Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Time Management 101

I'm happy to report that this semester is getting under control. Finally!

Lately it's been especially difficult to spend time writing due to the amount of homework I've been doing. Today, however, I find myself at the place where I've ...

A. gotten done a good amount of work today
B. spent time with friends and
C. worked on revisions of my manuscript.

How did this work? And how can I keep it working for me?

God's help.

I tend to schedule my days, then not live up to the plan. Yesterday was the first step in breaking that cycle. I had a lot of things to do, and I woke up praying that God would help me actually live out my goals for the day. I got a lot done and was pleased. I've also been trying to remember to pray before studying, or when I'm struggling with studying, that God would help me focus and be effective.

I still don't know much about time management, but I think I've figured one thing out: I don't have it figured out.

Only God can help me be successful.

So my job is to do the work ... and ask for His help.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Disconnect

Do you ever see a link on Facebook to an article that looks really good? I love it when my friends post valuable stuff. I'll read it and think how right that author was.

Then, I read the comments.

By now, I should know better. Either the comments will be boring, with everyone giving the author a pat on the back, or I often find something far more disconcerting.

Foolishness.

Either the commenter didn't understand what the article was saying at all, or his beliefs are warped. Sometimes, I'm a bit shocked by the disconnect. A man mentions helping his wife at home, and commenters say he's being arrogant in assuming that the work was hers in the first place. A woman speaks of modesty and is told she's in the wrong. But if we look at these situations from the Bible, men are to love their wives, and this can be shown in helping them; on the flip side, wives do have responsibilites in the home. Women are to be modest; men are to guard their eyes. It seems so simple to me. Why is there such a debate?

I've come to realize that part of the reason so many people have a problem with Godly wisdom is because they cannot understand it. As Christians, God gives us truth and perception others don't have.
 
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:12-14).
 
So this disconnect I've been seeing? It's to be expected. And what are we to do?
 
Go make disciples.
 
Witness to others, and if they accept God, train them in the faith.
 
Each time we do this, one less person will have the disconnect.
  

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

My First Writing Conference!

Let's just say life's been crazy lately.

Along with trying to keep up in college, I've been preparing for my very first writers' conference. This past weekend I went to the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference. I had the privilege of sitting through workshops, hearing Robin Jones Gunn speak (she's excellent!), and getting to pitch my book to agents.

Yes. Pitch my book to agents. I'm still getting over the fact that I actually did it! Exciting and a bit nerve wracking.

All in all, the weekend went amazingly well. I'm so thankful to God that I went. I don't entirely know where He's leading me on my writing journeys right now. It will be some time before I know if this conference produced any real leads for me towards getting published.

It's true, I don't know the end.

But when I think about it, taking this journey with God ... that's enough.