The Unexpected

This past Thursday I received some distressing health news. I was diagnosised with a condition that plagues some members of my family, as well as many Americans. Because of my family history, I had tried for years to dodge the bullet. Watching my diet, exercising and whatever else I could do to prevent it, was the routine I religiously observed. My doctor told that my regimen t had prevented its early onset, but that genetics had worked against me. I had tried to prevent the unpreventable. What lesson have I learned? I have learned that despite our best efforts some things are inevitable and sometimes life throws us curves. Therefore, we must face whatever we are given and by the grace of God deal with it.

Your Daily Routine

Does your daily routine have you in a rut. Do you feel that the more you try the less you accomplish? Take heart my friend. We all feel like that. Sometimes it is difficult to keep on keeping on when you feel like you're not getting anywhere. Elizabeth Elliot, a Christian writer, challenges us to trust God and "do the next thing." We dare not sit down, ring our hands and give up. Galatians 6: 9 instructs us not to lost heart in doing well, for we shall reap in due season if we do not grow weary. We must take the long view and keep plodding along, trusting God to give us strength for each day. Live the present day in God's strength and tomorrow and the next day. Until we are able to look back and realize that our routine days have turned into a fruitful life.

Mondays

Most everyone I know dreads Mondays. I guess that makes me unusal. I see Monday as a brand new opportunity to start something new or finish something I did not have time to finish last week. This attitude may stem from the fact that I am a teacher and I enjoy my occupation. I look forward to the challenge of teaching my students some new concept or making sure they have indeed mastered the concept I tried to teach them last week.

Whether you are a teacher or not, let me challenge you to see Mondays as God-given opportunities to have another chance at finishing something you need to finish or to start something brand new. After all, none of us know how many Mondays we have on this earth. Carpe diem.

Deborah's Books and Such

Deborah's Books and Such

The Enjoyment and Hard Work of Writing

For those of you who enjoy writing, I understand completely. I enjoy it tremendously. Writing can be cathartic. It can transport you from your present circumstances to a more idyllic place. Working out your character's problem or problems as you write can give you a sense of accomplishment and a means of seeing your own problems and their solutions a little clearer. Writing can give you a platform to say all of those things you cannot say in a speech or everyday conversation.
Writing is truly an enjoyable experience, but it is also hard work. It can be an exasperating experience when you are trying to find just the right word or words to express exactly what you are trying to say. You want to make sure that you are getting your point across to the reader. It is a writer's joy to be able to carry the reader into the depths of the characters' lives as the story unfolds. To accomplish this requires patience and hard work. A writer must hone and re-hone the words and the sentences of his/her work in order to paint word pictures that excite the reader's interest and imagination. The goal is to keep the reader wanting more so that he/she will keep reading. All of the hardwork is worth it, especially when someone tells you, " I really liked what you wrote. It inspired me."