I can't believe it! I finished my NanoWriMo book! Woo-hoo! Thank you, Jesus!
It's not ready to be read by anyone yet. It's going to take some fleshing out and a lot of editing ... it's rough. Very rough. But this was an exercise for me to just sit down and write -- without going back and editing it to death! And I succeeded at that, and it feels good. Now I know I can do it.
Every time I turned around, something came up and got in the way of my writing time, but I still managed to do my 50,000 words in 30 days. Actually 29 days, but I'm not going to quibble over a day. I'm just thrilled I got it done. I figured out that you don't always have to be "inspired" to write. It's a discipline. This NanoWriMo thing is a really good thing. I highly recommend it. I've learned many things by participating.
I'm going to take a short break from writing and catch up on some reading for the next couple of weeks, I think. I've also set some goals to be more consistent with my blog posting. So, keep posted (ha!) and check it out. There's more to come.
Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that your Christmas season is off to a wonderful start of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Let Us Give Thanks to God!
Thanksgiving! We had a lovely and meaningful sermon in church yesterday about giving thanks. I'd like to share a few thoughts about what I gleaned from it. Our pastor shared about how Thanksgiving was originally a church holiday -- spent in worship and prayer. I agree that God built in us a need to say "thank you." Our culture has, indeed, developed a blindness to blessings. God has blessed us in so many ways and the blessings flow abundantly around us, but so many are blind to them.
Many believe that they are "entitled" to things instead of seeing them as blessings. Instead of having a thankfulness mentality, they've developed an "entitlement" mentality. The pastor shared how entitlement robs the soul of saying thank you. When you think you're entitled....you expect it, think you deserve it, and you want it. That is not from God.
Phil. 4:6-7 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (New American Standard) (I always feel like giving a hearty AMEN after saying or hearing those verses.)
Let us be thankful. No matter where we are or what we're going through, we can be thankful. God loves us. He sent his Son for us and Jesus died on the cross to save us. He promises to never leave or forsake us. Even if nothing else in the world seems right -- that is more than enough to continually give thanks! Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!
Pastor shared Psalm 63 also yesterday. I'd like to share it with you as well.
O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly;
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary,
To see Thy power and Thy glory.
Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise Thee.
So I will bless Thee as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Thy name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember Thee on my bed,
I meditate on Thee in the night watches,
For Thou hast been my help.
And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to Thee;
Thy right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Wow! God's Word is so powerful! I hope for each one of you today that you will have a very blessed Thanksgiving. I hope that as you surround yourselves with family and good food, you will feel the warmth of God's love and feel His presence. Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you who take the time to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. You have blessed me SO much and I am thanking God for you, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day. God bless you!
If any of you have any special Thanksgiving memories, I'd love to hear them!
Susie
Many believe that they are "entitled" to things instead of seeing them as blessings. Instead of having a thankfulness mentality, they've developed an "entitlement" mentality. The pastor shared how entitlement robs the soul of saying thank you. When you think you're entitled....you expect it, think you deserve it, and you want it. That is not from God.
Phil. 4:6-7 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (New American Standard) (I always feel like giving a hearty AMEN after saying or hearing those verses.)
Let us be thankful. No matter where we are or what we're going through, we can be thankful. God loves us. He sent his Son for us and Jesus died on the cross to save us. He promises to never leave or forsake us. Even if nothing else in the world seems right -- that is more than enough to continually give thanks! Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!
Pastor shared Psalm 63 also yesterday. I'd like to share it with you as well.
O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly;
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary,
To see Thy power and Thy glory.
Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise Thee.
So I will bless Thee as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Thy name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember Thee on my bed,
I meditate on Thee in the night watches,
For Thou hast been my help.
And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to Thee;
Thy right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Wow! God's Word is so powerful! I hope for each one of you today that you will have a very blessed Thanksgiving. I hope that as you surround yourselves with family and good food, you will feel the warmth of God's love and feel His presence. Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you who take the time to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. You have blessed me SO much and I am thanking God for you, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day. God bless you!
If any of you have any special Thanksgiving memories, I'd love to hear them!
Susie
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Neno's Award
Hey, everyone! Life has been so busy, I feel like I'm on the merry-go-round on the playground, it's going too fast, and I can't make it slow down. I'm sorry I've been so bad at blogging. I have good intentions, but the time runs out of my day before I get everything done. I feel particularly bad because my dear friend, Renee Lynn Scott, over at http://reneelynnscott.blogspot.com/ bestowed upon me the Neno Award quite awhile back. Thank you so much, Renee. What an honor! I feel so unworthy of the kind words you wrote, but I'm so touched! I love ya', sister!
I know it's probably beyond tacky that I'm posting it on my blog this late as you're supposed to do it immediately, particularly since I've been less than adequate on posting regularly. But I want to acknowledge your wonderful gift and pass it on. I do LOVE blogging! I do have to say ..... Please forgive me, Renee. I know I thanked you personally, but it's still no excuse for not posting it on my blog like I should have. I need to get better organized.
Here are the Neno's Award and it's Rules and Regulations:
1. As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2. To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
3. Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it. -- Here's where I really messed up. =(
4. Don’t forget to mention the person who gives you the award.
5. Answer the award’s question by writing the reason why you love blogging.
6. Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.
7. Don’t forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.
Let's see. I love blogging because I love to write! Blogging allows me to write, share my thoughts, my faith in Jesus Christ, my humor, and build awesome new friendships. I've met so many new friends and I thank God for that. I appreciate you all! Thanks again, Renee!
I want to pass on this award to my friend, Robynn Tolbert over at http://ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com/
Robynn, you are quite the blogger. It took some effort to get to you try it, and now you're completely dedicated. You go, girl!
I also want to give it to Ralene over at http://calltolove.blogpost.com/ and http://faithhopeandsuspense.blogspot.com/. You are awesome, Ralene. You not only have one blog, but two. You wear so many hats and I'm impressed by all that you accomplish.
I know there are many others out there who totallly deserve this award. But I'm passing it on to these two today. Happy Blogging, everyone!
Just to tag a quick update on this blog post ....
I'm behind on my nano writing, but hoping to catch up. I don't know how it will all turn out, but at least it's more than I would have probably gotten done had I not participated in NaNoWriMo. So it's all good, right?
Last night, on the way home, I turned on one of my favorite Christian radio stations. Isn't it amazing how God gives you JUST the song you need to hear WHEN you need to hear it! Get this -- He gave me THREE songs that I needed to hear when I needed to hear them. It was an amazing trip home. I started on my way home tired and ended up in my garage singing and praising God. Isn't that so totally cool?
Anyway, dear friends, I've missed blogging for you. Please forgive me for my absence from my blog. I'm hoping to get my act together and get busy on my Nano book and start blogging again regularly. I'm trying.
I just wanted to let you know that I haven't stopped blogging -- I've just been "preoccupied" and not getting to it of late -- but I plan on doing better.
Gotta' dash! Hugs to you all!
Susie
I know it's probably beyond tacky that I'm posting it on my blog this late as you're supposed to do it immediately, particularly since I've been less than adequate on posting regularly. But I want to acknowledge your wonderful gift and pass it on. I do LOVE blogging! I do have to say ..... Please forgive me, Renee. I know I thanked you personally, but it's still no excuse for not posting it on my blog like I should have. I need to get better organized.
Here's the beautiful award --
Here are the Neno's Award and it's Rules and Regulations:
1. As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2. To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
3. Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it. -- Here's where I really messed up. =(
4. Don’t forget to mention the person who gives you the award.
5. Answer the award’s question by writing the reason why you love blogging.
6. Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.
7. Don’t forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.
Let's see. I love blogging because I love to write! Blogging allows me to write, share my thoughts, my faith in Jesus Christ, my humor, and build awesome new friendships. I've met so many new friends and I thank God for that. I appreciate you all! Thanks again, Renee!
I want to pass on this award to my friend, Robynn Tolbert over at http://ranunculusturtle.blogspot.com/
Robynn, you are quite the blogger. It took some effort to get to you try it, and now you're completely dedicated. You go, girl!
I also want to give it to Ralene over at http://calltolove.blogpost.com/ and http://faithhopeandsuspense.blogspot.com/. You are awesome, Ralene. You not only have one blog, but two. You wear so many hats and I'm impressed by all that you accomplish.
I know there are many others out there who totallly deserve this award. But I'm passing it on to these two today. Happy Blogging, everyone!
Just to tag a quick update on this blog post ....
I'm behind on my nano writing, but hoping to catch up. I don't know how it will all turn out, but at least it's more than I would have probably gotten done had I not participated in NaNoWriMo. So it's all good, right?
Last night, on the way home, I turned on one of my favorite Christian radio stations. Isn't it amazing how God gives you JUST the song you need to hear WHEN you need to hear it! Get this -- He gave me THREE songs that I needed to hear when I needed to hear them. It was an amazing trip home. I started on my way home tired and ended up in my garage singing and praising God. Isn't that so totally cool?
Anyway, dear friends, I've missed blogging for you. Please forgive me for my absence from my blog. I'm hoping to get my act together and get busy on my Nano book and start blogging again regularly. I'm trying.
I just wanted to let you know that I haven't stopped blogging -- I've just been "preoccupied" and not getting to it of late -- but I plan on doing better.
Gotta' dash! Hugs to you all!
Susie
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Plugging along.....but a little bit behind.
I had big plans of getting some writing done today. I did accomplish a little, but I did not meet my goal. I was really tired today -- just all the busyness of the past week catching up with me, I guess. My word count is at 15,717 words. At the end of today, I should be at 16,690 to be exactly on track. That leaves me short 973 words.
It seems I had a case of writer's block today. I just couldn't get the flow going. I only wrote around 400+ words. My hero and heroine just all of a sudden stopped speaking to me. They say silence is golden, but not when it's the characters in your book. Frustrating. But I'm not giving up!
I'm really tired tonight and it's late, so I'll be at it again tomorrow and we'll see how it goes. I did get some feedback from my daughter on what I've written so far and that's always helpful.
I'm hoping for inspiration and that my characters will stop giving me the silent treatment. My goal for tomorrow is to get in at least 2700 words. Time will tell, I guess.
It seems I had a case of writer's block today. I just couldn't get the flow going. I only wrote around 400+ words. My hero and heroine just all of a sudden stopped speaking to me. They say silence is golden, but not when it's the characters in your book. Frustrating. But I'm not giving up!
I'm really tired tonight and it's late, so I'll be at it again tomorrow and we'll see how it goes. I did get some feedback from my daughter on what I've written so far and that's always helpful.
I'm hoping for inspiration and that my characters will stop giving me the silent treatment. My goal for tomorrow is to get in at least 2700 words. Time will tell, I guess.
Monday, November 9, 2009
NaNoWriMo
Hello, everyone!
I'm so sorry I've not been posting regularly. It's not for lack of wanting to, believe me. Life has been so crazy hectic busy and I'm doing National Novel Writing Month on top of it. Thanks for hanging in there with me. During November, my posts may mostly be about NaNoWriMo and my progress as most of my writing time will be spent trying to reach my goal of 50,000 words in 30 days.
So far, it's been a very cool experience. The whole idea that you have to JUST WRITE and NO EDITING allowed -- has been different. My tendancies would be to write, then go back and pick it apart by editing it half to death. This exercise in writing puts a whole new spin on it. I think I like it. I had to start a whole new novel as well -- no writing on a previously started novel. It's really helped me in disciplining myself at writing time each day. So many blessings have come out of it and it's only Day 11. Now I just have to apply the same principle to blogging, eh? =)
I'm at 13,000 PLUS words and I'm getting ready to work on my NaNoWriMo WIP right now. My friend Renee reminded me that I'm a quarter of the way through already. Woo-hoo! Thanks for the encouragement, Renee. You made my day! And thanks, Judy, for checking in on me and my progress. Your encouragement has meant so much!
Blessings to you, friends!
I'm so sorry I've not been posting regularly. It's not for lack of wanting to, believe me. Life has been so crazy hectic busy and I'm doing National Novel Writing Month on top of it. Thanks for hanging in there with me. During November, my posts may mostly be about NaNoWriMo and my progress as most of my writing time will be spent trying to reach my goal of 50,000 words in 30 days.
So far, it's been a very cool experience. The whole idea that you have to JUST WRITE and NO EDITING allowed -- has been different. My tendancies would be to write, then go back and pick it apart by editing it half to death. This exercise in writing puts a whole new spin on it. I think I like it. I had to start a whole new novel as well -- no writing on a previously started novel. It's really helped me in disciplining myself at writing time each day. So many blessings have come out of it and it's only Day 11. Now I just have to apply the same principle to blogging, eh? =)
I'm at 13,000 PLUS words and I'm getting ready to work on my NaNoWriMo WIP right now. My friend Renee reminded me that I'm a quarter of the way through already. Woo-hoo! Thanks for the encouragement, Renee. You made my day! And thanks, Judy, for checking in on me and my progress. Your encouragement has meant so much!
Blessings to you, friends!
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