your novel ready. Not only will that help you determine word count and editing time, it helps you to stay focused. 
• Evaluate--Every few months, evaluate your goals and see if you are on track for reaching them by the deadline. If your expectations are too high, you're setting yourself up for failure. If life circumstances are preventing you from reaching your deadline, change your goal. This is not a do or die thing. 
• Finish--Even if you didn't meet your deadline, finish anyway. You will still receive a great amount of personal satisfaction than if you threw your hands up and decided since you missed your deadline, then why bother. Finishing allows you to decide on new goals with new deadlines based on your previous experiences. 

Goals are milestones you want to achieve in your life. Setting achievable goals with reasonable deadlines will help you to be a more focused person.

Your turn: What goals have you set for yourself this year? Do they follow the ABCDEFs? What changes can you make to make them achievable?

Surrender For His Purpose

As I released my grasp on 2010's midnight's slumber and slid into 2011's welcoming embrace, my first thought upon waking was I had to read my Bible. I wanted to start my first day of 2011 by spending quiet time with God, reflecting and savoring those nuggets of grace He laid on my heart.

As I read the Word and my devotionals, many thoughts swirled in my head, but two words stood out like neon against inky darkness--surrender and grace.

God's grace is a balm to our imperfect hearts. When we screw up and ask for forgiveness, He gives it freely and helps us to learn from our mistakes. Being humble before Him and allowing Him to work in our lives is possible only if we surrender our to Him.

This year, I believe God is asking me to surrender and to let Him be in control. I'm a control freak. I admit it. I like knowing what is going to happen from one day to the next, but that limits allowing God to work through me for His purpose. 

While reading the chapter on Eve out of the Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler & Jean Syswerda, two different passages spoke to me:

"When you're at your lowest, on your knees before God's judgment, never forget that his grace is still at work. And that's truly amazing."

"Surrender your life, so that he can fulfill his purpose for creating you."

This year, I believe God is asking me to surrender and to let Him be in control. I'm a control freak. I admit it. I like knowing what is going to happen from one day to the next, but that limits allowing God to work through me for His purpose.  

I dubbed 2011 as the year of Hope. Not just hope as a want, i.e, I hope (want or desire) a book contract, but that my Hope in Christ strengths each day, especially when I'm experiencing all of those emotions He created within me. God designed me with a specific purpose in mind. He knows all my doubts. He knows all my fears. He gets me and loves me unconditionally. I can put my trust in Him, and know without a shadow of doubt that He won't let me down.

God is our Hope. Without Him, what do we have?