Introducing . . . A Change . . .

The time has come to make a change! And though I don’t usually like it, sometimes, change is good! God has been once again giving me words to write, and I find myself returning to the reason that I began this blog. To write the words He gives. To offer readers an honest look at an imperfect life (mine), to speak truth, to be real and relevant, and to always honor Him. I love that I learn and grow with the words that I write, because they seriously do come from Him. In fact, sometimes it’s not till I re-read a post I’ve finished that I say to myself, wow where did that come from?

With that being said, the change that is being made is that Seed Thoughts will no longer host my book reviews. I’ll still be doing book reviews; however, I’ve added a new blog that will solely be for and about books! The reason for the separation is really quite simple. In the two years that I’ve been doing this blog, I’ve been blessed enough to receive many wonderful readers, and I’m thankful for them all. But not all of them have come for the same reason. Some of you wonderful readers are interested in my blog posts, thoughts, devotionals, character studies, etc. and some of you are really only interested in the book reviews. Either way is ok and I’m thrilled to have readers, no matter what the reason!

This new blog I’ve begun is called Tracy’s Book Nook. It will be home to all past and future book reviews. The actual blog address for the new blog is http://tkbooknook.blogspot.com. It is my hope that those readers who are interested in the reviews will be kind enough to begin following that blog as well. For a time, I will continue to announce any new reviews here on Seed Thoughts and direct or link to Tracy’s Book Nook.

I am honored and thrilled to even be addressing “my readers” because it continues to amaze and humble me that you’re even here. It is my sincere desire to speak of things that matter, share the words and insights of the Lord, invite you into my life and connect with you. I offer my deepest thanks for continuing to stick with me throughout this journey. I pray God will honor and bless your time, for choosing to spend it here at Seed Thoughts and now also at Tracy’s Book Nook.

The beautiful blog design for Tracy’s Book Nook (as well as Seed Thoughts) was created by the lovely Jill Samter. If you’re interested in a new blog design, or simply an element (like a header, signature, blog button, etc.) consider using Jill to create it for you. The cost is minimal and all proceeds to go charity. Click here to view some of her creations or to get more information.

To Begin Anew

It has been so long since I’ve actually written a blog post, I almost feel as though I should begin with by introducing myself. How about just an update? For those of you who’ve been reading my blog for only the last six to nine months, it may seem as though book reviews are all I do. That isn’t truly the case. For those of you who’ve missed my actual writing, I’m pretty sure it is back now.

First, I had decided to use a pen name for my writing and online presence, and had some really good reasons for doing so; it was interesting, fun and security-minded, which I thought was wise, in this open-information age we live in. The one reason I never acknowledged to myself, much less others, was that a pen name was different. It belonged to someone else. A writer. Someone with talent, confidence and purpose. Someone not me.

But alas, God spoke to me about that (as He will do when allowed), and quite directly told me that if my real name wasn’t good enough, no pen name in all the world would ever be good enough. Ouch. See, the name was not the problem, my perception of myself was (and is) the problem. So now, He and I are working on that. And I have returned to using my real name, because according to God, it (and I, by the way) is good enough.

Second, the reason I have written nothing except book reviews for the last half a year or longer, is because I haven’t had the words. Now, those of you who know me personally may laugh, because the idea of me not having words is actually pretty funny. But what I mean is this, when I write, my words are not my own. When I write, the words that are transferred from my mind, to my fingers, to the keyboard, then the screen, are really the words God gives me. In truth, they are His Words.

The reason I haven’t had words to be able to write is because I have been isolated. I have been distant from God, wandering around in the desert (which felt an awful lot like Hell), desperately putting one foot in front of the other to just keep going. In this awful place I experienced the weight of depression, oppression, and self-pity. I allowed anger and frustration to rule in my life. Sounds like a great place to be, right? I have not experienced darkness and heaviness like since before I became a Christian eleven years ago.

The good news is, I’m back! I have my energy, my zest, my enthusiasm, and most importantly, my faith back. The one blog post I’ve written so far in 2010 was called I Will Not Grow Weary. In it, I spoke a bit of what I’d been dealing with, and how I felt that my theme verse for this year (personally and on my blog) was from Galatians 6:9, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap a harvest of blessing if we do not give up. But I was weary, and I almost gave up…

But God! I love way that sounds! But God would not give up on me, and He wouldn’t let me give up on me, or Him, either. It didn’t matter what I was feeling, God came along, and He held me, and He lifted me up, He comforted me, and strengthened me, and He brought me through. Yes, I was battered and bruised, but I made it through. But God wasn’t finished… He’s showered me with love, put a song in my heart, filled me with hope and if that wasn’t enough, He’s given me words! Because once again, I’m aware that my words are not just for me, and He will accomplish His purposes with them.

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. ~ Isaiah 55:8-11

In closing, I excited to be able to begin anew. I have two new blog posts that are coming soon. In them, I will expand on what I’ve alluded to here. I will also continue doing book reviews, but will probably not do as many. All book reviews will state that in the title, whereas a normal blog post will merely have the title. There may be some aesthetic changes to Seed Thoughts, but for the most part it will remain the same. I’m so glad to be back and look forward to spending time here with you all again!

Sowing Seeds,

Tracy

Just Holding On...

I guess it's time to re-connect with everyone here. I know I haven't been around much. Other than a few book reviews and the His Princess letters, I haven't been around at all. For once, I don't have much to say. I haven't written any blog posts (I'm sorry), I haven't written any fiction, and I haven't been around to visit any of you wonderful bloggy friends.

Today would have been my due date for the miscarriage I had in May. As much as I thought I had dealt with it previously, the grief has come back in full force. The six year journey of trying to have children has taken a toll on me, though I am SO thankful that we have had one. In addition, we've been dealing with another devastating situation for the last two years, which thankfully, is now behind us. However, now that it has passed, I'm feeling the weight and sorrow of that as well.

I know that there are so many people who are suffering greatly with trials much larger than my own and that I have much to be grateful for. And I am. Really. But I am also weary. A body can deal with a lot for a long time, but a time comes when you're so tired of the struggle that it takes what remains of your strength to simply hold on. That's where I'm at. It's where I've been for a while now. But I am holding on. I'm holding on to Jesus and I'm holding on to hope. Hope that next year will be better and I will be stronger, hope that God will restore what the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), and hope that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

As this year draws to a close and I experience these feelings of loss, sorrow and weariness, there is one Scripture in particular that is speaking to me. And as such, I feel that it is appropriate to become next year's theme for Seed Thoughts. It is:

Thank you all for the friendship you've shown me since I began this blog a year and a half ago. Truly this whole experience has been a blessing. Thank you too for your patience in my lack of posting lately. I'm sure I'll be back on track soon. God is faithful and He will see me through.

Deeply Honored ~ No Foolin'

WOW! I am truly humbled and honored today. I have been notified that Seed Thoughts has been chosen as the Blog of the Month for Christian Women Online. To be honest with you, I’m a bit overwhelmed by this, since it is my understanding that there are over 4,000 blogs on the CWO blog roll.


I am constantly in awe of the way that God has been leading me in my writing and that He allows me to do this. I know He has given me a gift for writing, but without His purpose, that gift wouldn’t get used meaningfully, if at all. It is always my desire to honor and glorify Him in my writing.


This is especially meaningful for me this month, since it is officially my one year blogiversary. It has been a delightful journey. In addition to my words, I’ve shared my laughter, my tears, my goals, my struggles, my achievements, my failures, my sorrow, my joy, my heart, and my love for my family and Jesus. In return I’ve received healing, comfort, freedom, encouragement, wonderful words of wisdom from others . . . and friends.


The friends have been amazing. I have “met” people I never would have otherwise met and am truly honored to “know” them. They have inspired me, taught me, and accepted me, warts and all. (By the way, the warts are figurative – I ain’t been kissin’ no frogs!) It amazes me that I can feel such a connection with so many people online.


To those of you who’ve been with me for a while, and some of you have even been with me since the beginning, I’d like to thank you. Thank you for coming back to read time after time. Thank you for your encouraging comments. Thank you for inspiring me, challenging me, blessing me and teaching me. Thank you for putting up with all of my blog-changes, the look, the content, the adding and subtracting, etc. Most of all, thank you for the gift of your friendship!


To those of you, who are new to Seed Thoughts, thank you for stopping by. I really do appreciate it. I hope you enjoy your visit here, and come back often. There is a plethora of content because I just have too much going on in my brain to narrow it down. :-) In reality though, in all that I do and write, I strive to be real and relevant, and point others to Jesus. Because that is what He has called me to do. This is more than just an outlet for me. It is my ministry and I am honored that I get to do it. I know that any words I offer that inspire, uplift or encourage others, are actually from my Father – I am simply a tool He chooses to use.


“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” ~ Isaiah 55:8-11

Celebrate with Song ~ My 200th Post!

“Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate.” Ok, so maybe it’s not worthy of a Kool and the Gang serenade, but I’m excited and celebrating my 200th blog post. Has it really been that many? I have loved blogging and even more, I’ve loved the amazing fellow writers and bloggers I’ve met. You guys are the best!

When I hit my first 100th blog post, I chose to list 100 of my favorite Scripture verses, and that was awesome! This time, because I love music sooo much, I’ve chosen to list 100 of my favorite songs! Now, be forewarned, I like lots of types of music from multiple decades, and I’m particularly drawn to 80’s music, because after all, I am an 80’s girl. Well, 80’s music and country, anyway. So here are 100 songs that I really love (by the way, it was really hard to narrow it down to 100)! They are listed in alphabetic order by song title. Let me know if any are songs you love too! I hope you enjoy!

1. Aces ~ Suzy Bogguss
2. Africa ~ Toto
3. Against All Odds ~ Phil Collins
4. Agnus Dei ~ Third Day
5. Amarillo by Morning ~ George Strait
6. Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) ~ Chris Tomlin
7. American Pie ~ Don McLean
8. Angel ~ Sarah McLachlan
9. Anyway ~ Martina McBride
10. At Last ~ Etta James
11. Awesome God ~ Rich Mullins
12. Babe ~ Styx
13. Bang a Drum ~ Chris LeDoux
14. Believe ~ Brooks and Dunn
15. Beth ~ Kiss
16. Black Velvet ~ Alannah Myles
17. Blaze of Glory ~ Bon Jovi
18. Blessed ~ Martina McBride
19. Born to Run ~ Bruce Springsteen
20. The Boys of Summer ~ Don Henley
21. Brilliant Disguise ~ Bruce Springsteen
22. Bring on the Rain ~ Jo Dee Messina
23. Broken Road ~ Melody Crittenden and Rascal Flatts (This was our wedding song)
24. Brown Eyed Girl ~ Van Morrison
25. By His Wounds ~ Brian Litrell, Mac Powell, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Hall
26. Call on Jesus ~ Nicole C. Mullen
27. Can’t be Really Gone ~ Tim McGraw
28. Coming Around Again~ Carly Simon
29. Concrete Angel ~ Martina McBride
30. A Country Boy Can Survive ~ Hank Williams Jr.
31. Crazy ~ Patsy Cline
32. Crazy Love ~ Van Morrison
33. Creed ~ Third Day
34. Cry Out to Jesus ~ Third Day
35. The Dance ~ Garth Brooks
36. Desperado ~ Eagles
37. The Devil Went Down to Georgia ~ The Charlie Daniels Band
38. Don’t Close Your Eyes ~ Keith Whitley
39. Don’t Know What You Got Til It’s Gone ~ Cinderella
40. Don’t Speak ~ No Doubt
41. Don’t Take the Girl ~ Tim McGraw
42. Dream On ~ Aerosmith
43. Drift Away ~ Dobie Gray
44. East to West ~ Casting Crowns
45. El Shaddai ~ Amy Grant
46. The End of the Innocence ~ Don Henley
47. Enough ~ Chris Tomlin
48. Every Rose Has it’s Thorn ~ Poison
49. The First Cut is the Deepest ~ Sheryl Crow
50. The Flame ~ Cheap Trick
51. For Such a Time As This ~ Wayne Watson
52. Good As I Was to You ~ Lorrie Morgan
53. Grace Like Rain ~ Todd Agnew
54. Hard to Get ~ Rich Mullins
55. Hard to Say I’m Sorry ~ Chicago
56. Hazard ~ Richard Marx
57. He’s Alive ~ Dolly Parton
58. He is Jehovah ~ Re:Zound
59. He Stopped Loving Her Today ~ George Jones
60. Held ~ Natalie Grant
61. Here I Am to Worship ~ Phillips, Craig & Dean
62. Hold Me Jesus ~ Rich Mullins
63. I Hope You Dance ~ Lee Ann Womack
64. I’m Movin’ On ~ Rascal Flatts
65. I Will Survive ~ Gloria Gaynor
66. If You Could See Me Now ~ T. Graham Brown
67. In Lonesome Dove ~ Garth Brooks
68. In Your Eyes ~ Peter Gabriel
69. Iris ~ Goo Goo Dolls
70. It Must Have Been Love ~ Roxette
71. Jesus Freak ~ dc Talk
72. Joy to the World ~ Three Dog Night
73. Killing Me Softly With His Song ~ Roberta Flack
74. Life Goes On ~ LeAnn Rimes
75. Listen to Your Heart ~ Roxette
76. A Little More ~ Jennifer Knapp
77. Little Rock ~ Colin Raye
78. Losing My Religion ~ R.E.M.
79. Made to Love ~ Toby Mac
80. Me and Bobby MaGee
81. Mercy Said No ~ Greg Long
82. Nobody Wins ~ Radney Foster
83. November Rain ~ Guns N’ Roses
84. Peace Train ~ Cat Stevens
85. Poison ~ Alice Cooper
86. Praise You in This Storm ~ Casting Crowns
87. Probably Wouldn’t be This Way ~ LeAnn Rimes
88. Proud Mary ~ Credence Clearwater Revival
89. Remember When ~ Alan Jackson
90. Ruby Tuesday ~ The Rolling Stones
91. Say ~ John Mayer
92. Seven Year Ache ~ Rosanne Cash
93. Shout Unto God ~ Hillsong
94. A Soft Place to Fall ~ Allison Moorer
95. Something to Believe In ~ Poison
96. Something Worth Leaving Behind ~ Lee Ann Womack
97. Superstar ~ The Carpenters
98. Suspicious Minds ~ Dwight Yoakam
99. Sweet Child O Mine ~ Guns N’ Roses
100. Testify to Love ~ Avalon

And because I simply couldn’t whittle it down further, here are a bonus 20 other songs! :-)
1. Thank You ~ The Katinas
2. This Cowboy’s Hat ~ Chris LeDoux
3. This Woman’s Work ~ Kate Bush
4. Through the Eyes of Love ~ Melissa Manchester
5. To Make You Feel My Love ~ Garth Brooks
6. Total Eclipse of the Heart ~ Bonnie Tyler
7. Turn the Page ~ Bob Segar
8. Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad ~ Meat Loaf
9. Unwritten ~ Natasha Bedingfield
10. Wanted Dead or Alive ~ Bon Jovi
11. We Fall Down ~ Chris Tomlin
12. Welcome Home ~ Shaun Groves
13. What a Wonderful World ~ Louis Armstrong
14. When God-Fearin’ Women Get the Blues ~ Martina McBride
15. Wicked Game ~ Chris Isaac
16. Wild World ~ Cat Stevens
17. Wonderful Tonight ~ Eric Clapton
18. You Are My King (Amazing Love) ~ Newsboys
19. You Are So Beautiful ~ Joe Cocker
20. Young Love ~ The Judds

Blog News

It is a new year and with that often comes new things. As you’ve already seen, my blog has undergone a makeover and now has a new look. Also, for the first time, I have a new theme/scripture for the year. There is a precious friend and her daughter, who are working on a couple of blog buttons for me, which will also be new. And I’m also working on some new content for my blog. Oh, and one more thing, new focus and goals. Yep, lots of new.


As I mentioned, and you see, I have a new blog look and soon to be revealed blog buttons. There will be one for my actual blog, Seed Thoughts, as well as one for my ongoing series/column ‘Choosing Life’ and a new series I’m working on called ‘Character Counts.’


I’m very excited about this new ‘Character Counts’ series which will include mini-bio’s on people who’ve lived lives of admirable character, who’ve overcome great adversity or who’ve otherwise become heroes. This will be based on their character, not celebrity status.


Another new blog content thing will be participating in the ‘Current Events Wrap Up’ meme, hosted by Julie Arduini at her The Surrendered Scribe blog. This meme, as the name suggests, is to discuss current events, whether at a local, state, nation or world level. It could be political, natural disaster, news events, school board – whatever is a current event for you. I’m really looking forward to this one!


Of course I’ll still be participating in the Word-Filled Wednesday and Thankful Thursday memes as well, though probably not every week. I’m sure there will also be other random posts – devotional, informative, personal, and maybe even a Fiction Friday here and there. The book reviews are sticking around, and I am absolutely continuing the His Princess letters every Monday!


On the thing I’ll be focusing on much more is my fiction writing. If I loved it before, having successfully completed NaNoWriMo, I’m now addicted. I’ll be working on editing my novel from NaNo, A Little Rain Must Fall, as well as write more. I’m very excited about this venture and also plan to seek representation later in the year.

Aside from my Seed Thought blog, I will be posting more to the team He Said, She Said blog that I write with Jeff. And my Choosing Life column at Take Root and Write will now publish twice a month, rather than once a month.


As you can see, there’s lot’s going on in my writing life. And I’m truly excited about it all. I will disclose details as things progress, so be sure to look for more info to come. Thank you for reading, commenting and encouraging me! I really do love my bloggy buddies and I so enjoy reading your blogs too (even if I don’t comment every time anymore)!


I pray you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009 and look forward to seeing where we all are at the end of the year!

Ta-Da! My New Blog Look

Ok, here is the new look that I've chosen to get me through for the next few months. I will be working on my "permanent" look and hope to unveil it for my blogiversary, which is coming up in April. This is a lot of work! But in the end it's worth it, I think.


In this look, I've tried to make it easier to read by lightening the background and de-cluttering somewhat (which was accomplished by adding the tabs at the top). Also, I now have the date back, which I had lost in the last template. I do have some more work to do on this, but for the most part it's ready.


I'd love to know what you think! If I typically display your blog on my blogroll and you find that it's not there, I think I've missed some. Simply notify me, by clicking the Contact tab at the top, and I will re-add your blog to my list. As always, thank you for reading and for your encouraging words! I love my bloggy friends! Blessings and Happy New Year!

A New Look for the New Year

Hi Everyone!

As much as I've enjoyed my pretty pink blog, it is time for a change. I really don't enjoy doing all the work that is required in changing my blog and hope this is the second to last time for quite awhile. With the New Year beginning, I want to start out fresh with a new look. This is not the look I want permanently (I'm still really working on that), but am happy to have found a template I can live with for a bit. It is pretty and wintery (ok, Christmasy, but we can pretend it's all about winter), isn't as busy or as dark and is much easier to read.

I will be taking my blog offline for a brief time, beginning tomorrow, so that I can make the changes I need to make and customize it. Obviously this is a process that takes a lot of time and effort, but I hope to unveil the new look on New Years Day.

In the meantime, I wish you all have a very Happy New Year and a Blessed and Prosperous 2009!

An Update On... Me!

It’s official. I can no longer pretend that I have not reached middle-age! Today is the 11th anniversary of my 29th Birthday – or if you don’t want to do the math that means it’s my 40th Birthday. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! Ok, now that I have the shameless, and obnoxious, plug out of the way…

I have to admit, that turning 40 hasn’t bothered me that much, other than the fact that it just sounds weird when I apply it to myself. And we really do want to have another baby, and being older tends to complicate things in that area. But, I have learned to appreciate, uh, maturing, because I have found that I really do get better with age. And from what I’ve experienced, each decade has been better than the last. I feel none of the angst or depression that often seems to accompany this milestone birthday, I really am good with it.

One thing I am really excited about is that I did complete NaNoWriMo 2008, which means that I wrote a novel in 30 days. My final word count is 52,518! Yes, it still has a lot of work that’s needed as for editing and such, but I did it! This is a great accomplishment regardless, but it was a goal of mine to write a novel before my 40th birthday, and I did it! I’ll do a blog post soon with the extended synopsis of my novel and periodically, I’m sure I’ll update you on the status too. Like all writers, I hope this first novel is not my last, and that one day I’ll be published. We’ll see if that’s what God has for me.

With the Holidays upon us, things get crazy and hectic and I’m sure we will all be around a bit less in this blogging world. I’m taking some time to really think and pray about what my blog will look like next year. This includes content as well as aesthetically. I have a couple of ideas, but will turn them over to the Lord to see what He thinks about it all. I am confident that I will continue to post a “Love Letter” each Monday from the book His Princess. In addition, I’ll be getting back on track for continuing my series on Choosing Life.

I’d like to offer thanks, one more time, to all of you who have encouraged me, supported me and helped me to grow through this first year of blogging. I’ve made some wonderful friends, read some amazing blogs and have grown not only in my writing and blogging journey, but in my spiritual journey as well. Thank you all for the part you’ve played in this.

I’m really excited to be able to begin reading and commenting more on all of the wonderful blogs I’ve missed, while I took time away for NaNo. God bless you all! ~ Tracy


P.S. By the way, I am the featured guest writer this week in the Writer’s Lounge. If you’d like to read my article, all you have to do is click here.

I'm Committed! Or... Maybe I Should Be?

I did it! I committed to participating in NaNoWriMo 2008! What is that, you ask? It is the National Novel Writing Month. Some of you know that writing, and reading, fiction is a passion of mine. And I have always dreamed of writing novels. So with that in mind, I have chosen to commit to writing a novel. GULP! In 30 days. DOUBLE GULP!! Yep, I’m committed, or maybe I should be. I guess that remains to be seen.



~~~

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2007, we had over 100,000 participants. More than 15,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!

~~~

Needless to say, I will not be blogging, or reading, as much in November. Oh, I’ll still check in a bit, and I’ll definitely post the Monday “Love Letter from Your King”, but I won’t be doing a blog post every day. Am I excited? Yes. Am I scared? Heck yeah! But the point is, I’m doing it! Now, I’m being realistic here. I don’t believe this will be the next Great American Novel, but I’m sure the experience will be invaluable. Be sure to stop by and check out how I'm doing. I'll be adding a word-count widget soon. Thank you for your support and if you think of me, maybe send up a prayer, or two, or ten? :)

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” ~ Prov. 16:3

“And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.” Hab. 2:2

Introducing "He Said, She Said"

I am delighted to introduce you to a new team blog that I am beginning with my amazing husband Jeff! We’re calling it He Said, She Said. The premise is to have one idea, topic, Scripture or character, with two different perspectives. This is very special to me, because Jeff is my best friend, partner and Spiritual Leader. He is a very talented teacher and writer and loves to share the Word of the Lord.

We have taught together before and love doing so. I think there is something very special and powerful about studying and teaching the Word of God together as husband and wife. We look forward to sharing our thoughts and insights with anyone who is interested in reading them. And we know that we will grow together in our walk with the Lord, regardless of whether anyone reads this team blog or not. That is our ultimate goal. I’d love to know what you think of this whole concept! Our introduction posts have been done and are now available to read, if you’re interested. Blessings to you!

Under Construction

Dear Friends and Readers,

I have decided to change the look of my blog with the help of Lena at Simply Fabulous Blog Templates. I have now begun the process of making the change. It will take me some time to get all of the sidebar and widget content replaced and organized. For those of you whose blogs I follow and list in my blogroll, I think I will have you re-listed shortly. If you notice that your blog may be missing, please let me know, as it is simply an oversight. Thank you for your patience. Blessings to you!

My Apologies

I have been fairly inactive for the last couple of weeks. My little Sweetpea first came down with a cold and then unfortunately, a few days later, I did too. We were both sick for over a week and a half. We are both doing better now, but it really kept me from doing many things. I haven't been around much to read and comment to others, but that doesn't mean that I don't still love ya! As far as my writing goes, that has suffered the most. The cold I had really pretty much knocked me out mentally and I found it very difficult to put together a coherent sentence.

So now I'm feeling much more like my old self, but still won't be around as much as I'd like. I have a lot of catching up to do (especially around the house) and I'm going to be getting us ready to go on vacation. Beginning this weekend, I won't be around at all, until after Labor Day. So for those of you who faithfully read my posts, I'm sorry this is such a dry period. I know I haven't moved forward with my "Choose Life" series, but as I said, mentally (and spiritually) I just couldn't get it together. I expect to come back refreshed and full of lots to say! I will post a bit this week, but because I have so much to catch up on, I still don't have a lot of time. Thanks for understanding and know that I really miss this!

Changes Are A Comin'

Hi there! As you may know, I've actually had two blogs, Seed Thoughts and Random Reflections, though Seed Thoughts has been my focus. In an attempt to simplify, I have decided to merge the two into one. So I will be adding a couple of my posts from Random Reflections, to Seed Thoughts - there are about 3 of them. I apologize for any inconvience and if you've not read the others, I do hope you enjoy them. Thanks as always for reading my blog and the kind comments I've received. Blessings!