Finished!

Last evening, around 9:30 PM, I completed the writing of "Amanda's Hope"! Needless to say, I was thrilled to reach the end of Amanda's story, but I must confess that her story doesn't end, not here, anyway. However, the part that was told is completed, and now I must have my proof readers complete their task, and I must review the manuscript once more and make any revisions that come to light. Hopefully, that will be completed within a week or so, and then the task of creating the book on-line begins. Having gone through that process several times, I've gained knowledge as to how to accomplish it, so that should take no more than 4 hours. With that thought in mind, I press on to get the book into print.
As I was editing the book today during my lunch hour, it dawned on me that I've learned a lot during the process of writing Amanda's story. First of all, I've learned that my timetables aren't necessarily God's timetables; that life will interrupt; that education about one's topic is a very good thing; that stressing out over self-made deadlines is useless; and that God has His way of changing things without notice. Even though I'd hoped to get this book done much sooner, the completion date isn't as important as completing the book, and that I've done. So I'd like you to rejoice with me and pray that the final product will touch many lives, for I believe the message is a strong one that needs to be spread. Thank you for following my progress in this endeavor, and I hope that the end result will be something that touches not only you, but many others as well.
I'll let you know when the book is in print! God's blessings to all!

Getting Closer -- Really!

I'm way overdue in posting an update on my progress, but I AM making progress, although one baby step at a time. Again, LIFE has taken on a life of its own and has made demands on my time which I hadn't envisioned. My mother-in-law returned from her home in Alabama to stay with us over a long weekend, and due to her condition, I took a day off from work to care for her. Of course, I planned to get some writing done on that day, but it was a rather cool, pleasant day, and Mom wanted to sit outside on the deck, so she did, and I worked in my flower gardens that surrounded her. One thing led to another, and I pretty much spent the entire day working outside and then spent the entire evening, after dinner, sorting through mail, filing paid invoices, and paying bills. On Tuesday, Mom went to her daughter's home to stay with her as the search continues for a place where she can get the assisted living she needs which will be covered by her insurance. And one of my step-daughters is graduating tomorrow - Saturday - with a Master's Degree, and we are hosting a dinner for the extended family in honor of her, so preparations for that have been on-going during the evenings this week. As I said, LIFE has a life of its own!
But the writing has continued during my lunch hours when I sit in my car and type away. I've made progress and am at a point in the story that I find uplifting, full of life and hope for the future. It's Christmas time in my story, and Amanda's time is winding down. I'm hopeful that my writing will progress more quickly next week as things will not be as busy, so as I work my way past Christmas toward the end of this story (does a story ever have an ending?), I pray for perseverance to endure, set aside the time needed to complete the task, and pray for God's blessings on the result.
There is a couple at my church which has been reading the chapters as I write them, and Martha tells me that she can't wait for the next chapters because when she gets new ones, she can hardly put them down. That encourages me to continue, and it's not that I need encouragement because I love to write, but it encourages me to be persistent in getting the task accomplished in a timely manner.
In case you didn't know, I'm a gardener, and I feel as if I've had the privilege of watching a tightly-packed rose bud slowly open in the sun, freeing the petals to dance and releasing its fragrance on the wind, which is sweetly intoxicating, wondrous to the sense of smell -- a gift from God. I'm constantly amazed at the way God leads me in my writing, so even I sometimes don't know what I'll write when I pull out my laptop. Amanda doesn't know something either, but she's trusting that God will lead her each step of the way as . . . . Well, I don't want to give the story away! May God bless your week!

Slowly but Surely

One day off resulted in more than eight pages being written, and now I'm striving to find the time to write even one page! And finding the time to blog has been nearly impossible also! However, I need to take responsibility for how I've used my time -- now that the weather is warm, I'm outside working in my vegetable and/or flower gardens at every opportunity, so much of the blame for not making any progress on the book is in my lap. Of course, I could say that it's God's fault for making such fabulous warm weather! Who can resist? Not me! So I'm now taking my laptop to work, sitting in my car during my hour-long lunch break, and writing. I think this is the only way I'm going to get this book completed. Yesterday I successfully wrote two pages in 40 minutes, so if I can continue at that rate, I'll be able to write 12-14 pages during five lunch hours. I do see the end in sight and am encouraged by that, as well as from my readers and supporters.
Amanda also sees the end in sight, but the difference between her end and mine is that mine is flexible -- hers isn't. The end for which she waits will arrive no matter what --there's absolutely nothing she can do to stop it -- while my end moves continually and only time will tell when I actually get there. Support for Amanda comes in many forms, too -- her family, her Lord, her neighbors, and, amazingly, her co-workers. No one on this earth was meant to go it alone. God is a triune being, and God stated in the beginning that it wasn't good for man to be alone; God has never been alone, and neither should any of us. I've utilized my husband, friends, and family to hold me up during the writing of this story, and it would be impossible without God directing me daily. I encourage everyone to regularly reach out to God and to others and to not wait until there is a crisis to do so. Surviving a crisis is more likely if you already are wearing a life jacket compared to hoping and waiting for someone to toss you a lifeline when you're sinking.