Please welcome this week's guest Leslie Payne for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? One lovely January morning in 2000 my writing journey began by accident. Snow fell gently from the grey sky as I waited in my car at a red traffic light. Writing was not part of my life. My passion was dance, ballroom, swing, and Lindy Hop. For several years I had kept a delightfully hectic schedule dancing three nights a week. That winter morning I sat … [Read more...]
Day 96: The Things We Keep
In life, as each day goes by, we create memories. For the most part, most of those memories aren't that important so we forget about them. But the important ones sometimes feel like they embed themselves into our brains. When my daughter died I knew I couldn't go back and live in the house where all I had surrounding me were memories of her. Pictures on the wall. Her sippy cups. Her food. Her bedroom. I was a stay at home mom of a child with severe autism whose life completely revolved around … [Read more...]
Day 84: How to Be a Writer
There's an age-old saying that says "patience is a virtue." However, God skipped the boat with me on that front. Sometimes I can feel the frustration boiling up to where my lid could blow a hole through the roof. I know my voice can suddenly shoot up to screaming in a second. This has been a flaw of mine since I can remember. Through all of this, God decided in His infinite wisdom that I could handle a blond hair, Caribbean blue-eyed beautiful little girl who happened to have severe classic … [Read more...]
Day 57: Juggling
In life, the perfect day would be 100% smooth. If we're doing something we don't get interrupted. We blissfully move from one activity to another. The dream life. Well, that's just it. It's a dream. Whether at home or at a job, you will always inevitably be interrupted by someone or something. That's just life. Sometimes those interruptions are either wanted or good. Other times you wish you could disappear. Ultimately, we have to juggle everything we do in just the right combination so we … [Read more...]
I’m Back (Man It’s Been A Long Time)
Well, who knew that my break would have taken me this long. Since my last message we have moved to Anchorage, Alaska. Our nephew has gone back home to live with his biological mom. And now I'm back into my writing. It's been so exciting as I completely rewrote out a new outline for my book as I figured out how I needed to proceed forward. I've just started writing out the new scene's and rewriting several of the ones I already had as the book takes on a new turn. I'd like to start a writing … [Read more...]
Day 7: Jumping Off
I have to laugh. Talk about something hitting home. I have been struggling to get back into my writing. I have a completed first draft of my fiction novel but have been unmotivated to just sit down and edit it. I have several story ideas, that as soon as they pop into my brain, I immediately write them down. Everyone I talk to tells me to just jump in and do it. Yet, I don't no matter how much I should. I could come up with a million excuses. Let's see. We took guardianship of our … [Read more...]
A slight bump in the road
First I want to thank everyone for being loyal readers of my site. I appreciate the time you take to come and read about those who have a book they are sharing or sharing their writing journey with all of us and how God has been their with them through it. At the very end of August my husband and I had to make a sudden, unexpected decision in regards to whether or not I would try to keep my job or officially quit due to pain issues that start back in March and have kept me out of work since … [Read more...]
What does it mean to nurture?
When God created women, He knew well beforehand that they would become mothers. I have no doubt in my mind He had a long list of what a mother’s qualities and characteristics not only would be but needed to be. Those included loving and show unconditional love, compassionate, friendly, unselfish, kind, patience, teaching their children right and wrong as well as God and how Jesus died on the cross. For obvious reasons, Jesus dying on the cross is number one as we need to do all we can as … [Read more...]
The innocence of a child
It's interesting with kids the things they will say and are not scared or embarrassed by. They don't have any reason to think before speaking yet because they are still so naive to what the world holds for them. It is hard lessons over time in our lives that start to teach us to become more and more reserved. Some to the point of holding everything in and not sharing with anyone unless that person comes to truly trust someone else. I think that kids can see things as they are and are still … [Read more...]
