Bubbles in the Wind

The wind swept across the plains in Northwest Iowa. My four year old son, Jadon, attempted to blow bubbles into the wind. He gave the bubble blowing several tries, then shoved the wand back into the bottle, turned to his oldest brother JP, and said, “I’m just wasting my time here.”

This story is amusing in the fact that a four-year-old has all the time in the world, but even at such a young age with little responsibility weighing him down, Jadon knew to continue blowing bubbles into the wind was futile. There was no point in continuing.

Often times in life, I set goals for myself, but in the ensuing daily-ness of life I lose sight of those goals. I forget why I do what I do.

At times like these I stop and proceed through the following five steps to refocus my priorities.

Step 1 I start by asking myself:
· Am I blowing bubbles into the wind?
· What am I doing here?
In this way, I begin to assess if what I am doing will take me where I really want to go.
For example, I am currently taking a writer’s course in the hopes that in two years I can be a full time writer. I assess if what I am doing will get me to that desired end.

Step 2 I need to ask myself:
· Am I on track?
· Do I need to step up the pace of what I am currently working on?
· Should I be doing more than I am?

Step 3 I look at what I can cut out to further my writing career.
· Do I spend too much time scanning the internet?
· Or watching television?
· Or reading books?
· Or too many outside interests:
o Bowling
o Golf
o Spending time with friends

While all of these things are not bad in and of themselves, if they detract from my goals, they need to go.

Keeping a positive mental attitude over the long term can be difficult. I often have to remind myself of why I do certain things to keep motivated when the flow of words stops and I fail to see the results I want.

Step 4 To stay focused and pressing on towards my writing goals:
· I have aligned myself with other Christian writers to:
o Hold me accountable
o Encourage me
o Critique my work
o Direct one another to seek the Lord when the road gets hard.
· I am taking a writing course to:
o Keep up to date on current writing trends
o Have mentor guiding my writing as a trained professional
· I read books on writing to:
o Get ideas
o Educate myself
o And just for fun

Step 5 Lastly, I make sure my spiritual tank is full by:
· Spending time daily in:
o prayer
o Bible study
o Praise and Worship
· Regular communion with the One who guides my hopes and dreams enhances my ultimate goal of encouraging women in their walk with Christ.

So, if you feel you are blowing bubbles into the wind. Stop. Put your wand back in the bottle. Take a few minutes and evaluate your life. See which activities further your life goals and which detract. Decide today to stay focused and blow your bubbles with the wind. In this way, your life goals can take flight and work with you.

Just another Thought from the Tub,
Lori

Divine Appointments

Before I attended my first writer's conference, I was pretty convinced of my stellar writing abilities. I mean, I'd gone to college. I had an English degree. I'd always gotten A's in my creative writing classes. How hard could this be?

Well, I learned within the first few hours how much I didn't know about writing, and it just seemed to go downhill from there...or so I thought at the time. Since hindsight is twenty-twenty, I can now look back on the experience as one of the greatest learning opportunities of my life. I was humbled right out of the gate, but instead of wallowing in self-pity, I turned to the One who knows the plans He has for me.

I used my experience to encourage others and wrote "Divine Appointments" which first appeared in the June 2008 issue of The Christian Communicator. I am also working on a new article about my "Crying in the Bathroom" experience. This is not a unique experience to myself...almost everyone has one...as I found out at CCWC this year when an editor shared his story.

Writing Conferences are fun, exciting, and educational, but they are also nerve-wracking, humbling, and extremely busy. That's why I think every writer should go to one:)!

Just another Thought From the Tub,

Lori

Billy Coffey Tells All

If you are looking for a wonderfully written blog by an awesome storyteller, check out Billy Coffey. His blog "What I Learned Today" is a wonderful collection of stories about his life told in first person and I guarantee they will make you laugh, cry and think...usually all in the same post.

For the past week, Billy has been answering questions about his life. His honest, forthright manner entertains while it teaches.

Today he shares his "Come to Jesus Moment." Another powerfully true tale, in which Billy talks straight about his feelings, his life, his despair, his need, and God's answer.

Thanks Billy for your diligent work, your wonderful storytelling, and your truthfulness. Keep up the God work.
Just another Thought From the Tub,
Lori

My Personal Tech Gurus

In today's writing market, times are a-changin'. Keeping abreast of current trends and shifts in the market is easier on-line. Cyberspace has made the world much smaller. Social networking helps communicate information at lightning speed assuming it hasn't gotten lost and ended up in Chicago, but that is another matter entirely.


In an effort to help technically challenged writers become tech savvy, writing conferences now offer clinics and appointments with tech gurus. These dear people willingly sacrifice their time in an effort to meld the creative muse of the writer with the savviness of a computer geek...I mean genius.

At the Colorado Christian Writer's Conference I had the priviledge of scheduling appointments with Bonnie Calhoun, Thomas Umstattd, Jr. and Emily Osbourne. Each one provided unique information on improving my blogs, making the most of my website, and utilizing the many social networks to my advantage. As a way to thank them and help you, I would like to take a few moments and tell you about them.
Bonnie S. Calhoun knows her stuff. She is a certified "blog star" by google and as such she advises people through the blogger helps board for those using blogger. She also writes, speaks and sings beautifully. If you ever get a chance to attend a conference at which she is present, make her acquaitance. You will be blessed by her forthright manner, quick wit, and contagious laugh.

Bonnie gave me great advice on how to find help for my blogs. She told me how to find her on-line. Apparently she sensed immediately, I would be a tough case with on-going issues and would require in-home service. On my website, Bonnie gave a few quick tips on how to immediately spruce up my pages. I appreciated her straight forward approach.

She also pointed out serious problems with my latest business card. I thought I'd come up with a clever card and had received multiple compliments on my design, but the things I lacked were a) a photo of myself (otherwise how will anyone remember who I was at the conference?), b) a quote or motto of my own (instead of a quote by someone already famous who does not need my help in promotion) and c) my photo--apparently this is far more important than my blog info or website--Bonnie intimated that a card bearing just my photo and name would enable anyone with a skosh of google savviness to find my sites.

Thomas Umstattd, Jr. took a good amount of time to share his tech savvy-ness with me. He connected my blogs to google analytics in less time than it is taking me to write this blog and alerted me to various ways I could be using twitter besides on my computer. He was a bit mystified as to how a virtual twitter novice like myself could have more followers than he, but alas, there are some mysteries no tech guru can answer.
Thom also "tested" my website only to find out I scored a SD (single digit) on the test. I haven't received a SD since Sister Jeanette's chemistry class in 1986, but Thom was only mildly surprised after experiencing my techno-challenged self. He offered several tips to boost my "test" scores. I have yet to implement them, but I will get to them as soon as VBS is over next week.
I did offer my services as the poster child for what not to do and still be successful on the internet. As yet, Thom has not taken me up on that offer.
Thom had a great computer side manner and shared many interesting tales of his cyber-expertise. His website and blog are filled with tons of useful tips for writers, christians, and computer geeks. Stop on in and take a look. Oh, and tell him Lori sent ya.:)

Emily Osburne struck me as an encourager. Her bright blue eyes and ready smile invited confidence. I talked with Emily last and hoped that I was wasting her time by having already spoken to two other tech gurus. But I quickly found her to ready to hear my problems and offer solutions and encouragement for my website.
Emily understood the limitations of my website and immediately gave me several useful tips on how to get the most out of the pages I can use. The most helpful tip she gave was to make sure I have a resources page connecting my site with sites of similar interest and with useful tools for parents, writers, christians, and women. Tools that I can direct people to when I speak, write, or just meet people on the street.
Emily and her husband Clay wrote a 10-week workbook entitled Everyday Experts on Marriage after a two year interview process involving 350 couples ages 24-87. Take a peek at what she and Clay are up to and while your there, check out her blog.

Again, thank you to Bonnie, Thomas, and Emily. I appreciated your insights, your time, and most of all your friendship. Keep up the God work.

Just another thought from the tub,

Lori

What I learned at the Colorado Christian Writer's Conference

I have already said a time or two that this year's Colorado Christian Writer's Conference was far and away the best ever. My dear friend, Casey, met me a couple days ahead of the conference and we enjoyed a time of writing and renewal before the hectic schedule of the conference started. We spent time shopping, touring, and planning the rest of our novel. We also enjoyed the creative muse that possessed us when we were together and pondered aloud what our characters would do in our shoes. Good times.

On Wednesday, CCWC kicked off. The music lifted me up and reminded me of the One who gives all good gifts. The speakers assisted me in refocusing my writing priorities. The clinic taught me much about the writing process, the personal investment each writer makes in his/her story, and the value of continuing education. The appointments shed light on what is working in the market right now, what I need to look at to be ahead of the curve, and how technically challenged I really am.

Over the next several weeks, I will feature the people who made an impact on me at this years conference on my site. I will share how they encouraged me and what they are doing now. This is my way of saying thank you to the tech gurus, authors, agents, editors, and fellow writers who made a serious contribution to my dream.

You will notice I am following a number of new people on my blog. Check out their sites and learn from them. They are sincere, Godly writers, agents, and editors serving in their own niche.

Be on the lookout for the next installment to appear here starting Monday, June 8th.
Just another thought from the tub,
Lori