Month: March 2011

Just When I Think I’m Done…

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I have been anxious to begin querying on my novel.  I’ve been this way since I finished really.  Last week, I thought I was done so I began to write my query letter.  I worked on it some more this morning when I read something on the internet that made me decide to rip apart my first and second chapters.

So, I spent 2 hours this morning doing just that.  Fine.  But I’m just that much further from being done.

Then I had a thought that I usually always have when I’m writing a book:  does it really matter anyways? Will anyone ever read this?  Does anyone care but me?

It’s just frustrating.  People think writing is easy.  It’s not.  Far from it.  It’s constant second-guessing. Constant wondering if this sounds right, if this is saying what I think it’s saying, and if anyone will ever read this stuff beyond, well, me.

And when the tough part is over (completing a novel) then the selling begins (an even tougher part for me)–convincing someone my novel is worth something to someone else besides me.

I dread this part but yet it’s the most important element.  I’m taking my time on this one, trying not to screw this one up.  Trying not to screw any of it up really.

So I pray and hope and keep working and maybe one day…

A Gift Given

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Faith, Life

I think ‘give’ is one of the most powerful words in the English language.  All the self-help books I’ve been reading say, “If you’re depressed, give.  If you’re selfish, give.  If you’re prideful, give.  If you’re empty, give.” God gave us His most precious gift, His Son, which I think is a good reminder of the power of a gift.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola says just this: “…any gift is beautiful because it is given. Whatever you give, the Baby Jesus will love, because it comes from you.”  This was sage advice an old woman was giving to a young girl who was sad because she didn’t have a gift for Jesus on Christmas Eve. So the young girl picked weeds, which turned into the poinsettia plant after she prayed.

For those of you not familiar with kids books, Tomie dePaola is a classic in the field.  He wrote and illustrated Strega Nona amongst many other tales.  He also writes and illustrates a lot of stories with Biblical themes such as this one and on the Saints.

The message is powerful.  It’s a great reminder of why we are here: for others and not ourselves and when we give, we get a glimpse of Heaven.  This is something I constantly need to be reminded of because for me this does not come naturally.  I’m constantly fighting my selfish tendencies and I’m hoping by reading all of these books my kids won’t be quite so much like me.

Miss Rumphius

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

Alice (or Miss Rumphius) wants to do two things when she grows up:  go to faraway places and live beside the sea.  Her grandfather adds one more:   she “must do something to make the world more beautiful.”  She agrees, not knowing what that could be.

She accomplishes both the first two but is puzzled by the last one.  Then she has an idea.  She decides to plant lupines all along her town to make her town more beautiful.  Now known as the Lupine Lady, she tells her niece the same thing her grandfather told her.  Her niece agrees but is unsure as well what that may be.

I like this book because it emphasizes doing things for others and the outside world as part of living.  Also, it shows how it’s okay not to know what that “thing to make the world more beautiful” may be.  Miss Rumphius comes across the idea one day as she sees a patch of lupines and wants to see more.  It shows how if you look around for an opportunity, it will present itself and you don’t have to strive and push to find such a thing.  I further like how the message is passed on from one generation to the next–a great reminder of how the world is improved.

Miss Rumphius is also retired when she discovers how to make the world more beautiful.  It is simple and easy.  A great message that we can always do something no matter our age, circumstances, or difficulty level.  Also, it is the little things that can make a big difference.

Miss Rumphius is now known as the Lupine Lady by the neighborhood children and she passes her days telling stories and telling others to “do something to make the world more beautiful.”

Miss Rumphius is written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney.

What Does Righteousness Mean?

by atozmom, posted in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), Book Reviews, Faith

Our BSF lecture focused on righteousness and our third principle stated, “God’s way of salvation is the only way to turn from sin and turn to righteousness.”

Well, I was stumped.  I had always thought of righteousness as being right.  But this obviously isn’t the case in this sense so I decided to find out what I was missing.

Webster’s says righteousness is “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin; morally right or justifiable; or arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality”

The synonym listed is moral.

So in my upbringing I had missed the “God” in the sense of the word.

In the statement above, God’s salvation allows us to be righteous (or free from guilt).  Jesus erased our sins. And being righteous means to act in accordance with God’s law–to continually strive to be like Jesus.

God is righteous because He is free from sin.  Isaiah 46:12-13: God says “…you who are far from righteousness, I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed.”

I made the mistake of going to Sam’s Club again (I really need to stay away from that place.  I think I would be a fiend if I went to the Bible BookStore as regularly) and I bought Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary by J.D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney.  I had seen it before but decided to wait–until I looked up righteousness and it had the definition I had been seeking!  So, I bought it!

This Dictionary says righteousness is “any conformity to a standard, whether that standard has to do with inner character of a person or the objective standard of accepted law….Lord God always acts in righteousness because He always has a right relationship with people.”

This also explains righteousness in terms of Jesus.  Fascinating stuff and I’d highly recommend it.  I can’t wait to dive more into it.

In essence, being righteous is being like Jesus or being like God.