Life Storms

There's a song by Casting Crowns titled Somewhere in the Middle. That is so me lately. I love their music. They also sing Stained Glass Masquerade-that one's great too.

Life smacks us all around and sometimes it feels like it won't ever let up. My parents died within 10 months of one another. I'm dealing with a heavy load that I cannot share on this blog. Something that has my heart in a very painful grip. And all around me, the storms rage.

The upstairs toilet went chaotic Tuesday and rained down on my bedroom ceiling. I dealt with that situation and went to take the towels to the laundry room.

When I stepped out into the laundry room, water sloshed into my bedroom shoes. I turned on the light and saw the entire floor was flooded. I opened the door leading to the garage and the water had flooded into the garage.

After a few hours of wet vac, mop and towel use, we got the floor dry. My teens came out to help without a single complaint. Just laughed and chattered and pitched right in.

I think I have the greatest kids in the universe.

Tomorrow, I'll let go of my beloved Cocker Spaniel as he's put down.

Sometimes, in the midst of chaos, in the heat of the battle, in the worst of trials, we either forget to hold on to the Lord or we choose not to. We let go and try to handle things the best we can on our own. But He never lets go of us. He's a safe haven in the midst of all life's storms. The problem is that we stand out in the middle of the storm, not wanting to run toward the haven. We stand out, with lightning popping all around us, half-heartedly praying we won't get hit by the lightning.

Twenty Wishes

My wonderful 'sister' from New York read Debbie Macomber's book 'Twenty Wishes' and sent it to me. The idea for the Twenty Wishes list came from that book. My sis and I both started a twenty wish list.

What are some of the things you've always wanted to do in life? Maybe a dream you wanted to reach for when you were younger but life happened and you got off course? It's not too late. Doesn't matter how old or young you are. As long as you're breathing, you've got the opportunity to make those twenty wishes come true.

So what's on your wish list?

Writing Quote

Writing Quote

Saw this quote today in the book 'Writing Mysteries-a handbook by the Mystery Writers of America'.

"The truth of the matter is that you must teach yourself how to write. We can offer guidance, the painful wisdom of our own hard-won experience but in the end, you must hone your own skills, conquering the countless devils that will plague you as you learn." ~ Sue Grafton ~

Because of the nonfiction writing I do, I'm occasionally asked to mentor someone. I don't mind in the least sharing what I know. I enjoy helping others. What I don't enjoy is when I encounter people who think because I'm a writer, I'll be glad to co-write their article. Or read and edit their 250,000 word next best seller.

I tell them all the same thing. All I can give you is my limited knowledge. It's the butt-in-the- chair, fingers-on-the-keyboard writing and more writing that will teach you the most.

I am a better writer today than when I wrote my first novel way back in high school. I was all of 18. I just knew it was a best seller waiting to happen. Know what happened? I lost the manuscript in a move. Every writer who has ever written a novel knows how I feel about that inside.

I poured my heart into those words. It's like I lost something of myself. Can I rewrite it? Sure. But I don't remember all the words, all the nights I wrote (yes, hand wrote, this was during my Amish days) that first novel. There's something special about finishing your first major work. I've written a ton of manuscripts since then and each one has taught me something more about writing, something more about myself. So, while writing classes, conferences, writing groups, critique groups and how-to write books can be a help, none of those can take the place of actual writing. And that's how you learn to become a writer. You simply write.

A Special Surprise

I've wanted the Vince Gill song 'You and You Alone' for a while now and I got it in the mail the other day. My teenage daughter ordered it for me as a surprise. Very sweet and thoughtful. I'm not the first one who's benefited from her generosity.

I hate to hear people say, "Well you know how teens are" and then insinuate that all teens are rebellious, smart mouthed punks whose only thought is for themselves.

That's a myth. Like Bigfoot. Don't always believe what you hear. And give your teen a hug today. They could be going through things you're unaware of. Doubts. Fears. Emotional wounds that you don't understand. Give a teen the benefit of the doubt.

My kids hang with a solid group of teenagers who are doing the best they can to make sense of a world a bunch of adults have made a mess of.