Thursday, October 30, 2014

It's fall...

The weather is blessedly cooling. The leaves won't change colors around here for a while yet. I do enjoy the pictures others share. I like the quote "Autumn is my favorite color." Yes, that. This is actually a bit funny, considering the fact orange and brown aren't among my favorite colors.

Looking about me, I have every little in brown or orange. A stuffed Jack-O-Lantern, wood frames... I like how God uses those colors. The beauty of red maples with black trunks leaves me breathless. The array of hues and tints as the leaves change on the East Coast feeds my soul, a feast for the eyes.

The air smells different in the fall, crisp, earthy, the last of summer fading away.

Around here, the winter grass appears, fine blades of bright green, soft, not like the scratchy summer Bermuda or sharp St. Augustine. I want to walk in it, but know it isn't strong enough to withstand such abuse. It's still lovely.

The sky is blue, like an Arizona desert sky, but not scorching like our summer skies. Blessedly, we don't practice Daylight Savings, so there's no worrying about which way the clock moves this Sunday.

I saw this posted on Cute Puppy Pictures widget:


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Editing...

The most recent round of editing for "Tarnished Knight" is done. I read it aloud for the first time. Yes, it's advised a manuscript be read aloud, but I'm not comfortable. I stumble over the simple words. Having said that, I've participated in Tolkien Reading Day on a number of occasions. I read two passages from "Lord of the Rings." Namely, Frodo crossing the ford and the destruction of the Ring. I don't know why I never thought to read my own work in the same style. It was enlightening. I also trashed my voice. It's days later, and I have to remind myself my sore throat is not because I'm sick. Taking a quiet day or two or three...

I'm also working on personal edits for "Wings to Fly." The manuscript is turned in and awaiting the publisher's editor. Since I'm always finding typos, I go ahead and go through it on my own. My sister sent me her catches. She'll see stuff I don't.

Faith's Labor is on the desktop and increasing in word count. I'm thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. I'll do it on my own. Less stress.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Saturday... no links...

Sorry, but the week was filled with editing. I read a few blogs, but I can't tell you much about them.

This is a hibiscus from the front yard, last spring...


This is the more common variety...




Thursday, October 23, 2014

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Sharing links on Saturday...

This is from (in)courage, a site connected with DaySpring cards:
http://www.incourage.me/2014/10/when-fear-chases-me.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=DaySpring%20Devotions&utm_campaign=20141012%20Don%27t%20Live%20Afraid&ref=EMAIL20140817DEVO

Writers In The Storm shared advice for NaNoWriMo preparation:
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/10/nanowrimo-prep-get-the-set-pieces-down/
I think I'll use it for the next novel.

Genesis 5020 shared an interview with Liz Tolsma. Her books sounds fascinating:
http://5020genesis.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/write-to-the-point-with-liz-tolsma/

Holley Gerth shares a good reminder:
http://holleygerth.com/thing-making-difference/

Writers In The Storm offers advice for writers on hiring a personal assistant:
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/10/authors-assistant-do-you-need-one/

May you be blessed.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Bursts of Color...

God provides a feast for the eyes, the scent of heaven, and the brush of an angel's wing:






Tuesday, October 14, 2014

The problem with memes...

The other day was Mental Health Awareness Day, I want to share something I believe is important.

I love quotes, little sayings that cheer me, lift me, inspire me. I've seen some wonderful memes. I've also seen some I believe to be disturbing. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" is an early meme, and not what we used to call those short, in-a-nutshell sayings.

I've never forgotten a quote I saw in the newspaper, decades ago: "A philosophy that fits in a nutshell should probably stay there."

By the way, the "Cleanliness" meme is quoted like it's from the Bible. It isn't. Bible study isn't simply about learning what's there. It's also about learning what isn't there.

I've seen a new meme going around on FB and Pinterest lately. It makes me cringe.

"Happy girls are pretty girls."

First glance, my reaction was 'great!' Close on the heels of that reaction was recognizing all the damage done by saying something so insensitive.

I've worked with three different counselors, over the years. None of them wanted to diagnose me with anything. They didn't want me to be labeled and limited. However, reading through a list of someone with C-PTSD, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I fit every item on the list. I believe the powers that be in the world of psychiatry are changing the name. No matter. I state this not to brag or to say I'm an expert in anything but dealing with my own upside down world.

On the heels of 'great' came the thought "Unhappy girls are ugly girls."

Followed by: JRR Tolkien wrote, in Return of the King, "Not all tears are an evil."

Dealing with depression isn't about choosing happy or unhappy. Dealing with depression is about choosing depression over anger, rage at the helplessness of being abused and having no power to protect myself and no one to protect me. Depression isn't a healthy choice, but it is a healthier choice than uncontrolled fury. Depression is about suppression of emotions. It can be a healthy choice on a short-term basis. It allows for processing time. It is not a healthy choice for the long-term, but it is healthier than allowing emotions to run rampant. The difference between turning inward and turning outward. There's time to work on helping yourself. Once you've lashed out at someone else, you have no control over how they respond.

The danger lies in assigning labels of good, bad, positive, or negative to any emotion. Emotions are neither good nor bad, positive or negative. Emotions simply are. They happen, to everyone, unless a person disassociates, which is not healthy.

The epitome of beauty is Jesus Christ. Jesus wept. He was also angry. He was passionate about His mission on earth. He felt deeply. He mourned, and He rejoiced.

It isn't the emotion that determines whether it is good or bad, it is what you do with the emotion.

One of the ugliest things I've ever seen is a person who is happy when someone else fails. I want to clarify that I'm not talking about competition where you cheer for your team and wish the other team to lose. I'm also not talking about being happy when evil fails, which is healthy. I'm talking about the Roman citizens cheering the Christians being fed to the lions. Laughing when someone stumbles in their life. Cheering someone's downfall, not because they are evil but because they're too happy, too wealthy, too successful.

One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen is a dying patient's last video, recorded for the purpose of comforting those left behind when they depart this mortal sphere.

Ugly: People happily making fun of someone who's fat or slow or somehow less than the world's definition of acceptable.

Beautiful: A firefighter attempting to save a dog rescued from a fire, even if it's hopeless.

I've seen numerous examples of both posted all over the internet.

There is skin-deep beauty and soul-deep beauty.

There is nothing wrong with skin-deep beauty. The trick is remembering that skin-deep is not an indicator of soul-deep. I don't appreciate roses any less because they have thorns. I accept that they have thorns and protect myself accordingly.

Soul-deep beauty comes from a light within. Babies are born with it. Somewhere along the journey of life, many bury it or allow it to wither away. It requires work and effort to maintain it. However, if it's lost, for whatever reason, it is possible to reclaim. Being able to see and appreciate it sometimes is easy, but most of the time it also requires work and effort.

Some people possess both. This isn't a point of envy.

Know this: What you see and how you respond says absolutely nothing about the other person and everything about you.

Seeing the word envy reminds me that some emotions are more desirable than others. However, rejecting an emotions is rejecting a part of yourself. An emotion like jealousy is an opportunity to look into your heart and explore why you feel "less than." It certainly isn't about what the other person has and you don't. Every single person in the world has something you don't.

Emotions are all about you. How you perceive yourself and your world.

I keep stumbling over the need to be happy. Happy is not a constant state. Emotions come and go and come again.

I want to be beautiful, which is why those "pretty" memes grab me. I want to be pretty. Skin-deep is not a possibility, but I can be beautiful soul-deep. It isn't something someone can define for me because beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. How do I see myself? How do I want to see myself?

I've been working on trusting God. This is not easy, especially for an abuse survivor. Trust is shattered in every possible way and used as a weapon.

Honor and trust are intertwined.

God's greatest power is His honor. He is unchanging, immovable, everlasting. He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.

Maybe it will fit and maybe it won't, but I want to try this definition of beautiful:

Beautiful is trusting God enough to know no matter what happens He is in control and aware of me.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Editing "Tarnished Knight"

Round one of edits has commenced. I shared this yesterday, on FB, from DaySpring, a Christian card company. I signed up for their Devotionals, and this showed up this week. I need the encouragement.


Tuesday, October 7, 2014

It's October!

One way I celebrate is using my pumpkin dishes and fall leaves goblet.



I collect place settings. It's another way to celebrate the blessing of food.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Sharing links on Saturday...

The Writer's Refuge advises writing about what matters to you:
http://thewritersrefuge.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/write-about-what-matters-most-to-you/

Patricia Johns shares Christmas shopping in September:
http://patriciajohnsromance.com/2014/09/30/christmas-shopping-in-september/

Patricia also had a great one titled 20 seconds for a touch of romance:
http://patriciajohnsromance.com/2014/10/03/20-seconds/

Genesis 5020 was the reminder I needed, and I love listening to K-Love radio:
http://5020genesis.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/how-can-it-be/

May you be blessed.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Wings to Fly...

...is in, by the grace of God. I pray it pleases Him.

A friend posted this on FB, and it definitely applies.