For God's Sake - Keep It Real

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Recently, a wonderful friend wrote and told me what she sees when she looks at me.
I was humbled by her words, and surprised really, for I don't see what she sees.
She was very complimentory and I won't share her words, for I don't feel deserving of them.
When I look in the mirror, I see insecurity, hesitation, fear and doubt.
Sometimes I see joy, sometimes sorrow.
On a good day I see a smile that's staying. Other days, I don't bother looking.

I wonder what God sees when He looks at me?
I know what I want Him to see.
I'm not sure He does.
He knows me inside and out. I cannot hide from Him.
What makes me think I can hide from the world?

Sometimes I feel I can't be real with people. I want to be, but I'm afraid of what they might say
when they find out I'm not perfect.
The thing is, life is short and getting shorter every day.
We're going to be held accountable for our actions.
I don't have time to not be real.

So I apologize now, because what you see is what you get. I'm going to make every effort to be real.
If you want to know how I'm doing, just ask. If you really don't want to know, please don't ask.
And if you do ask, don't be surprised if I ask you if you really want to know...

And praise God for His promise!

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

When I see Jesus face to face, I want Him to smile at me and say, "Yeah, it wasn't always pretty, but you kept it real."

What Next?

No rest for the weary! Okay, maybe a wee bit of a rest.
But now, after I've submitted my COMPLETED manuscript - can you say WAHOOO?! off to it's various destinations, I'm pondering what to work on next. Of course I could sit here and go over and over Yesterday's Tomorrow and kill myself a million times
over as I catch things I should have caught on the fifth hundred edit, but what good would that do?
SO, no more looking until I get word. Good or bad. And yes, as always, I'm prepared for the bad. I'd love to have good, but you have to be prepared for both. But enough of that.
So what's next? Well, I'd really like to do a sequel to Yesterday's Tomorrow, which I'd like to title Days of Restoration. I won't give anything away here, but I feel there's another story in there that needs to be told. So maybe I'll mull that around for a while and see if I can at least get three chapters down, just incase anyone's interested in the first book, let alone the sequel!
I also have a book I started called Island Legacy - it's going to be a family saga set in...dundanna...Bermuda. Ha. That should be fun to write! And I also...yes, I know...have a light romance I need to finish. Kind of a Love Inspired type of book. Although my shorter ones always somehow turn into Tolstoy length novels...why is that?? Could it be that I don't know when to shut up???
Okay. Point taken.
Over and out and have a great weekend!! Oh, and tell me what to work on!

Writers Rest.

If you're like me, you don't know when to quit and take a break.
You need a place to rest, put your feet up and chill. And maybe
enjoy the company of others like you, who seek solace and a little peace and quiet.
That's why I've created Writer's Rest.
It's a blog for writers like me. A place to share our hopes and dreams, and
all the ups and downs on the road to publication and beyond.
I'm hoping it will become a place of community.
We'll have regular contributors, maybe a Q&A session now and again with a pubbed
author, editor or agent.
Basically, it's going to be a lot of fun. So hop on over and join in!
And if you would like to be a contributor, please let me know.

Writers Rest

Remember...

Today in the Uk it is Baby Loss Awareness Day. I know many in the States are also remembering little loved ones on this day.


We lost my great-niece Olivia this past year, and the healing is hard.
She was a precious gift from God.
Please continue to pray for her Mom Laura.



We miss you Olivia. You were dearly loved.
What a peace we have in knowing you are in Heaven playing with Jesus.

Pray for all those today who are grieving the loss of a child.

Self Doubt

I wasn't sure what else to call this post.
Since coming back from the conference, my mind has literally been swirling with things to do. I had SO many ideas for my book - the book I THOUGHT was finished - I could hardly sleep for thinking about it.
I've been writing every spare minute and then some. Things have fallen in to place remarkably quickly, and I've already written the basic plot elements that I needed to.
Now it's a matter of going over the entire manuscript again, and tweaking those final chapters AGAIN...some people actually enjoy this process. I don't.
This is the part of my writing life that scares me. It's like looking for boogy monsters under the bed.
You just might find one.
Preparing a manuscript for submission is akin to swimming in the ocean at night...you just don't know what's out there...
I'm finding it hard to concentrate. I'm hearing a little voice inside my head telling me I should quit now because it's no good.
I'm trying not to listen to that voice, but I know a small part of me believes it.
I think it's because my writing has become a reality.
People are actually interested in my book.
Real live editors and agents. And they're going to expect something from me....
Picture me running off into the distant mountains screaming and waving my arms...!
Okay, yes, perhaps I need to be highly medicated right now...can somebody just slap me??
I KNOW I can do this. How many people actually finish writing a 100,000 word novel and stick around to read it a million times...you know? This is hard work.
I'm not complaining. I love it.
But it's also terrifying.
I hate rejection. Don't we all?
I guess I'd like to know how to get past this.
How do you really know your work is good enough?
When do you just bite the bullet and say whatever, I'm sending it.
I don't know if there are answers to those questions, but I just needed to ask them.
Can you be taught to believe in yourself?
If so, where do I sign up?

Ups and Downs and Finding the Balance...

I'm tired. Do you know the feeling?
It seems like I haven't stopped running since I stepped off the plane last week.
I plunged straight into re-writes because I have all these ideas floating around my head, and they
need to be written down! I am trying to keep on top of the housework, probably not trying hard enough I'm sure,
trying to be a wife and mom and some other stuff too - but seriously, all I want to do is write.
Wouldn't it be great if we could always get what we wanted? This puts me in mind of that television commercial,
I think it's for Walmart or one of those stores, maybe Staples - where they have the Easy Button.
You just press it and poof! Mission Accomplished.
God, could I get an Easy Button? Please?
I can hear Him laughing.
Nope, no Easy Button for me. If I had one, I wouldn't appreciate anything I have.
I wouldn't have to work for anything, therefore nothing would mean as much.
It occurred to me the other day that it's been just about a year since I sat down at the computer and
began work on Yesterday's Tomorrow.
That's a long time.
If I had an Easy Button I'd have five books written AND published by now.
Agents and Editors would be clamouring to work with me, tapping their heels impatiently while I lunch with Oprah...
My house would be spotless, my children - well they're perfect anyway - and hubby would practically force me down to the office whenever I took a break. "Gee, Honey, don't spend time with me. You could be writing!! Go on..."
Uh Huh.
And at the end of the day, looking back on my easy fabulous life, would I feel I had accomplished anything?
Would God be glorified in that?
I doubt it.
So, I'll skip the Easy Button. Writing is hard work. Being a good wife and a mom, and a woman after God's own heart takes effort - lots of it.
But you know, the more I do this, the more I love it. And when the reward comes, I know it's going to be sweet!