Now what?

Christmas Day has come and gone, the new year looming ahead. But before tackling the challenges and responsibilities of 2011, our houeshold has a week of respite. 

Today I did something I've only imagined doing: I stayed in my pajamas ALL DAY LONG, and I spent most of the day sitting in bed reading.  I've surprised even myself by devouring Francine Rivers's Her Daughter's Dream in one day (after polishing off Her Mother's Hope first).  I loved every minute of it- the day off and the book.

And now comes the awkward response to such an experience.  Francine moves my heart and stirs my imagination like no other author I know.  This evening, I set aside her novel feeling replete, yet yearning.  Her work makes me want to write- it inspires me to weave together stories of my own.  And yet, her talent is so far above mine that it almost seems pointless.  How can something both propel me forward and hold me back at the same time?

I can only dream of what it would be like to be a critique partner of Francine's.  To watch her take the seed of a story idea and cause it to blossom and bloom under the light of Inspiration and the pruning of her pen.  What an amazing experience that would be!

It remains to be seen how far the Lord will take me on my journey into the Writing World.  I still have not heard any word about the OFN contest, but try to keep patient.  New writing project ideas have sprung up in my mind from time to time, but God knows how thin I've been spread and how little time I've had to turn within myself in order to find what stories lay there.  I remind myself it is only a season.  Trevor is growing up fast, all the kids are growing fast.  Still, it feels sometimes like I'll never have the time I want for my writing.  But hey, I did do it once, right?

Perhaps I'm a bit like Marta (from Francine's books), learning and working and living while pursuing a dream that is not quick in coming. I could learn from her.

Thank you, Francine, for another wonderful story.  You made my dreamy, do-nothing day a very rewarding one. =)

~ Michelle