Have you lost hope of ever getting over a traumatic experience?
Are you searching for a resource to encourage someone else who may be suffering from some heartbreaking life event?
There are some things in life people never get over. No matter how much they want to. Many experience abuse, financial disaster, serious illness, death of loved ones, and other common traumas making them believe they’ll never move past the pain. (more…)
When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all. (E. O. Wilson)
“Silly bird! Why are you pecking on the window?”“She’s defending her territory,” my husband Dan surmised.
We watched in amazement as the female cardinal, fooled by her own image, continued to swoop down—over and over again—attacking her reflection in the window. (more…)
Most moms will agree—motherhood brings unexpected challenges.
Teen moms deal with issues of guilt, denial, unsolicited advice and pressure from others, and even unrealistic fantasies about motherhood. “Fear is an overriding emotion in nearly every teen pregnancy” (“The Pregnant Teen’s Dilemma” Focus on the Family).
I agree. I stumbled along that difficult road myself when I was 18, and then again with my daughter two decades later.
Being a teen mom will lead you down a new path to an unplanned destination. But it also can be the catalyst that launches you toward the adventure of a lifetime, bringing positive changes and blessings that you never anticipated. (more…)
Can you imagine meeting Jesus face-to-face?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step back into biblical history and experience a real “come to Jesus” moment?
In their new book, The Day I Met Jesus, Mary DeMuth and Frank Viloa set the stage for us to observe the stories of five women in the Bible who experienced personal and powerful encounters with Jesus. (more…)
How’s that book that you’re NOT writing coming along?
I rarely, if ever, blog about someone else’s post. I don’t know why—because a lot of my writing friends and connections write outstanding posts that offer many helpful resources and ideas.
So, I hope to write more about the articles and books that inspire, encourage, and inform me.
Today, I’m sharing a post by Jeff Goins, “The Totally Boring Process of Writing a Book.” Jeff’s post really hits the target for me while I’m writing a book.
Writer. As a writer, I’ve always struggled with transitioning from research to writing.
Why? I give many excuses.
Thankfully, I’m not the only writer with this problem. Misery loves company, I guess. But I see this problem routinely.
Instructor. As a writing instructor, I observed my students procrastinate, as they struggled to complete their assignments all the time.
[Oops! Did I says “procrastinate”!]
In fact, I know several students who never finish writing their master’s theses or doctoral dissertations! They completed the course work for their degrees, compiled volumes of research, but never wrote their final papers. So, they failed to complete their degree work.
Observer. I know a few professors and ministers who used their entire sabbaticals to do research, but they never finished their books. Such wisdom—still waiting in some obscure files somewhere.
Recently, I listened to several historical fiction writers confess their ongoing struggle, moving from the research phase of their writing to actually writing their books.
One writer just completed a book that she’s been working on for 25 years. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS! Oh, she’s written other books. But she’s had this prize tucked away for safe-keeping until her other projects were finished.
Is this a common problem for writers? I think so.
Who am I to judge other writers? I’ve been collecting research on my book for 10 years. That’s why I’ve been so focused in this phase of the writing process—gathering 10 years worth of research from every corner of my home and computer files.
Question. So, how do you break away from your research and start writing?
My writing friend, Kathy, shared some wise advice from a writers conference we both attended: “Put your bottom in the chair and stay there until you meet your goal for the day.”
So, I wish I had the answer. Perhaps it’s simply these two words …
JUST WRITE!
How do you transition from research to writing?
As I considered all the changes I needed to make awhile back, the word “enough” seemed to keep rolling out of my restless heart and consuming my anxious thoughts.
Photo/Jordan
Where do I begin?
Do I work on one of those book proposals? Do I need to write another blog post? Do I have a speaking event scheduled this month? Do I need to work on my website?
I don’t know where to start! Enough!
At first, I thought this mental confusion might be an emotional reaction to stress. Soon, I realized that I needed a divine revelation.
I needed some white space! (more…)
