Momentum

Things got so busy this past fall that I went several months without working on my book. I'm really hoping I'll have more time this winter and spring...

I worked on it last weekend, and decided that it was a good thing to have gone for so many months without looking at it, though. Having started the sequel just after finishing the first book, I'd not re-introduced some characters and situations adequately. It took reading it fresh to see that, though.

The other thing I've not had any time for is looking for a publisher. I'm hoping to find time for that too, one of these days, but if I can only do one, I'd rather just do the writing.

Mohammed

It's amazing how much of an impact one person can have in the world. In the case of the founder of Islam, I doubt that anyone has ever brought so much suffering and evil to the world...

If I believed in Dante's 'circles of hell,' I'd expect to find him at the bottom!

Democracy

A townhall article by Michael Barone got me thinking... Although the change in power to the Democrats leaves me feeling a bit queasy, and I know it leaves others feeling much worse, we're not in the streets demonstrating and Pelosi didn't have to point a gun at anyone to get that gavel. What a truly wonderful country America is!

Here's the column, BTW:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MichaelBarone/2007/01/08/storm_approaching_on_the_hill

Dumb cat!

Have you ever noticed how well those two words go together?

Here's what happened... I am blessed with a wonderful husband who wakes me up every morning with a cup of coffee. So, I usually sit partway up in bed, and take sips of coffee until my eyes can stay open.

However, this CAT we acquired a few months ago is one those who demands pets by ramming her head into peoples' hands. Visualize: semi-prone position in bed, hot cup of coffee held in hand resting on upper abdomen, cat approaches half-awake person looking for love....

AAARGH!

Goals for 2007

Like my skeptical daughter, I'm not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. One reason is that for myself, in most areas at least, I feel like I'm already doing the best I can. A better reason has a somewhat scriptural basis. In Romans 9:16, these words referring to salvation can be applied to most 'self-improvement' plans, I think: "It does not depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

With that in mind, I have the following four goals for myself this year. (I also have the word 'grace' written all over the page in a manner reminiscent of falling rain, just to make sure I remember the source!)

1. Live a life of sacrifice, service, and self-denial instead of ease and self-indulgence.
2. Work more on non-academics (e.g. character, spiritual life) in our homeschool.
3. Finish Faithful unto Death, the sequel to Free Indeed.
4. Work on finding a publisher.

I'd also say that they are more or less listed in order of importance.