Beautiful Day...
  It's such a pretty day out today. The sun is shining and it has warmed up considerably since this morning. I enjoyed a quiet morning alone with Elijah while Rob and Em visited his mom and dad.

  Today has been such a lazy writing day for me that I think I will share some of my favorite blog reads from this week.

Check these out:
· Joy
· Discipline
· Daily Wisdom
·Cup of Flower Take 2 (photo blog)
· What one thing would you change about your spouse?

  Blog it forward...What's your favorite 5 blog reads of the week?

Long Day

  This has been a long day, but is winding down to a good end. I wasn't able to get very much done up to lunchtime because I had to hold Eli all morning. He's not feeling very well, but I don't really know what's wrong with him.

  This afternoon I was able to write more on my WIP. (Yay!) I'm having fun with it. I'm still not sure where it will go, but I'm going to keep writing and see!

  Emily and I made our trip to the library today. She was very good. She loves going to the library.

  I just finished some housecleaning that I was going to put off until tomorrow. I'm happy now that it's done. Tomorrow I can focus more on other things I need to do, and prepare for Eli's dedication Sunday morning.

  I know this is a terrible post today, but I don't really have half a brain to write anything too complicated. :) I'll try to do better tomorrow!!

  If you read my blog and enjoy it let me know...leave a comment!

Sick baby...
...will blog more later.

Writing for FUN!

  Thanks to my buddy, Angela, I have been knocked over the head with inspiration. Her photo blog is terrific. If you're a writer and ever feel "blah", go visit her photo blog. You are SURE to find a bit of inspiration there!

  This is the first time in a while that I've written something and had fun at it. It's as though I can see the scenes pounding in my head. They are flowing easily as I type them out. FUN, FUN, FUN! While chatting with a friend yesterday, a "twist" for the story suddenly exploded in my head. :) Yes, Angela, YOU were the inspiration for this idea. A comment you made to me about the story made me think, 'How can I add a twist to this story and create an unexpected element of surprise?' I can't wait to finish it so that you can see what I mean!! :)

  Today's Writing Goals:
· Write more on above mentioned WIP
· Journal
· Blog
· Read
· Scrapbook
· Work on "special" new project for "special" friend --no time today--
· Write a "real" letter to someone (I don't know who, but "real" mail is becoming a lost art. Hmm..Who can I send snail mail to??) --will work on this tonight--
· Write some encouraging words (card or letter) for a friend who's going through a rough time right now --will work on this tonight--

*~*~*~*

Update: (6:26 pm)
Well, I guess 5 out of 8 isn't too bad. The baby's been sick today, so I didn't get as much done as I wanted to, but I still accomplished a lot. Robert thinks Eli is teething. I think he's too young. Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow.

Blogging Note:
Don't forget that I still blog at Cup of Hope. It's in a new place, but the still same ole' me! :) I update twice weekly, so be sure to head over and read this week's entries! I will probably be going to once weekly in March, since the newsletter begins then.

Don't Forget...
...to leave a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts about what you read here. Let me know what's on your mind.

Don't forget my new e-zine, Cup of Hope premiers in March. I invite you to join today to receive your free monthly issue.

Word!

  I just couldn't pass that up. ((Teehee)) I'm at 1,000 words and counting. I just returned from a phone call, shower and lunch break. I'm going to write a little bit more before I sign off for the afternoon. We're going to go get our taxes done this afternoon. Then we have church later tonight. Hope you all are having a great day!!

Off to work I go...

  I'm feeling rather chipper this morning. Eli woke up at 4:30, so I'm getting an early start today. I love early starts!! I'm working on my second cup of coffee, and am beginning to wake up now. :)

  I'm trying to learn HTML. No.....I AM learning HTML. What I meant to say is that I'm trying to find some quick tutorials that I can print out. On the last trip to the library I looked for the HTML for Dummies book, but our library is small, so they didn't have that. I was going to fill out the form for an interlibrary loan and FORGOT!! (GASP!) Yes, dear folks, I forgot---such a sad tragedy.

  Today is going to be filled with writing ONLY. Tuesday was spent working on templates on my website. I'm still far from finished, but today I'm going to leave it alone and just write. I won't have a full day to work anyway, so I need to take advantage of every minute.

  Ta-ta! I'm off to Writing Kingdom, where I shall reign supreme as Queen of Ink! :)

Crazy Weather!
  The weather this winter has been so unpredictable. We went from 70 degrees yesterday, to a light snow on the ground this morning! No, I'm not kidding. It's a wonder everyone isn't sick with pneumonia all the time. Emily went to bed coughing last night. She woke us up at 2 a.m. with an awful sounding cough and spitting up junk. This morning she's sneezing, coughing, and sounding yucky. I'm going to keep her full of medicine today!

  I got to sleep a little later this morning, so I'm getting off to a slow start. Eli slept from 7 p.m. to 6:30 this morning. Good boy!! :)

  Today's Goals:

• Work on essay for anthology
  
• Write more on my new WIP
  
• Work on COH templates
  
• Blog
  
• Write in my journal
  
• Finish reading library book

Update:
Well, I'm half-way there! The work on the COH templates is taking longer than I expected. I started working on it at 12:30. It's now 6:50, and I'm still not finished what I set out to do today.

Accomplishments

My day is far from over, even though it's 6:30 p.m. But I am signing off for today. Today's accomplishments include:

• Worked on an essay for submission to an anthology
  
• Wrote a little on my novel
  
• Blogged (DUH!)
  
• Read a few pages
  

Before bed I will:

• Write in my journal
  
• Scrapbook (got some ideas while visiting a friend Saturday--Thanks, Caryn!!)
  
• Read more from "On a Clear Day You Can See Yourself"
  

Goodnight to all!!

Brand new week...

  I just updated the Cup of Hope blog and am feeling motivated. I fell into a big slump last week. This week I'm going to get some work done!

• Wrote and posted today's goals in front of computer
  
• Blogged on Cup of Hope
  
• Ready to start my "work" day of writing!

  I will return later this evening and post an update of my accomplishments today!

Have a wonderful day!

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment for me! I'd love to hear what you think about my blogs!

Remember Our Troops

  It seems as though lately many people have forgotten that there is still a war going on. Just because Saddam has been captured, that doesn't mean the war is over.

  Men and women are still giving their lives for the sake of another's liberty. There are husbands, Daddies, Mommies, brothers, sisters, sons, daugthers working daily for the betterment of mankind.

  Please take a moment today to remember our troops!





Thanks to Melissa for the terrific blinkies!!

Is it FACT or FALSE?
  One of my favorite shows is "Starting Over". This is a daily must for me. It encourages and inspires me to keep trying every day and to never give up on my dreams.
  Six women live together in the Starting Over house. There they set goals to work towards their ultimate goal of starting their life over. Each day brings struggles and challenges to the women, which they must work through. The life coaches are there also to help them and to provide more goals.
  One of the previous episodes, Rhonda, a Life Coach, talked with the women about truth, fear and perception. What she said reallly stood out in my mind and for some reason I'm thinking about it this morning.
  Everything is about perception. When we talk to someone, we may perceive what they say as one thing, when they actually mean something totally different. Outward appearances can also be deceptive in perception. Just because someone looks a certain way, we automatically place them into "categories". This is so wrong! Sometimes our perception is cloudy because we fear learning the true "reality".
  Posted on my bulletin board is a sign that talks about fear. It reads, "Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Think about it! Fear and perception goes hand in hand. The way we look at a situation determines whether we FEAR it, or EMBRACE and LEARN from it.
  The next time you are faced with a situation and immediately start thinking the worst, STOP! Ask yourself, "Is this a FACT? Or is this FALSE?" Look at the evidence. Weigh it. Do you know for a fact that the way you are perceiving it is the way it truly is?
  Perception and Truth. Take a step back. Ask questions. Find out the other person's point of view. Have an open mind. Differentiate between facts and fear.

Doctor Day
Elijah has to go for his 2 month well-baby check-up this morning. It should be a quick trip, though, since he already got his shots at the health department. I dread getting the kids out in the freezing cold. But it has to be done! :)
I received three new books in the mail yesterday that I wasn't expecting. I was going to bring a botebook with me to the doctor's office so that I could write a bit. Now I cna't decide if I want to do that or bring a book to read. I will probably just bring a book because more than likely I won't even be able to read, unless Eli is asleep while we're there. I doubt he will be!
That's it for now! Time's slipping by, and I've got to start getting things together. I'm going to try to blog again later today. Have a great day!

My thoughts this morning
When Elijah woke me up at 4 a.m. I felt so tired. I got up, warmed a bottle, changed his diaper, and sat in the recliner for his feeding. During the next 20 minutes a battle raged in my mind. Should I go stay up and write, or should I do what I really wanted to do and go back to bed? Robert gets up around six, so I knew I could get in another hour and a half of sleep. Then I really began to think.

My goal this year to become a published author. How in the world do I think this will happen, unless I apply myself DAILY! I must do this even when I don't feel like it. This is a gift from God. If I don't utilize it to the best of my ability, He could choose to take it from me.

So I'm sitting here now, sipping a cup of piping hot coffee, trying to arouse my mind and senses so that I can begin my work for today. I have much to do!!

Whatsamattahwithme??

Yesterday was not a very productive day for me. I don't know what I'm going to do with Elijah!! Thank God he slept all night last night, though! I only completed one thing on my list of goals for yesterday. I know, I know! Bad ME! I'm making up for it this morning, though. I've been working for about an hour now, and I've crossed two things off my To Do list for today.

Robert is so supportive of me. I know I'm jumping way off into the blue to another subject. I'm contemplative this morning. No matter what I've ever wanted to do, he has always been my biggest fan and supporter. He's never stifled me, but always said, "You can do it." I'm so thankful to have a husband who's so wonderful in that area. There are a lot of women that don't have that kind of support.

Usually it takes a tragedy to open our eyes to what we have. Sad, but true. I pray that I never grow unthankful or ungrateful for all the blessings in my life. Help me, Lord, to always recognize and appreciate the wonderful things in my life. Thank You for all the little things!!

Foreshadowing and Perspective

Isn't it funny how our perspective changes things? It's rained here for two days. I woke up this morning, walked into the kitchen to warm a bottle for the baby, and heard the rain, still pecking on the window. As I stood and listened to it, I thought to myself, Rain on Sunday morning. What a wonderful gift from the Lord! It's like He's pouring out His spirit on us in liquid form.'

Now, this thought may seem insignificant to you. But for me, it means a change in my way of thinking. This is one of my goals for this year. To turn the negatives (or what I think is negative) into something positive. I did just that this morning without consciously having to make an effort to do so. That, my friend, is progress!

I could have easily thought, 'Oh, no! Not rain AGAIN today! Will it ever stop raining?? Great! Now we'll all get soaked going to church this morning!' You know what? Ordinarily, these would have been my first thoughts.

Thank God for change! I'm so glad that I have the power within myself to make changes. I don't have to stay the same. I can grow and evolve daily. I can become a better person! It only takes a little work and some time.

Revamping...
At the demand of my sister ((hugs)), here is the AFTER picture of my office.

Actually, I'm not finished yet. I'm going to take those decorations off the wall and change that and put up my corkboard in front of my desk. I think I'm going to enclose half of it with the new stand and put Emily's desk in the corner. This morning she came over here and was playing on top of the new stand. So I think I'll move her little desk in the corner. Then she'll be able to do her "stuff" there, and won't feel left out when I'm over here working. :) It's slowly coming together.

Raining...
It's such a dreary morning here. But to be honest, I love a good rainy day every now and then. It provides me with a good excuse to stay in my jammies all day and write or curl up with a good book and a cup of steaming coffee.

The office is coming together nicely. Robert brought home the printer/scanner stand yesterday that he made for me. Now I don't want to put the printer and scanner on it. :) I've had the printer sitting on top of the filing cabinet for a while and that is working out perfectly. I am considering putting the new stand to the side of my desk. That way Emily would have a special spot to color, draw, paint, or whatever, right here beside me while I work. We'd be close, and she'd have her own space, too. I think that would make her feel "big".

I have lots to do today. I'm still in the process of getting rid of some things. Not only that, but there is writing that must be done. I'm going to finish some things today that I've put off all week. TODAY is the day!!

Blogs Reads I enjoyed this week:

"Passing it on"
"Don't Pour me a Cup"
Wisdom from Cathy Jo
"What You Have Meant For Harm..."

Girls' Morning Out
Emily and I went to the library this morning. We used to go every other week, until I had Elijah. I've been so consumed by him, that we stopped going. The last few weeks with Emily have been very trying. She's turned from being the sweetest child in the world, to an absolutely horrible brat. So I thought maybe if we would start doing something special together once a week, just the two of us, maybe it would help her.

In thinking about it, I realize that I haven't devoted any time for her since we had the baby. It's all been about him. She's been very good about not acting jealous towards him. At least, she hasn't been ugly to Elijah, but she sure has been hateful to me!

Anyway, I am going to try harder to find special time to do things with her. Maybe that will make things better. I'm also working on a plan for a system of checks and balances for her. She is so spoiled. She thinks she should be able to get or do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. So we're fixing to work on that, too. I have a plan and I'm working on some charts to print out. I'm excited about it, and I believe it will work and will be a good thing for us to do with her. She needs to learn and feel a sense of responsibility. I don't think she's too young to learn that.

Well, it's time to get some writing done. My To Do List is pretty long today. Not all of it is writing related. But I want to be able to cross most things off of the list, if not all, by the end of the day. Hope you are having a terrific day!!

Boy, have I got you FOOLED!

He looks sweet, doesn't he?? Most of the time he is. The only reason I am being sarcastic is because after I took this picture this morning, he's screamed his head off. It's been about five hours now, and I'm about nuts. LOL

What awakens your soul, makes you truly feel alive?

When I sit at my desk to write, and feel the stirring of something within my heart to write about I begin to feel alive. Writing awakens my soul. It reminds me that we are all human. And although no two people are alike, we can each share and learn from one another's experiences.

Writing from these thoughts stirs something within me. It's like someone is taking a boat paddle and churning the waters of my soul. I feel my spirits rise. It's in these moments that I feel God speaking to me and leading me. He is the light and direction in my writing.

There have been many times that I've strayed from Him. I thought, 'I can do this on my own. Why am I asking God for help? He's too busy with more important things.' But you know what? I can't do this without Him. He is my inspiration. He is my guide. Without Him, I'm just an ugly lump of clay.

What awakens your soul? What makes you truly feel alive?

(This was an assignment from The Inner Journey, a free e-course from Writing Bliss.)

"Growth is a process. Death may be automatic, but growth is not."
- John Maxwell

Remember when you were younger, how you could hardly wait for your next birthday? You just couldn't wait until you were one year older. Or how about the year you turned old enough for a driver's license. Didn't it seem like your birthday would never get here?

Growth takes time. And sometimes (especially for me!) this is a hard thing to keep in mind. You set a goal. You make a game plan so you'll know in what direction you're headed. But it seems like it's taking forever and you're never going to reach that mark.

The process of maturing, in any circumstance, is a slow process. It takes patience and perserverance. It doesn't happen overnight. Babies aren't born into this world ready to eat a fat, juicy cheesburger (with all the fixings!), tator tots and a large Coke. They have to start with milk. Many months pass before they are even able to take their first bite of mushy cereal and soft crackers.

The ripening of our development will start with milk. What are some small things we can work on to jumpstart us towards the direction of our destination? After "drinking our milk" and starting on the small "foods", the next process is learning to walk.

The first steps of a baby are wobbly and unsure, at best. They fall on their bottoms. Then they laugh and get right back up to try again. Quitters never win, and winners never quit!

There will be instances of failure along the way. Nobody said this was a golden-paved path. In order to win, you must be willing to fail. This means you must never give up.

What are your goals? Make a list of yearly and monthly goals. Print this out and place it somewhere visible so that you will see the goals many times throughout each day. When you accomplish one, scratch a big checkmark beside it. Seeing what you've already accomplished will help keep the momentum going. It will propel you to the next level.

The next time you feel like you're accomplishing absolutely nothing, think about a baby. Remember that nobody who is somebody got there without first taking baby steps!

Removing Clutter

Robert brought home the finished monitor stand today. So we moved the desk and rearranged some things. I'm already feeling like I can "breathe" again. It's amazing what a thorough cleaning will do for you mentally. I feel so much better. I can't wait to get the other pieces that Robert is going to make for me, and put it all together. He's going to work on the sliding keyboard drawer tomorrow. After that, he will start on a stand for my printer, scanner and tower. Then I'm going to have him make me a cubbyhole center to go on my desktop for all my office supplies to go in.

So today I threw away two, count them TWO, garbage bags of crochet patterns. The rest that I kept are now stored in a plastic container in the bottom of a closet. My next craft thing to tackle will be the rest of my yarn and thread. I will probably go ahead and purge most, if not all, of that.

I have an idea for a children's story! This is something that Angela and I discussed a day or so ago. I told her that well was dry. But today I was inspired by a *special* person in my life (whom I know would slap me if I gave her name away). I think I shall work on that a bit. Yes, I was just joking when we talked today and I said that would make a good story, but it won't leave me alone. :) Love ya girlie!!

Decluttering
I woke up feeling "spiffy" this morning, so I got a start on my cleaning and decluttering. Here's a "before" picture of my desk.


Okay, so this isn't my original idea, but copied from Angela, who is doing well at keeping her writing spot clutter-free.

Something to read and contemplate...
Are You a Carrot, An Egg, or a Coffee Bean?
Lessons From the Pebble

What a full night of sleep will do...

Eli slept all night again! Yay for me!! After a terribly long and tiring day yesterday, I died when my head hit the pillow. It's amazing what stress and tension will do to your body. This morning I feel "fresh". I am confident that today will be better, that I am going to actually get something done today.

Living in this world can be the same way. Little by little, things creep into our lives if we're not careful. The bible says that the devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We must be adorned in the full armor of Christ daily.

If we submit ourselves to God, and resist the devil, he must flee! No "if", "and," or "but" about it. Simple as that. But the first key is submitting ourselves to God. How can we resist the devil if we are not first grounding in Christ? That would be like trying to sew a shirt, with no thread on the sewing machine! It just won't work.

Give it all to Jesus-all the hurt, pain, frustration, weariness, disappointment, self-loathing, sadness. Give to the Lord whatever it is that weighs you down each day. Let Him do what He wants to with it. If we allow oppressive forces to remain as nooses around our necks, we will only succeed in slowly dying spiritually.

"For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne." - Matthew 11:30 (Amplified version)

Joining ourselves to the Lord is not drudgery. It's easy, prosperous, and pleasurable. His burden is the only burden that will never bring tears of saddness and sorrow to our lives.

What a Sweetie Pie!!

This has been a rough day. Yes, I know I said that already. Just checking to make sure you're reading. :)

So, Robert got home after 7 tonight. When he got home, I was still ill at him (we'll just leave that one alone). Well, I guess he knew, so he defrosted the freezer for me. LOL AND THEN, when he finished that, he took Elijah off my hands and said, "Go take you a nice, hot bubble bath." Is he sweet or what?? How could I stay mad at him after he did that? :)

I had to wash my hair, so I took a shower instead. Now I'm sitting here relaxing, and feeling much better. I let the water wash my tension away. :) No really, I did. I did deep breathing for a couple of minutes to relax myself. I need to MAKE myself do it more often throughout the day. I really do feel that I released some of the stress. My neck doesn't feel as tense as it did earlier.

I added more blog links to the left, but thought I'd mention a couple anyway.

Snakes & Snails and Sugar & Spice is new at One Young Parent. It is updated every Saturday.

Java Diva has a funny post today about coffee cups. She sounds just like me. :)

The Prattling Pastor's Wife is a wholesome blog. Leann is also HS mom and offers lots of information on homeschooling.

A Woman of Notable Character for 2004 is also a great blog for Christian ladies to check out.

And that concludes the new blogs I found this week! :)

---

Today I...

• Worked on synopsis for my inspirational romance book
  
• Journaled
  
• Blogged!!

Hmm....looks like I didn't get much done. I'll have to make up for it tomorrow.

Tired and brainless...

This has been a long day. I baby-sat for a friend, which wasn't bad because he and my daughter played well together. Elijah, on the other hand, has hardly slept today, and has been fussy all day. Sundays wear him out.

I actually wasn't even going to bother posting today. I'm so tired that I can barely think straight, much less put together a legible post. I have been very tired the last 3-4 days. I don't know why. It just hit me all of a sudden.

I've been blog-surfing this evening and found some good ones that I added to my list of reads. I'll post some new links later. I'm going to have to go for now---Elijah's crying again.

Too tired to write...
...will write more tomorrow.

Winding down...
The end of the day has finally come. I'm tired. I didn't get much accomplished today. I need to cut back on my caffeine. I wonder if that is contributing to my tiredness.

If you are a writer, you have to go read A Writer's Answering Machine, by Angela Giles Klocke. It's hilarious! Even if you're not a writer, go read it. You'll get a laugh out of it.

Tomorrow will be a long day for me. We are starting our long choir practices, getting ready for R.I.O.T. (our annual revival). You can also learn more about where I attend church by clicking here.

Well, that's it for me tonight. My brain is beginning to shut down. I'll try to post either in the morning before church, or tomorrow night when we get back home. Hope you have a great day!!

Late Post...

Sadly enough I haven't written anything yet today. This morning I had to take Eli for his set of shots. He only screamed for a few seconds. What broke my heart more than anything was that after he stopped screaming, he lay there "snubbing", with his bottom lip rolled down pitifully. That tore me to pieces to say the least!

My Buddy is really pushing me. That's definitely a good thing though. We're only nine days into 2004, and she is keeping me on my toes. I'm so lucky and thankful to have met such a terrific friend!

Speaking of Angela, have you saved your *F*R*E*E* wallpaper yet? If you haven't, click here to open my home page in a new window. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. There is a free inspirational wallpaper there, just for YOU!! Thanks, Angela! Isn't she a great photographer?!

Tomorrow's a new day! A new day brings fresh perspective (usually). :) Let's make a deal. Why don't we make the most of tomorrow? Let's do something fun, and something serious. Are you up to the challenge?

Warming Up!

My Support Buddy, Angela, assigned me to do the Weekly Writing Excerise that was posted on Momwriters yesterday. Since there's been a lot of chatting this week about "Showing vs. Telling," we were given four prompts and told to choose one to free-write on, using the showing vs. telling technique.

I am so pumped!! I was nervous about doing the exercise and sending it in, because I never do. But now that I completed it, I feel my creative juices flowing!! It really woke up my creative side this morning. So now I'm excited and can't wait to get started on my own writing today. Thanks, Sage, for the prompt, and thanks, Angela for "making" me do it!

A terrific example of "Showing vs. Telling" is Shirley Jump's new book, The Bachelor's Dare. This book is filled with showing. I'm reading it for the second time. The first time was for fun. This time, I'm re-reading it and taking notes. There's so much to learn about writing, and I think the best way is to see how other's do it.

Well, it's time for a coffee refill. Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow!

Passion in Life
There is something within each of us that propels us in life: career, hobby, activities. What would happen if we those things aside, or focus on something different for a time? We'd become miserable shells of ourselves.

Why then does it seem so difficult at times to do the thing I love to do? Writing is my passion. I love forming words and putting them on paper. But there are times I lose focus. I forget why I'm doing what I'm doing. It's not for the money. It's not for recognition. I write because it is my driving force. If I stifle that creative part of me, I will die a little bit each day.

I must keep writing. I must continue daily, regardless of how I feel.

Yes, this is simply a bit of motivation for myself. So just skip it if you're already feeling inspired about your passion, or if you're not interested. I need to write this today while I'm feeling inspired, so on the days when I'm not I can come back and receive some self-motivation!

Reaching Your Goals
"You do not have to know "how" you will reach your goals to begin. Just begin and let the "how" unfold." - Author Unknown

---

At the end of 2003 I realized just how much emphasis I'd placed on the "how", instead of actually working. I had spent so much time reading about how to become a success, that I'd not put my own abilities to test near as often as I could have. You see, I was trying to follow the path of someone else. I was trying to walk in the way that was not my own.

The journey we take is as unique and individual as each of us. No two journeys are the same. For what works for you may not work for me. We must each clear our own paths, create our own destinies.

The scariest thing for humans is the fear of the unknown. If we can't see, touch, or feel it, we don't like it. The intangible, however, is our best friend. Even though we make mistakes and don't always go the way we should, with tomorrow lies new hopes and new beginnings.

The one sure way to achieve what we set out for is to simply begin working at it today. Don't wander aimlessly, searching for a "sure-fire" way. Find the path that you know is right for YOU. Set your course, keep your eye on the prize at the end of the road, and make the journey!

Sleepless Night...

I suppose I can't sleep because of that wonderful 2-hour nap I took today! :) Serves me right! Well, I insomnia is a good thing right now because I just finished my synopsis for the new idea I have for an inspirational romance book. I think I will try to let it sit for a day or two, then return to it to re-write and add/delete stuff. Then I can create an outline for the book and get to writing. Between now and then I'm going to work on character sketches and some backstories, which should be fun.

(YAWN!) I'm getting sleepy. :)

The weather was yucky all day today. Dreary and cold outside, making me lazy inside. :) Unfortunately, I have not done any writing yet today. I had lots of housework to catch up on because of being gone the biggest part of the day. Mondays are always terrible in that aspect. I'm almost caught up now; working on the last couple of loads of laundry. I'm hoping to write some later when both kids are in bed and it's quieter. Emily's been wound up the last couple of hours. I think she's catching her second wind since she didn't get a nap today.

In case you haven't read it yet, I put another new article up today, "Heart Whispers". Clicking this link will open the article in a new window for you to read.

That's it for today. Hope you all had a good day today. May the Lord's blessings be with you!

Introducing Hope Wilbanks.....The Writer!

After years of hiding in my writing closet, the time has come for me to emerge. Only the closest of family and friends have known of my desire and passion to write.

As a child, I entered creative writing competitions and won several trophies and prizes. My love of words faded, though, until I reached tenth grade. It was then I discovered journaling in English class.

At first, I loathed journaling. I detested the idea of having to write every day. Eventually writing about "nothing" the first ten minutes of class every day became such a mundane task that I started writing a story.

Based on my best friend and her boyfriend, my story took on a life of its own. Set in the future, I let my mind wander, writing about how many children they’d have, what jobs they would be in, and more. Upon completion, my best friend read the story and liked it. She asked me to type it and print it out for her. She wanted her own copy. I couldn’t believe it!

I had great confidence in my writing back then. I wasn’t scared of what anyone would say about what I wrote. I was thrilled to share it with whomever wanted to read it. Looking back, I wonder when and how I lost that enthusiasm and passion for writing and eagerness to exhibit my hard work.

Then a couple of years ago, a great friend of mine approached me. She told me she was trying to put together a book of writing that would be a fund-raiser for our church. She asked if I would contribute something to it. To this day, she still has no idea that by asking this of me, she became the match that re-lit the writing embers buried in my soul.

So now here I am, creating a new me. I embrace and acknowledge that I am a writer. I am still self-conscious when someone reads my writing. But I am learning that no matter what anyone else thinks, I must do that which feeds my spirit and mind.

I began working on an idea last night that I have for an inspirational romance book. I'm working on a synopsis. When I get that all down, I'll create my outline to work from, then begin on the backstory of each character, as well as character charts. It's nice to feel passion stirring up the creativity in me again.