As I find myself walking along this river nearly every day, I couldn’t ask for a better landscape to travel through! The sights, sounds, and smells of the forest are such a gift, and I realize that not too many folks have the opportunity to spend this much time enjoying it. Too easily, I can find myself taking a thing for granted! I am often a creature of habit, settling into a thing that brings joy, to the point of just assuming it’ll faithfully be there to service my needs. Often writing about a thing, affords me the opportunity to remember how much value a thing can hold, if that makes any sense.

For some, living a busy life can bring with it the challenge of finding the time to rest, relax and/or play. For those who live more of a solitary existence, whether it be from circumstance or by choice, they face the challenge of keeping themselves busy enough to stay motivated. It is very easy for me to fall into the temptation of complacency; getting too comfortable in my spot, as I call it! I am a creature of habit, burrowing into a safe and comfortable place of existence and losing sight of things outside my view. At times I find myself more concerned with the steady routine of walking, than with the environment that is bringing me such fulfillment. Being a good writer requires that we keep a balance, of sorts, in how much time we spend going deeply inward, to focus on a subject. If one doesn’t come up for air, once in a while, we risk drowning in our own words!

I’ve a renewed desire to pursue and appreciate the world around me, even if it’s only in my local park or along my favorite riverside path. I’d like to take more pictures and videos of the things that bring me so much peace and tranquility, sharing them with the people I love; that’s you, by the way!

I have to say that this last weekend was an incredibly fulfilling experience for me, as I’ve been trying to seek God’s will and purpose in my life. Attempting to edit my book with integrity has been daunting, to say the least! I discovered that I’d been seeking my comfort zone, or my spot, in how I’d been shaping my work. I was asking God to guide me, but would still continue in my own direction of how I thought it should play out. I found myself stuck in only the third chapter, for nearly a month now. It wasn’t until I was walking along the river on Sunday, that I heard God call me out on it! He is so loving when He does so, I must say, and I heard Him loud and clear! Since then, editing has taken off and the book is falling together nicely.

The biggest issue I’ve been having, while editing this story, has been my concern with how much information is too much! I’ve got so many things to put in there, but not all of it belongs. If you get me started, I can talk or write for days on a thing, but that doesn’t mean it will all make sense or hold the value I think it might. When God tells me that a thing doesn’t belong, I’m finally learning to listen and not give Him a childish sales pitch, about what I think is best! Can you believe that I’ve actually been trying to do that? God knows my story better than I do, but I was actually trying to write it the way I wanted, not how it needs to be written. My story is supposed to bring love, healing and encouragement to others, so God is the only one who understands how it needs to be shared. By the time I’m done with the edit, I’m confident that it will be as God directed. Otherwise, it can just sit on the shelf! It wouldn’t be any good to anyone if I simply do it my way, as I’ve no idea what exactly is in my story that God wants to use, nor do I know who it’s intended for… that wasn’t part of the bargain!

My goals are to work the edit, one day at a time, til it’s done! From there, it belongs to God, along with whomever it’s intended to reach. I’m considering just releasing it live, in the lobby, once it’s complete. At this point, only God knows!