My week - so far.

This is only the middle of this week and I want to share a few things. I sure know why the topics "Time" and Priorities" have kept cropping up in my heart and mind!

Last Sunday as usual was a very busy day. Ray too has been busy helping at Seahorse Australia and with our grandchildren. We try to post his Meditation Moment each Wednesday but this week it will be late. Ever since we moved here to Tasmania in 2003, he has been a guest speaker at churches who either do not have a minister right now or when a minister is away on holidays. His motto is "Have Bible, will preach!" This week we were at Westbury Baptist church and really did enjoy the worship and service. Of course, I think the preacher's sermon was really wonderful - as always when this retired minister preachers! It certainly blessed and challenged me as he shared the passage in Revelations chapter three about the Smryna church.
Westbury is about 45 minutes drive from us, and by the time we arrived back home to a light lunch it was not long before we were off once more to our own little church. That night we had a special guest, Stephen Atkins, who shared in song and message. Wonderful! Inspired me to an even deeper love for my Lord Jesus Christ. Do check out his website and CDs.

And then Monday morning I had to leave early to go to Launceston for the Annual General Meeting of our Society Women Writers Tasmania. This is one of the groups I mentioned in my last post. And since that meeting I am so pleased that another member accepted my request to nominate to take my place as president. So, this year while I stay on as Vice-president, I have shed the other resonsibility and thus less to to occupy my mind! Our membership this last year has been the most for many years and of course this does also mean more work and responsibility also for the committee.

Since arriving home I have been trying to prepare the workshop I am taking at the day seminar for Christian writers on Saturday 21st. It has been suggested I share about: A Christian aspect in writing novels, Preparing manuscripts for publication and Marketing. But how much material can I share in the time available? How can I be sure I speak about things that are relevant to those in attendance?
In fact, as I said not long ago to Ray, “I am having my usual problem preparing. Too much material and which is the most necessary, the most needed, the most important?” So tonight, I am taking a break from that and chatting to my blog readers instead.

Help me out here please!
Do any of you have a specific question on any of those three topics? I know, I know! There are heaps and heaps of questions. But do mention a few for me that some of you may either need input on if you are a writer or simply curious to know what writers have to think about when writing a novel.

Are you interested in how I approach writing that next book, how I try to sell it first to a publisher before ever trying to interest readers in my book? Are you interested in how my Baragula series came about?

PRIORITIES WON

It is hard for me to believe the last post here was all of two weeks ago! Why, oh why, did I share about priorities a few weeks ago? I have had to exercise that ‘rule’ in my life ever since!


Besides writing another blog post, some things in my life simply had to take first place. This evening I am feeling rather weary after another busy day, but do have to share with you.

First of all there was my monthly Society Women Writers Tasmania monthly meeting. As I have been helped so tremendously by being a member of various writers’ groups, over the years I have urged folk getting serious about their writing to join a writers’ group – especially a local one to have face to face fellowship. Some less busy period than this in my life I hope to share more about some of those groups.

 

I am currently president of SWWT and we enjoyed having Peter Durkin as our guest. He is the owner of a personal service bookshop, Petrach, in Launceston. He generously shared several things he wished authors knew about bookshops such as, 'Why does he buy some books to sell to the public and not others?' It was an excellent time and he answered many questions from the group.

 

That Monday set the pace for the rest of the week. We were in the middle of having the delightful Horton family from Texas come to share with our small church fellowship and community. A busy but such a blessed time in many, many ways. Seeing folk start to come to grips with Christ’s claims on their lives is awesome, mind-blowing!

 

The last two weeks before the Hortons arrived, as well as trying to organise the programme for them, our son and daughter-in-law were going through a very hectic and stressful time negotiating to take over a local tourist business. Several years ago, before they bought their Seahorse Australia breeding farm, it was part of this Seahorse World company.

 

As of July 1st, it is once again the one company! It means a big change in our lives. While Ray is a volunteer at the businesses, I am trying to support them by helping with child-minding and housework where I can.

There is quite a story of how God has made it so clear that this is all part of His plans for them. We are so proud of them for their faith and commitment to Christ and His will in their lives. While it may take more of our own energy and time, Ray and I feel so privileged to be part of all that is happening in their lives. There has been a down-turn in tourism to our beautiful Tasmania island so this is a real venture of faith! God’s ways are not always our ways, so whether they are successful or not He will achieve His purposes in and through this venture!


If you are interested, do go to the websites.


Today I cared for our gorgeous two year old granddaughter and our eight month old grandson while an order of seahorses was packed to ship to an American customer!

So, that has been my week – well. . .in between still trying to edit my current manuscript which is proving a slow process! Hopefully it now will be next on that Priority List.

Nope! Next is keeping my promise to post out those promised little gifts to my Followers and those of you who have commented on Ray’s last Meditation Moment. I am still waiting on a couple to let me have their postal addresses!

As those ‘priorities’ permit, I will be interviewing other writers and have more giveaways – especially of our books!

PRIORITIES

Well, my last post I mentioned feeling stressed at all the tasks still waiting to be done here. Over the years my poor husband has tried to drill into me – and others – how important it is to have the right priorities. I’ve always found that easy to say, but to actually sort out those priorities day by day in the right and proper order is an entirely different thing. Of course, going to see the latest Shrek 3 movie was a priority yesterday! It was the first time we had been to the cinema since. . .since. . Sorry, has been so many months simply can’t remember, but I do know we have missed others we would like to have seen and it was great just to spend those few hours together.

Yes, a priority is definitely special times like that with my husband! And we did enjoy the movie and think it has some very good adult themes in it for husbands and wives.

Sure, I did tidy up this desk a week ago – oh dear, is it really a whole week okay? Guess what? Perhaps not quite as bad today but it is untidy once more. Well, at least today the dishes have been done, the floor attended to and morning tea with a friend just home from several weeks away on holidays. Then after lunch and just as I was about to get out my hard copy of my latest manuscript, Justice at Baragula, to continue editing, the phone rang. So, instead of doing that editing I ended up with a “good” excuse to procrastinate once more. I hate trying to edit unless I know I have an extended, uninterrupted amount of time to concentrate.

This afternoon I ended up supporting our local small hospital auxiliary’s Country and Western fund-raising afternoon. Well, have to admit I had an extra incentive with our son and daughter-in-law scheduled to present some “country” style songs. And I was so proud of them as the sang some of my favourite John Denver songs, Morning Has Broken and then Amazing Grace while I cuddled and played with our eight month old, smiling grandson.

So, it is now very dark outside on this very wet, cold winter’s day and time to cook tea. No work done – again – on my manuscript! But somehow I still think my priorities the last couple of days were important ones. At times family and friends do need to know they are very high on my list of priorities!

There will still be a few hours after our evening meal. But then, there is a favourite show on TV. I am feeling rather weary. After all, it is getting colder now in this office. And then there’s that book I’d love to read and then. . .

Yep! You’re right. Sometimes I just have excuses, not high-sounding priorities to deal with. Perhaps for my next blog I’ll be able to rave about all the things I have crossed off on that long list of mine. Perhaps I’ll think of some more photos to share.

Perhaps!

Hoping you are NOT the same!

Finding enough time.

Feeling under pressure? So much to do, so little time to do it all in?
I’m sure there are many times we all experience these kind of days – or dare I say weeks, months or even years.

Thankfully, I did meet my last deadline yesterday of finishing judging and getting my scores and comments back to that contest co-ordinator. The pressure to do so has not been pleasant but I had to put everything else aside to be able to try my best to make relevant and helpful comments for those unpublished writers. Now I just have to give priority to catching up on other things waiting to be done!

Mmm. . .now, what is next on my “urgent” list?

Well, I’m sure the dirty dishes in the sink can wait a bit longer! I’ve just finished checking email that arrived overnight and answered a couple of posts from overseas friends before they head for their beds in the northern hemisphere but others will have to wait.This desk – in fact the whole office is in a real mess. There are “bits” everywhere. So that is important because if I don’t sort it out soon I’m sure there will be important things I will have forgotten to do!

Yesterday, the sun began shining after several wet and bleak winter days so I decided I just had to do some more weeding on my poor neglected garden. The roses needed pruning but the high weeds around them also had to be dealt with. Didn’t finish that pruning so that is becoming more urgent.

And next? Ah yes, finishing this blog post as I am hoping to post three times a week and today is one of them. But. . .that sun is shining again, the wind has dropped and those roses are calling!

And will those gorgeous grandchildren on this holiday weekend be visiting soon? (And seeing World Soccer in South Africa starts today just had to show some of them in their own soccer uniforms!)

Mmm. . .time to sort out my priority list again. Afraid my writing has to come second – or is it fourth today?

So, how do YOU deal with “so much to do and not enough hours to do them in” scenarios?
And me? I’m just going to tidy this desk and perhaps the sun will still be shining afterwards!