There was a time that I could lose myself in my children, my crafts, my pets, camping, church… and friends.
Times changed, however, bringing circumstances and life interruptus’ that, in one way or another, robbed me of the entire lot!
I will always cherish the memories, treasuring each and every moment of love given and time spent… but life goes on, and as they say, time waits for no man, or woman for that matter!
Admittedly, at no point in all those years did I fully walk with God!
That has changed… thanks be to the grace offered by my heavenly father.
Currently, my days are filled with walks along the river, as I listen to music and fellowship with Him. I lose myself for hours in study of His written word, seeking the lifegiving wisdom within its pages. When I work on any of my literary work, I can easily forget to stop and eat, or even drink a full cup of coffee before it gets cold. It is normal for me to re-heat my coffee or tea repeatedly, before drinking the whole cup. My hubby actually has begun tapping me on the shoulder when I’ve gone too long without eating or drinking.
I believe that though we live day to day with very little, in terms of material things, I feel rather blessed with all the time God spends in molding this vessel. Thankfully, I’m so very lost in HIM, that there is nowhere else that I would rather be found…
It’s confession time! Maybe you noticed the lack of writing I’ve been doing of late… maybe not, but it has been for a very good reason. Over the past month I’ve been working on writing a book, but not the one you expect. Out of the blue last month, God asked me to set my planned novel aside, so as to finish something I’d been putting off for a while… my story.
Thanks to the repeated daily prompt questions about autobiographies, I realized that I’d been holding onto my unfinished story for far too long. The literary line was drawn, so I crossed over it, re-entering a God driven written story, that has been a long time coming.
As of yesterday afternoon, I’ve been staring at my first full work of writing! It has been exciting, terrifying, nauseating, stressful, blissful, exhausting and so very fulfilling! It is far from being seen on a shelf, I’m sure, but all the content is in there… all 40 some odd thousand words of it!
Now the work begins for this punctuation fairy, as I begin to do a full Audio Recording Editing session. I want to catch any unforeseen errors within the many pages, so listening to myself try to read it out loud, often reveals the problems rather easily. Once that’s done, all that’s left is to print my first copy for my own Poor Mans’ Copyright that I’ll mail to myself. My sweet husband went and found the cash to purchase a printer and some paper, so we keep rolling forward.
The rest is in God’s hands and though I am a ball of emotional energy over putting myself out there, I DID say a whole lot about what God has done, does, and will do… so I better walk the walk!
Never fear, for my main novel is not forgotten! In fact, it’s nearly two thirds of the way done, and beings that my mind is like a steel trap, there’s no chance that I will lose track of the finish line for that story. The thing I’ve told you from the beginning, was God ‘s instruction to me through all the struggle… just write! So I wrote! Now I have to finish what He encouraged me to start… all 5 books that I’ve been sitting on need to be completed, as they’re no good to anyone by simply sitting in files.
There is no telling, as to whether God will provide the funds for self-publishing or bring forth an Agent to assist in navigating the publishing world, but my husband is helping me researching both, as it is a bit daunting either way. Did you know that one book needs up to 5 separate USBN numbers for all the differing forms of releasing it? Ouch! But I serve a pretty big God, so I know things will go as He plans. This book is either hitting the shelves with God’s fingerprints all over it… or it can sit in the closet on a shelf, as far as I’m concerned.
While I realize that many people enjoy the electronic version for their reader apps, I feel rather strongly in the old school hardbound copy in ones hand, so we’ll do all 5 versions. My plan for the Audio version is to use my own voice, as it is my story, so I’m praying that whomever the publisher ends up being, they will at least listen to some recordings of my own voice for quality… I think I have a pretty good reading voice.
If I’m being completely honest with you, I do not fear people reading my goods, bads, and uglies… I struggle with the fear of not being capable of writing like the big dogs… silly, right? I also sometimes feel a bit like a drama queen, either oversharing or offending someone… I have insecurities just like everyone else does!
Oh well… there’s nothing to do but walk forward in faith towards that which I cannot see, but I believe is the path leading home…
I’ll be honest in saying that movies are more my thing, as far as binge watching anything over and over again. First of all I abhor commercials, so tv episodes usually only consist of about 18 minutes of show and 12 minutes of sales pitches on everything from toilet paper to cars! Secondly, I am not usually captivated enough by a television show, to watch it more than once… let alone more than 5 times.
That being said, I will confess that I’ve watched the Castle series more times than I wish to admit, but we purchased the series on DVD to alleviate all the bothersome commercials.
Now binge watching my favorite movies, on the other hand, is one of my guilty pleasures, as I am an avid insomniac with hours of nocturnal boredom. The list I’m about to give you, are my late night favorites, and the number of re-watches shall not be disclosed… but the number 5 is Childs play for this owl!
My ultimate go to, in the wee hours, is The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings… all of em!
Next up would be the Harry Potter series, but my most watched of that series has to be The Prisoner of Azkaban with Gary Oldman… great actor!
Then we have the entire series of Jurassic Park movies… the original will probably always be my favorite one, primarily due to them keeping it pretty close to the actual book.
Then there’s Tomb Raider… and Stargate… and of course, The entire line up of Pirates of the Caribbean, with Johnnie Depp. I absolutely love the entire cast of characters in each and every movie of this series.
If I were to list for you, every movie that I’ve watched too many times, we would be here til the cows come home, as they say. I will say this… we have a terabyte drive that holds over 600 movies and most of my favorites are on that drive, so there’s that…
As the prompt only asks “are you” in their prompt, I only need to give a yes or no answer. Whew! I am so grateful for this, as I am super tired today and wish to put my literary efforts into something much more fun and imaginative than this question.
No, I am NOT superstitious!
Here, have a cookie while you search for the first episode of my new live action story… It’s called The Wharf…
Life here can be very tough, for any soul not already hardened by life’s cruel realities! The taverns and store fronts along the wharf are owned by varying disreputable men and women, both of which would sell you to the sea for the right amount of coin. If one wants to eat, they must live and work in the midst of pirates, slave traders, treasure seekers, and drunkards. There was no room for anyone with weakness, nor naivety, of any kind. Letting your guard slip, even for a moment, might very well bring about your doom…
Within the Wharf lay a tavern, filled with all manner of vile men, most living and working on the filthy trade ships, arriving here daily. Few of the locals in the nearby farming communities ever come to the Wharf, let alone frequent such a dangerous establishment. If you were a woman, either you came into the tavern to work, or you were dangerous enough to hold your own in a fight. The Wharf was no place for kind folk, nor was the tavern safe for anyone carrying a coin purse without a gun or a dagger for company.
Inside the tavern you see a young barmaid, busily sweeping the floor near the kitchen in the back of the room. She belongs to the owner of the tavern, purchased off of one of the slave ships some years prior, when she was rather young. She is quite, very obedient to the one who feeds her, and always busy working in and around the tavern. No one bothers her, nor do they pay her any mind at all! Everyone here knows that she is not to be touched, as the owner of the tavern would kill you for even considering it!
Don’t let her meekness fool you, as she is not what she seems. If you did look into her eyes, you would see danger floating within those dark pools of blue, staring right back at you! In her short life, she has seen too much, felt too much and lost too much! This has molded her into a very hardened and wise soul, for one so young. She is also very smart, both in book knowledge and being street savvy. Her three rules for survival are,
Don’t make the tavern owner mad…
Stay out of folk’s business…
Do not bring attention to yourself…
These three rules were born of painful lessons learned over the years of service to the owner of the tavern… most assuredly, the only reason she was still breathing air, even if it did smell of stale rum and dirty pirates!
This night, like any other night here on the wharf, the young barmaid has been busily serving customers and helping in and around the kitchen. The cook asked that she bring in another fish from the barrel out on the dock in front of the tavern, so she retrieves a container and heads outside for the barrel.
As the young barmaid is pulling a sizeable fish out of the barrel, she spies movement from behind the container. Briefly glancing down, toward the disturbance, she spies what looks like a tiny shoe sticking out from behind the barrel. Rule number three kicks in, warning her not to bring attention to herself, so she continues on about her business, carrying the fish inside to the cook.
As she cleans and serves food to the customers, several pieces of dried meat and fruit cake left on guests’ plates, happens to fall into her apron pocket. Her sleight of hand skills rewarded her a small water flask, from the pocket of an old tinker, snoring blissfully in the corner. Since her shift is coming to an end, the young barmaid carries her cleaning supplies out to the shed, next to the barrel on the dock. Inside the shed she takes a strip of cloth hanging on the wall, folds the food and water inside, and casually walks back toward the tavern, discreetly dropping the small package behind the barrel as she walks past.
Once inside the tavern, the young barmaid retreats to her room above the bar. Her room is small, but offers a window that looks out over the wharf, to the sea beyond. From here, she can see directly down upon the front of the tavern, where the shed and barrel both sit, along the water’s edge. She dresses in her nightgown and settles in at the window ledge to watch…
There is just enough light cast, from the tavern’s doorway lantern, for the young barmaid to have a clear view of the barrel. She spies movement from behind the container, but only enough to confirm that there is indeed someone there, but whomever it is, hides themselves very well. She falls asleep with her head resting upon the window sill of her tiny room above the bar.
Who do you think might be hiding behind the barrel?
With the clues given and remembering the three survival rules, what do you think the young barmaid will do?
Obviously, my first thought was of the tortoise, which I often write about when it comes to my steady forward march in life.
But then again, there is the Loud Mouth Frog…
or Chatty Cathy, but she is more of a doll than an animal…
In the past I was akin to a Wolverine, all growly and snarly, with an aggressive attitude…
Of late, however, I’ve begun to see myself surfacing in some creatures you may be familiar with… let’s see…
There’s a mouse I can sometimes relate to…
While at other times I feel a bit Squirrelly…
Anywhere in between, you may find me looking a bit more creative…
Last but not least, there are those days where I just feel more bossy and fussy…
How could I ever forget to remind you of my ability to fling commas, and the like, all, over, everything………,,,, ,,,,,””””: … Just saying! I know she is not an animal, but she is an imaginary creature of sorts… and this is my blog, so I get to put whatever I want in here!
As there are simply too many different animals for me to choose from, I am unable to pick just one. I have mentioned on multiple occasions that I am a maelstrom of emotions, so it stands to reason that I should be able to pick all of the above, just to cover all my bases. Wouldn’t you agree?
Here, have a confusing cookie to go with my crazy answer…
Since I apparently already answered the daily prompt last year, the feed won’t let me re-answer it… very rude!
If they want to play that game… fine! I shall do it myself!
What do you think you will be like when you are 100 years old?
My hope is that I will be the quirky old lady, reading imaginative tales to little ones, baking yummy goodies for their tiny fingers to grasp, and smacking at the grown up hands that try to fuss over me…
I want to be the old woman that tells jokes, sometimes the rude ones, but mostly the light and funny ones that bring life lessons tucked within them!
Most likely, I will become the granny that toots when she walks, forgets where she is, often leaving the house with her underwear on the outside of her pants.
Whatever I end up looking like, acting like, or sounding like… I will most assuredly be the same woman of Grace that I am today… just smaller, as I’ve already begun to shrink. I used to be 5’6, but as of last years doctor visit, I am now considered 5’5… barely. Yay me!
My only hope is that my rocking chair will come with padding and shock absorbers, coupled with an attached basket for my collection of Flurbies… this old girl will definitely be surrounded by furry babies!
How about you all… if you didn’t like the prompt question, or if like me, you already answered last year, what do you think you will be like at 100 years old?
My studies this week have brought me to the end of the book of Numbers, and on into the beginning of Deuteronomy. I have to say that it has been a rather emotional reading, as both Miriam and Aaron passed away, the Israelites once again rebel against God, and Moses loses his opportunity to cross the Jordan, into the promise land.
So much has happened to bring our Village to the river that marked the entrance into the land flowing with milk and honey. Even after 40 years in the desert, growing up and preparing for their inheritance, the people still seemed barely ready to handle what was to come.
The people got all the way to the Jordan, sending men across to scout out the land, only to throw an absolute fit before God, over not being just handed an empty country to inhabit! This is with God right there in their midst, leading them, feeding them, and teaching them how to grow up both spiritually and mentally. I say mentally, because, sometimes I think they simply acted like idiots! Sorry, but I got so frustrated with their temper tantrums in front of God, over the things they were experiencing, I actually felt like they deserved to be left there to tough it out all by their onesies… just sayin.
Personally, I would love to be able to say that I’d be a forever changed person, all the way back at the parting of the bloomin Red Sea, but alas, I remember that those were very different times and things are never as easy as they seem. I have to remind myself that I would be of their same mindset, had I been born during those times in our history. Hindsight’s always 20/20, as they say.
I can say that I would have lost my sanity when God sent the snakes into their midst, as punishment for the nasty behavior they were displaying before Him. This was approximately a million plus people, living and traveling together, so the thought of venomous snakes literally crawling all over everything and everybody made my skin crawl. When they repented, God didn’t just remove the snakes for them, but simply had Moses place a poll in the center of their midst, leaving them to go look at it each time they were bitten, so they wouldn’t die. Painful lesson for such a stiff necked people!
Then, when the Israelites had only just gotten to the beginning of the Promise Land, they promptly fell into idol worship with the first town they came upon. Whaaaaattt??? Yup folks, this was going to be a bumpy ride for God’s people.
As I start into the book of Deuteronomy, I am pleased to be able to read through a sort of rehash of what went on over those 40 years, along with gleaning more information that was not forthcoming during my readings of the earlier books. Moses goes more into detail about certain events and happenings, that paint a more complete picture of what occurred along their journey. Granted, I’ve only read the first chapter, so far, but it seems kind of like a behind the scenes look at things.
In honesty, I don’t think I’ve fully read through these beginning books of the bible in such detail since Bible Seminary, when I was only 19 years old. I keep reading things that were either forgotten, or possibly skimmed over in my youthful studies. I’m so glad for the re-read, as there is a great deal of truth that I would have missed out on, by simply overlooking passages tucked within the pages of whosoever beget whom.
Until we meet again next week, I shall continue on into Deuteronomy, as well as, simultaneously following Paul through the books of Corinthians. I am interested to see if I can further glean insights from his letters to the church, as to the behavior of the earlier growth of our traveling Village.
Have a beautiful Sunday of rest, relaxation and family…
Journey With Me! 