Categories
Wisdom Wednesday

When You Don’t Have Time to Read the Bible

Reading the Bible is what makes us successful in our fight against the devil’s schemes.  When we memorize and recite (read it out loud) Scripture, we proclaim God’s promises and truths. Reading the Bible is, quite literally, life-changing.  The world would be a completely different place if Christians read the Bible and applied the Word of God to their thinking, actions, and beliefs.

And yet, despite the Bible’s life-altering, God-breathed, power-harnessing qualities, the book continues to collect dust on our shelves as we’ve moved on to “bigger and better things”.

I used to hardcore judge people who didn’t have time to read the Bible.  In college, I had a full schedule; between classes, studying, social events, running errands, and working, I barely had any free time.  Nevertheless, every morning, I rolled out of bed, sat on the floor, and opened up my Bible.  I would spend an hour completely focused on God: journaling, highlighting Bible verses, praying out loud, and even coloring if I felt led.  When I graduated college, I had even more time to spend with God, especially since I didn’t have a full-time job yet.  People I knew would tell me how difficult it was to give God even five minutes of their day.  Really?  The One who gave you life isn’t worth five minutes of your time?

Now that I’m “adulting,” my life is literally planned out to the minute.  I find it difficult to give God the time I used to when I had plenty of time to give.  Often, I’m too tired, distracted, or burnt out to read the Bible.

I pray that God can remind us of the truth, that time with Him is more valuable than time anywhere else.

I’ve thought about the excuses I use when I decide not to read the Bible.  Here are the reasons that I’ve actually said (or heard people say) about reading the Bible.  If it is difficult for you to keep a quiet time, I encourage you to take one step toward making a consistent time with God a priority:

  1. I get bored: Thanks for your honesty!  God knows your heart, and He would rather have you spend time with Him being genuine than being  complacent.  If the idea of reading the Bible bores you, start off praying that God would renew your love for His Word.  I also learned in college that there are different ways to study the Bible.  You can do a full-on inductive Bible study where you study a whole chapter or book of the Bible, or you could meditate on a short passage of Scripture in prayer.  Start small for now, but the important thing to do is to be consistent.  Lately, it has been so freeing for me to know that God does not expect me to spend my whole day reading the Bible.  As long as I have intentional, consistent prayer time with Him, my faith grows.
  2. I don’t understand it: The Bible is a complex book, that’s for sure!  It has been translated into hundreds of languages around the world, and there are multiple commentaries written on each book of the Bible.  The best way to understand the Bible is in community.  Let your small group or your church help you.  Even if you read a commentary or do a Bible study on a topic, check your facts with a small group.  There are a lot of different interpretations of the Bible out there, and not all of them are accurate!  Connecting with others can hold you accountable and help you keep your theology in check.
  3. I do a lot of driving:  The struggle is real when it comes to sitting in traffic!  But here are some tips for you if this is your excuse.  First of all, audio Bibles are $30 online.  If your car has a CD player, pop a CD of Genesis into the player and listen to the Bible on your morning commute to work.  Some apps on your phone can also play an audio recording of the Bible.  If you get distracted by road raging drivers, make a commitment to listen to worship music on your commute instead.  Worship songs are based on Scripture, so singing along is like memorizing Scripture.  I’ve also found that uplifting worship music keeps my road rage at bay 🙂
  4. I have too much to do: Let me reiterate this, not to condemn you, but to make you realize the severity: Without God’s love and mercy, you wouldn’t have life.  God is in control; He gives and He takes away.  The least you could do is thank Him for what you have by giving Him a few minutes of your day.  Even if you are involved in ministry, nothing is more important than making that time with God a priority.  If it really is a struggle to make time for God, maybe you should reevaluate your schedule and see what you need to take a break from doing.  As I said, even if you’re doing a good thing, no thing should come before God.
Categories
Marriage

The Hardest Part of Growing Old with Someone is…Growing Old

Married couples often talk about growing old with their spouses.  They daydream over the day when they will be sitting in their rocking chairs together, yelling at each other due to difficulty hearing, and holding wrinkled hands as they walk throughout the town.

But most couples don’t like to realize that one day, they will get old.  And that’s a scary thought for a young person, who believes that he/she has a full life ahead of him/her.

A few days ago was my 25th birthday.  I’m finally at the age where I admire my baby face; it makes me look like I’m 16!  To celebrate my birthday, my husband did a great job of preparing a fun-filled day for me at the amusement park.

However, for the first time in my life, it dawned on me that I am not a kid anymore.  I know I’ve been doing this thing called “adulting” for the past few years, but my heart has always been one of a child.  I played with my husband doing silly activities for my birthday, but I realize that one day we might grow old and not want to go to amusement parks or shoot water at each other from a bumper boat…or even dance in the rain!  And not always being able to do what is familiar to me, scares me.  We love to imagine that we’ll grow old together, but we don’t like to believe that it’ll actually happen.

One day, my husband and I will buy our first home together.  One day, we will have kids.  One day, we will switch jobs.  One day, we will get promoted.  One day, our kids will graduate high school.  One day, our kids will get married and have kids of their own.  One day, we will retire.  One day, our health will decline.  One day, we will leave this Earth and be with the Lord.

As a couple, we’ve already been through so much together.  I actually knew I wanted to marry my husband because he took care of me when I was sick.  When I got shingles, he was over my apartment every day, checking my rash on my stomach and comforting me when the antibiotics made me nauseous (which is the scariest feeling in the world for me!).  I helped him prepare for his interview when he was looking for a job, and I visited him when he was in the hospital because of a migraine.  Together, we’re taking care of our apartment and helping each other eat healthy(er).  Even though we have adult responsibilities, we are having fun and making the most of every opportunity.

I don’t know what growing old will specifically look like for me and my husband, but I know that God put the right man in my life to be my partner.  God knew that of all the men I could have married, my husband would stay with me through the ebbs and flows of my life.  In addition to this, God has also entrusted my husband to me to help him grow through the ebbs and flows of his life.  We’re a team, and no matter how old we get, we will stay by each other’s sides.

One day, we will walk through the store, shopping for decorations and furniture for our house.  One day, my husband will laugh with me and have such patience with me as my body changes during pregnancy.  One day, we will watch our kids’ sports games and dance recitals and graduations together.  One day, my husband will hold me as I cry with mixed emotions when my children leave the nest.  One day, we’ll visit and spoil our grandchildren.  One day, we’ll travel the world.  One day, my husband will remind me to take my pills and exercise.  One day, we’ll be holding hands, thankful for one more day of life, as each day for us in our older years will be a gift from God.

You may be afraid that you and your spouse will get boring when you’re older, or that your spouse will grow tired of you.  While I don’t know the future, I know one thing is true: faith in God is the only power that can carry us fully into adulthood and beyond.  Trust that God has given you a man/woman to help you and not hurt you.  Make a constant decision to be a team with your spouse (just the two of you!) so that your marriage will not be you vs. your spouse, but you and your spouse vs. the world.

But if/when your spouse disappoints you, remember that while people may fail, God is faithful and His love for you is everlasting. And when your wrinkles, waist size, energy, and doctor visits disappoint you, remember that your hope is ultimately in Christ, who promises to give you abundant life, from this life until the next.

So, while we may be getting older, we walk in faith, knowing that God has equipped us as a team to face any obstacle that comes our way.  Even growing old together.

Categories
Book Update

Quick Book Update: When Writing is Like Breathing

Hey, all!  I’ve got some honest news for you.  In the process of rewriting my entire book, I have no emotional energy or mental stamina to write a full update for you.  Let me just send you a big thumbs up and tell you that everything is going great!

I had to take a break from writing my book for a little bit because my husband and I went away for four days.  The drive back and forth from our destination gave me a lot of time to think and process.  From that, I was inspired to write an article that I posted on Monday night. Since then, I’ve been reading a book for my Bible study, working, straightening up the house, and mustering the strength to write a chapter of my book.  I don’t exactly have a hard deadline, but lately, I’ve been writing a chapter a day.

No one (except for myself) is pressuring me to finish this book.

For those of you who do not share my passion for writing, here is an inside look at what it’s like to value writing just as much as you value breathing.  It was very late (about ten o’clock), and my husband and I were settling down to bed.  I knew I had to get up early for work, but for some reason, I could not fall asleep.  I tried sorting out my feelings by venting to my husband, but all the poor guy wanted to do was snooze.  After a few minutes, I gave up and decided to try closing my eyes.

When I finally relaxed, a thought came to my mind. No, not just a thought…a chapter.  In the five seconds it took me to gain consciousness again, I had conjured up a full chapter outline in my mind.  All I had to do was write it down, since I knew that such a genius idea would fly out of my head quite quickly.

There was only one problem: my journal was in my purse…in the other room, and not by my bedside.

Did I really have to get out of bed to write down my fantastic ideas?

Then I remembered: we’d brought the mail into our apartment, and we received a letter that had come in an envelope.  That envelope had enough blank space for me to write the sketch of Chapter 4!

I groped around in the dark, trying to find the envelope that I had tossed on the floor.  My husband leaned over and asked what I was doing, since I was moving the bed in the process. “It’s OK, honey,” I whispered, “just trust me.”  He is not one who values writing as much as breathing, but he did respect my need to get my thoughts on paper.  Finally, I found the envelope on which I could release the thoughts that had been caged inside my mind.

And now, the outline of Chapter 4* is safely written on two sides of said envelope.  Now expanding on my ideas, especially on a Thursday night, has been like pulling teeth.  But it’s fun, trust me!

 

*Chapter 4, as well as the preceding chapters, will be available to read once Chapters 5-31 are rewritten.  Stay tuned!

Categories
Wisdom Wednesday

Looking Through Hurt-Colored Glasses

How do you respond when you are an overall kind person, but people take advantage of your kindness?  What if your kindness was misunderstood by those close to you?  What if a misunderstood act of kindness deeply hurt your friendship/relationship?

We’ve all been there.  Whether it’s a patron at the restaurant where you serve food who is testing your patience (and thus threatening your chance of getting a good tip at the end of the meal), or it’s your guy friend who thought that you were flirting with him when you were just trying to be nice, kindness is not always well understood.  We misunderstand each other all the time!  We’re all imperfect human beings that are trying to communicate in ways that we understand, but that others might not.

I’ll admit that I misunderstand others quite often.  When everyone at the dinner table is laughing at an inside joke except for me, it’s easy for me to believe that they’re laughing at me and my ignorance.  When I see on Facebook that all my friends are hanging out and I didn’t even get an invite, I wonder if my friends purposefully avoided me.  I show kindness to others, but I don’t see the fruits of that kindness.  People show kindness to me, and I can’t receive it because I don’t know if it’s genuine.

Sometimes, I wish I could pause reality for just one minute and ask everyone to explain their intentions for saying or doing what they just said/did.  Why are you laughing?  Why wasn’t I included?  Why can’t I be nice to you without you thinking I’m flirting?  Why are you calling me to complain about your order when it wasn’t my fault?  And now that I’m thinking about it, I’m sure that others wish that they could do the same for me.

Personally, when I misunderstand a situation, I always assume that people think the worst of me.  However, it is selfish of me to believe that the people I encounter on a regular basis wake up in the morning with the specific intention to make me feel miserable.  Nevertheless, my past hurts tempt me to believe that since I’ve been hurt before, I’m doomed to a life of perpetual hurt.

As finite human beings who have been hurt, we’re led to believe that our hurt will always define us.  We’re led to believe that we’ll be doomed to let that one guy who broke our heart one time ruin our chance of ever finding love again.  We’re led to believe that we’ll be doomed to let that one condescending statement our family member said to us define our very identities.  And when we see people or circumstances that remind us of the people/circumstances that hurt us in the past, we cower for fear that we will get hurt yet again.

We begin to look at the world through hurt-colored glasses.  

We misunderstand because we assume people are trying to hurt us like we’ve been hurt before.

On my drive home this evening, I realized how blessed I really am.  I have a family that cares about me, a job that pays the bills and allows me to grow, friends that make me feel special, and a husband that never lets me feel alone (he’s even sitting by my side as I’m typing this!).  Unfortunately, I can’t see the blessing because I’m either going through a rough emotional season or I’m afraid that a conflict will come and demolish all of the good that I have in my life. I have a difficult time showing kindness to others and feeling the kindness of others because  I’m so fearful of getting hurt and being misunderstood. 

But there is a way out of the “perpetual” hurt.

I can’t change the way that people talk to me.  I can’t sit every person down I meet and ask them why they said something that hurt me.  But I can look at my own heart and see what needs to change in me.

Showing kindness and mercy to those around me starts with my my relationship with God.  Jesus gave us two commandments that are simple to memorize, but difficult to live out: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).  When I understand how much God loves me, that helps me to love myself (not in a self-centered way, but in a way that encourages me to live a healthy and confident life), and finding my worth in Christ and not in other people helps me to love people and not depend on people.

If I cling to my hurt and let my past define me, I have no space for the love that God wants to pour into me…and therefore, I have no love to give to others.  When I remove the hurt-colored glasses, that’s when I can see how much God really loves me.

If you are feeling hurt and misunderstood, take off the hurt-colored glasses.  Let God’s love define you, and let that love overflow to the people in your life—even the people who misunderstand you.

Categories
Book Update

Why I Write (Book Update)

The book To the King has taken an interesting turn.  I thought I was ready to have it published.  I thought I was going to have an answer from a literary agent by now.  But I was wrong on both of those points.  Although I’ve been working on my book since I started this blog (yes, three years ago!) I’m still not ready to publish it.

And guess what?  It’s OK with me.

You see, there’s a part about writing that I forgot to calculate.  There’s an element of my story that’s missing.  There’s a piece of the puzzle that I didn’t think was necessary, but without it, the picture would not make sense!

That oversight, that missing element, that piece of the puzzle…is you.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve excitedly entered into the world of social media.  I’ve invested my time heavily into Facebook, Twitter (@writing_free1) and now Instagram (@writing_free1). Through these avenues, I’ve met so many interesting people, and I’ve seen how people like you think.  I’ve seen the conversations that have been trending, the shows that people are watching, the blunders that “famous people” (let’s just call them that) have been making…and overall, it has shifted the way my book was headed.

For those of you who don’t know, during my last week of college (a few short days away from graduation), my friend gave me a parting gift: a journal.  Actually, it was a group of my friends who signed it and blessed me with encouragement toward my writing.  I made a decision to write my heart out in that journal, and when I would write on the last page…whatever I had written would be published.

Well, that plan started off as a great idea…but then I realized: if I wanted to write a book for me, this would work.  But ultimately, my dream of writing a book is not simply about me.  Especially this week, God put it on my heart that my true mission is to be a voice of hope, encouragement, and light in the midst of negativity, hopelessness, and darkness.

This week, I’ve seen celebrities and public figures misrepresented in the media.

This week, I’ve seen people my age post about how they’re “done” and how their lives are falling apart.

This week, I’ve seen people I follow on Twitter and Instagram deal with the same issues that I’ve dealt with in life…the very same issues that are highlighted in my book.

This week, I’ve been reminded of God’s redemptive work in my life: the work that took what was dead, broken, and hopeless and made it alive, free, and whole.  I may not be able to fix the world, but through my writing, I can point people to the one who IS able to heal all broken hearts and unite us together in love.

In order to do that in my novel, my book needs a little bit of redemption as well.  The book is not all garbage; as I said, it was just written to me.  So now, I’m taking the time to write it thoroughly and with you in mind.

You, my audience, are what inspires me to keep writing.  Stay tuned for my book to be finished. It may take longer, but if I do it this way, it will help more people.  And THAT is why I write.

 

I love hearing feedback on my writing.  If you have anything you would like me to write about, or would like to throw some encouragement my way, please comment on my posts (whether it be on social media or on WordPress). 

Categories
Wisdom Wednesday

It Takes Time (And Grace) to Figure it Out

I’ve been doing a series on how to find rest in the midst of our busyness.  I’m doing this series because, ultimately, I need this advice more than anyone else.  I do my devotionals in the morning, but honestly, I just can’t relate to what I’m reading.  All I can think about is the endless list of tasks I have to complete, the people I have to see, and the events I have to attend.  Whenever I have any amount of free time, it usually involves catching up on what I put to the side, what I promised I would do whenever I had time.  What I really need more than anything else is for someone to give me practical tips on how to be still even though I’m busy.

If I had to give advice to myself, I would say this: I’m being too hard on myself.

I know I mention this a lot, but my life has been busy since I graduated college.  I wrote a post when I graduated college about how I didn’t know what God had planned for me.  About six months later, the roller coaster began.  You can read about the ups and downs of my life in other posts, especially this one.  For the sake of this post, I will let you in on my current situation.  My husband and I have been married for almost seven months. Due to the fact that we both have full-time jobs and long commutes to and from work, we are exhausted by the time we get home.  Not to mention we are both involved in various ministries during the week that allow us just enough time to stop home and eat a quick bite for dinner.  Oh, and yeah, I’m trying to publish a book, which involves proposing to various literary agents.

The residual effects of our busyness are why I feel so guilty for being constantly on-the-go.  We don’t get to see our families on a regular basis, and the desire and obligation to see them hangs over our heads.  Our place of living is not as spotless as it was when I had all the time in the world to clean it.  Seeing crumbs on the floor, piles of laundry on our bed, and dishes in the sink makes me feel like I’m not taking care of the place that God has given me.  Plus, the overarching nagging of my responsibilities causes me to be irritable and impatient.  I constantly hear this ringing in my ear, telling me that I should be doing things more efficiently, that I’m not being a good wife or a good family member or a good employee.

So, I shall take this moment to ask myself: What is the problem here, the busyness, or that little voice in my head telling me I’m not good enough?

My husband and I are still newlyweds.  My apartment is still new to me.  I’m still trying to figure out my schedule.  And in the midst of all of the “newness,” God’s grace is with me.  He is not angry at me for failing to understand everything right away.  It takes time to learn how to be a great wife, an efficient house-cleaner, a brilliant employee, and all of the other roles that God has entrusted to me.  For now, all God expects of me is to lean on Him and be patient with myself.

If you find yourself feeling guilty for not having everything figured out, my word of encouragement to you is to be patient with yourself.  Even if others expect you to be an expert (fill in the blank), you cannot be without practice.  It may involve making mistakes; you may have to discover several ways that don’t work before you discover the one way that works for you.  All that matters is: you’re not alone, and you will get through this.

My challenge this week for you is to affirm yourself.  Instead of focusing on what you are doing wrong, write down what you are doing right. Thank God for the ability to do those things well.  I would also challenge you to ask God to help you in the process of figuring it out.  It will take time.  Be patient with yourself and humbly ask God for strength to endure the transitional period.  God, through Jesus Christ, understands our weaknesses and gives us grace and mercy when we need it.  Ask God for that grace when you hear that voice that says you are not good enough.

Categories
Book Update

Book Update: I’m Ready for Rejection (NOT!)

So, folks, this is the part of my writing experience that has kept me from becoming a Creative Writing major in college.  This is the part that will determine if this book was a waste of time.  This is the part where, statistically speaking, I will very likely get several rejection letters.

And I’m scared.

I could avoid rejection.  I could go the easy (well, easier) route of self-publishing, but I truly feel that going through a publisher will allow me to have a wider audience.  I appreciate all of my friends who have already promised they will buy a copy of my book, but I know that God has led me to share this book with even more people than just those in my sphere of influence.  In order to do that, I have to jump over a few hurdles before my book will reach the public.

In writing this book, I never wanted to go the easy way; I wanted to go the right way.

My book is realistic fiction.  Having done much research, I’ve discovered that publishers will rarely look at a fiction book unless it has been reviewed and recommended by a literary agent.  When talking to my friends about it, I’ve compared literary agents to real estate agents.  Can you buy a house without a broker?  Absolutely.  But if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can end up making mistakes that might have been avoidable had you gone with a broker.  Since, quite honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing, I want the help of a literary agent, so that I do not get discouraged in the process.

My goal for this week is to apply to three different literary agents, and then pray.  Several sources have said that rejection is bound to happen, so I’m mentally preparing myself for rejection.  I have faith that this book will eventually get published, but I know that failure and obstacles are part of the process (insert motivational quotation here…).

I realize that it might take some time for my book to be published (most likely several months), so God is going to be growing my patience through the waiting!  While I wait, I hope to expand my platform (as in, the people waiting for my book and anticipating a copy).

Speaking of platform, as I’ve said in my other book updates, if you have been enjoying my blog posts every week, or if the topic of my book resonates with you, please feel free to share it with your friends/family on social media.  Publishers want to see that I have a lot of people who want to read my book/blog.  I know a lot of you have shown support by word of mouth, and I thank you for that, but it would be really helpful if you also commented/viewed/shared my blog.

For those who need a refresher, this is the summary of my book: “What does it look like to be set free?  Torri was locked within the cage of her own insecurities, masking her emotions with false positivity.  It is only until she discovers who she really is that she is able to find out what it means to live in freedom.  And it all started with reaching out to the King.  If you find yourself craving more than your life has to offer, join Torri in believing that hope is out there.”

In short, it’s a book about being freed from anxiety and defense mechanisms. You’re gonna love it.

Before I end this post, I want to thank all of those who added me on Twitter this past week!  I have so appreciated the tips, resources, and programs that have been recommended to me on social media.  Pray for me as I need discernment with submitting to reputable literary agents, working out contracts with them, and submitting to publishers.  Thanks again for all your support!

Categories
Wisdom Wednesday

Relying on God for Strength

A few months ago, I wrote about how I was going to reevaluate my responsibilities and pull back from a few things.  I earnestly asked God to show me what He wanted me to change, because I was sure that He would tell me I needed to do less.  Unfortunately for my fatigue, I had a different realization: God was calling me to do even more.

You see, I wanted the world to stop so that I could finish working on my book.  But as I’ve tried to take breaks and slow down, the reality is: the world will never slow down for me.  If I want to make my dreams a reality, I have to fight through the struggle instead of waiting for the struggle to stop.

The greatest struggle I face on a daily basis is waking up.  I don’t know if it’s because my bed is so comfy or because I’m just so tired, but I cannot get up like I used to.  My entire life, I was a morning person.  Now that I’m married and I have a comfy bed, I don’t want to get up early.  But alas, I have work, and work is what wakes me up at six-thirty, with a jolting panic that is sort of like getting ice water dumped on my face.

One day, I came into work, already overwhelmed by all the stuff going on in my life.  We’d had a busy week, and my weekend did not allow me time for rest (it very rarely does).  Now, it was Monday, and I wanted nothing more than to restart the weekend and get another break.

I dragged my feet toward my desk, knowing another crazy week was just beginning.  I had all these thoughts in my head, but the main prayer of my mind was: Take this from me, Lord.  I want to have a day free from stress, busyness, and conflict.

After praying, my day was even more hectic, busy, and full of tears.  I spent the day angry at God for not answering my prayers.  I just wanted a break, but instead, I received more responsibility.  Unfortunately, this was not the right way to look at my day.  God was blessing me with a chance to grow my faith, and I was trying to do it all by myself.

What I needed to pray was: God, give me Your strength to overcome this day, no matter what comes my way.

Typically, when I am overwhelmed, I want to remove any and all objects, ideas, and people from my surroundings.  When I’m having a panic attack, I need to leave the room, close the door, shut my eyes, and breathe; by doing so, I ignore every negative voice that tries to scream at me in my head. When there’s conflict between two or more people in front of me (even if the conflict is not including me), I walk away to ignore the people I can’t control.  When I had a long work week, I typically want to spend my weekend doing absolutely nothing.

As healthy as it is to take care of myself, it is impractical to expect the world around me to pause so that I can catch a breath.  As much as I don’t like it, society is still going to try to fill my mind with negative self-talk and fear.  As much as I don’t like it, the people fighting in front of me are still going to yell even though it makes me uncomfortable.  As much as I don’t like it, plans, and chores are still going to infiltrate my stress-free weekend, making each week blend together with the others.

All along, I felt guilty for being busy.  I thought God was angry at me for giving in to the stresses of life.  But while I’m trying to manage the crazy, the first thing I have to do is embrace it.  And God’s grace is with me while I try to figure it all out.

God grows character out of pressure.  When I’m in the fight of life, that’s when my faith grows.  When I don’t have control, that’s when God gets to reveal His strength in my life.  The best part is: God knew all of that, and He loves me enough to let me go through this crazy season so that He could show me His strength.

This week, instead of asking God to take away my busyness, I’m going to trust Him in my busyness.  My challenge this week is to pray this simple prayer once every day: “Lord, give me strength.”  Let’s see what God does when we submit to His plan for our lives.  When we let God work out our busy schedules, we may discover that we weren’t so busy after all. (I’ll talk more about that next week!).

As always, you can comment on this post, or on Facebook or Twitter.  Thanks for stopping by!

Categories
Book Update

Book Update: Tweet and You Shall Receive

A hearty thanks to those who have already been asking about my book!  Your encouragement has given me the strength to move along, and your questions have challenged me to pursue different ideas that I had not considered.

My mom has been my editor since I was writing essays in third grade.  When I was young, she knew that I had the passion to one day write books, and she grew and nurtured that passion in me from an early age.  When kids my age were getting trophies for writing the first sentence that came to mind, my mom was chasing me and my homework around the house with a red pen, ready to edit my creative writing assignments.  I remember having to answer writing prompts at least once a week in third grade.  After every writing assignment, my mom would give me at least one new piece of advice.  From her, I learned about word usage, avoiding run-on sentences, and so much more!  It has been a pleasure hearing her feedback about my book.  I wanted her to run through the book and make sure the story line made sense before I sent it to a literary agent to get it checked.

They say that success is all about who you know.  God blessed me with a great mother who encouraged me to be successful in writing.  I made a lot of wonderful friends in college who urged me not to give up on my dreams.  Now that I’ve written this blog, I’ve had so many opportunities to meet people who love writing just as much as I do, or who have resources that can benefit me as a writer.  Social media (particularly Twitter and Facebook) have opened doors to new possibilities for me to promote my writing.

Because of social media, I’ve been made aware of several conferences for writers.

Because of social media, I’ve been able to have conversations with others about emotions and anxiety, which is a major theme in my book.

Because of social media, I’ve been asking for help and getting answers.

Because of social media, I’ve discovered new writers who are trying to get their books published as well (and I will be creepy and encourage them, since it’s OK to do that on social media!).

Because of social media, I’ve promoted a story that I wrote, and it might be in a newsletter soon!

Basically, I didn’t realize the resources that I had in Twitter and Facebook.  While Facebook connects me to people I know, Twitter connects me to companies, authors, publishers, articles, books, and news agencies.  On Facebook, I can spread hope among my peers, and on Twitter I can gain the resources I need to spread that hope even further.

So…this week, I will be utilizing more social media.  I think I’ve gotten the hang of Facebook, but there’s much to explore on Twitter.

This week’s goal is to find a literary agent (one who can professionally edit my book and will connect me to a nice publisher).  Say some prayers that God leads me in the right direction with that.  I’d always thought I would be self-publishing my book, but I think that it would be better to have my book published with a well-known company.  So the whole idea of a literary agent and a publisher and submitting a manuscript is totally new for me.

If you have any feedback to help with promoting my book, finding a publisher/literary agent, or using social media, drop a comment below!  Thanks again for all who are reading.  Keep a lookout next week for another update!

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Wisdom Wednesday

Motivation for A Busy Life

I feel like, lately, everyone is busy.  And all the busy people have advice on how not to be busy.  The #1 best-selling advice is simple: stop doing so much.  But is it really that simple when you have to put in overtime at work, when you want to invest time in healthy meals for your family instead of going to get fast food, when your house looks like a tornado blow through it, when you miss your husband because you’ve both been so busy you haven’t had a full conversation in days, when your extended family and friends are asking where you’ve been, and when the minute you actually have some free time you feel guilty doing nothing because of all the voices screaming for your attention?  Did I even mention the self-care that I must do: the time I spend with God in the morning, the 30-minute workout, journaling, doing tasks that fill me instead of drain me, eating healthy, sleeping early, drinking water at the right time (yep, that’s a thing apparently), and breathing?

In my blog, I’ve tried to be as real as possible.  I read the works of writers who have overcome all kinds of raw emotions, and I want to follow their example and pour my heart out for the world to see.  But if you asked me how I was really feeling, this is what I would tell you: I have no idea, because I’ve been too busy to sit down and actually contemplate what’s within my heart.  What’s new?  I have no idea, because everything is new.  Where do I even start?  My head is almost always spinning, and all I want is to take a giant remote, press the “pause” button, and take a nap.

To be quite honest, I want a change in my life.  I’ve been busy for about three years straight, and I’m done with being exhausted and stressed.  I’m sick of always having something to do, and never feeling like I get anything done.  Worst of all, I am frustrated because I’ve heard over and over again that God does not want us to get addicted to busyness, and yet I feel I have no choice but to jump into the current and let it take me into the chaos.

How many of you can resonate with that?

I wish the answer could be as simple as “stop doing everything.”  But life does not come with a “pause” button.  Life is coming at us fast, and all we have time to do is reflexively react to our environment.

The truth is: we all have a motivation to be busy.  There are reasons, positive and negative, why we are attracted to the busy lifestyle.  In order to “stop doing everything,” we must develop the motivation to pause, breathe, and develop a rhythm of rest.  As with most things, rest starts in the mind and the heart.

If you are like me and are tired of running around, I have one question for you: How badly do you want rest?

Over the next few weeks, I will be trying to process what motivates me to be busy.  I will be sorting through both the positive and the negative reasons that I’m attracted to the busy lifestyle.  Each week, I will give you a challenge.  You can comment on each week’s post to respond to each challenge, or you can simply contemplate it in your own way.

This week, I would like you to think about the reasons why your life is busy.  Identify whether each reason is good or bad, and why.

Here are my motivations to be busy to give you some ideas, and I will expand on these ideas throughout the week:

  1. God is calling me to rely on Him
  2. I’m in a transitional stage of life
  3. I don’t like to say “no”
  4. I like to say “yes”
  5. I want to avoid conflict
  6. I want to avoid myself
  7. I don’t want to miss out
  8. I’m afraid of failure

Join me in developing a rhythm of rest instead of a life of busyness.