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

An ICE Re-Creation

So, God has given me focus. That’s good, right? I don’t have a lot of time these days to do much writing because my almost 2-yr old simply doesn’t understand that I need time uninterrupted to do so. There are some, who can be in the middle of a thought, lay it down to attend to something else and then come back to it and pick up right where they left off. I am not one of them. I can easily do that with reading, but not with writing. Reading and writing reviews is easy for me to do on the go, which is why I’ve been doing a lot more of them lately.

But back to my focus. I wanted to make sure that when I do have time to write, I’m writing what God is directing me to write. Here’s where the focus comes in. I mentioned previously that after much prayer, God gave me an acronym to remember to use for the direction He is leading my non-fiction writing in. That acronym is ICE and it stands for Identity, Character and Emotions.

When a person grows up in a dysfunctional family (as many of us have), there is often a deficiency in these areas. We maybe don’t understand that we have worth, so our character is weak, and our emotions are shut down, hyperactive, or simply all over the place. It all kind of goes together. If these basic things are not shown or taught correctly during the formative years, it does affect adulthood. But it’s not true that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. Especially if we have God on our side!

When I got saved, after living a dreadful heathen lifestyle, God really had to get a hold of me and re-create me. The Bible tells us that when we are born again, we become a new creation, the old has died and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). And of course that’s true as far as God is concerned. But we often have to be proactive about the change we are going through. I believe it is possible to get fire insurance – that is to believe and confess that Jesus is Lord and ask for His forgiveness, but then remain basically unchanged. But what a weak walk that would be!

For those who desire more of God than simple life insurance, there is more required. Not a set of rules to be followed, but a life spent seeking, worshipping and serving God. We are transformed into His likeness through the studying of His Word, conversing with Him in prayer and our acts of service (I often say we are not saved to sit, but saved to serve).

When we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, and allow it to, it will change us. We are to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2), and we do that through the Word of God. But it requires our will to choose to read it, and let it in. That’s what I’ve been doing since I’ve gotten saved. I am now a much different and better person, but I still have a ways to go.


So my focus now is ICE:

~ Identity ~ To know, understand and believe who I am in Christ.
~ Character ~ To develop Godly character traits and reflect the Character of Him who made me
~ Emotions ~ To experience healthy God-given emotions, but to rule over them rather than let them rule over me.

I am excited about this new focus God has given me, and look forward to exploring it. I am thrilled to have you along for the journey. Be sure to look for more ICE posts to follow.

To Trust and Obey

What I know is this. God will use me. All I have to do is trust and obey. When I began this writing journey a year and a half ago, I didn’t have any idea where it would take me. I just knew God told me to start writing again and make it more public. So I trusted and obeyed. And it has been wonderful!

I’ve found that by following the Lord’s leading, He has used me for His purposes, and I have received the benefit. God is so good! He owes me nothing and gives me everything! The season I’ve been in has been B U S Y . . . With a toddler running around, church activities, attempting to be a domestic diva (ok, so I’m more like a domestic dunce), starting a new home-business, and having a super-abundance of books to read and review, my writing time has diminished. And I haven’t been happy about that. However, God has shown me that it’s just for a season, and I will get back to writing more. Lot’s more.

Just because I haven’t been doing a lot of writing though, doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking and praying about it. And once again, God has come through. He is dumping so much into me that I have to write down all the ideas so I won’t forget. He’s been giving me tons of ideas for blog posts, devotionals, articles and fiction books.

Another thing I’ve felt the Lord leading me toward is speaking engagements. I don’t know what it will look like exactly and I don’t know when it will happen, but again, all I can do is trust and obey. So believing this will happen someday, it is my desire to prepare. As it has been said, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity (Seneca, Roman philosopher, mid 1st century). Of course it’s not luck that I’m waiting on, it’s the Lord, but the principal is the same, right?

With that in mind, I’ve been praying that the Lord would reveal what my platform would be. After all, all speakers have to have a platform right? Once again, God has not let me down. He first gave me the acronym ICE, meaning Identity, Character and Emotions. All of these have been very important to me since I’ve become saved, because I have really worked hard at knowing my identity in Christ, having good character, and mastering my emotions, rather than allowing them to master me.

After ten years, I’m happy to say that I am well on my way to being the person God created me to be. Growing up dysfunctional, I never had any of this modeled for me, so God has had a lot of work to do. But He is faithful, and He will not quit on me. After all, it says in Phil. 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

So as I have time, I will write on the things that God has been revealing to me. I am really excited about this new turn in my journey, and I’m thrilled to have you along for the ride! Stay tuned, it’s going to be good!

For Everything There Is A Season

For everything there is a season. This is a thought that has been going through my mind a lot lately. It is something I’ve been living. It’s probably something you have been living too. Seasons in life change, much like the changing of seasons in nature.

It hasn’t been easy for me to blog lately. Sweet Pea is full-on into everything now, which is quite prohibitive when it comes to doing any actual thinking or writing. And our laptop was broken and being repaired for nearly a month! While I do my writing on the desktop in the office, I usually read on the laptop because it is in the family room, and the desktop is in the office – with too much for Sweet Pea to get into.

So I haven’t been around much. But I miss visiting with you all, and sharing my thoughts. I know that this time will pass (and it will probably seem too quickly at that), but for now, I’m just not as present online in the blogging world as I would like to be. It’s true that I could write at night, and that’s what I’m trying to get back to, but with chasing a toddler all day, I’ve been pretty drained lately and my thoughts simply don't want to be coherent at night any longer.

Still, I will try to visit and post more, because I miss it, I really do. And I miss you all. I’m still happy to be posting the letters from His Princess and the book reviews, but I miss writing. All of this has gotten me to thinking about the “seasons” passage in Ecclesiastes. I’ve been dwelling on it a lot recently, and I may even attempt to do another series based on this passage of Scripture. We shall see.

And there is the finality of another season. Since I've been blogging, I’ve shared my struggles with having another baby. The struggle is now over. We have decided that after all the difficulties in actually getting pregnant, along with the three miscarriages, and the fact that I am now 40, it is time to stop. Actually, God has shown me that this season is finished. Sure, I could fight it, but that would be pretty fruitless, because I know God’s plan is always best. And for the first time in seven years, I’m at peace with where we are in having a family. With God’s revelation, He also bathed me in peace and love. And I know that one day, I will meet my other children in heaven. Oh what a wonderful day that will be!

So, I will stop fighting the tide, and simply be grateful for the amazing and wonderful gift that He has given me in my daughter. And I will get through enjoy these toddler times and trust that one day, I will no longer say “no” 3648 times per day. And I will try to appreciate all the seasons, whatever they are.


For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. Ecc. 3:1-8 (NLT)

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

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.

Today's the Day

Whohooo! My big day has arrived! As I mentioned last Thursday, my writing is being featured in two separate places, besides here at Seed Thoughts. Unfortunately, a have a sick little one, so this will be a brief post, but I would be thrilled if you were to check out my other two posts and let me know what you think.

The first is a Thankful post that is being featured on Julie Arduini’s The Surrendered Scribe blog. She is participating in NaBloPoMo, which is National Blog Posting Month, which challenges participants to post 30 blog posts in 30 days. She has chosen the topic of ‘Thankful’ and is featuring a different guest writer each day of the month. I am so thankful that she has allowed me to participate and bring my biggest ‘Thankful’ of the year to her blog. The title of the post is Thankful For the Wait. If you haven’t been over to read some truly amazing ‘Thankful’ blog post, I highly recommend you do. I’m sure it’ll bless your socks off!

The second is at Take Root and Write, an online collaboration of Christian women writers, who compose words of encouragement, insight and thought for the journey we are all on. I am honored and blessed to be regular monthly contributor there. My monthly column will be an extension of the series I’m doing here on my blog and will be called ‘Choosing Life’. The title of my first post is called Why Choose Life.

Thank you so much, to all of you who are so wonderful about reading and commenting on my posts and for all of the encouragement you’ve given me along the way. NaNoWriMo is nearly over and I’ll be back visiting you soon. Blessings!

Writing For the Lord ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This is going to be a slightly different ‘Thankful’ post for me today. The year is nearing the end, with a new, fresh year full of potential and new beginnings right around the corner. I was thinking about where have I changed or grown the most in this last year. Of course, it would have to be in being a mommy! But that’s a different post, for a different day. The other area that I have experienced great growth and change has been in my writing.

At the start of this year, I felt the Lord impress me to begin writing again and to be public about it. I had no idea what that looked like, but because He is faithful, he took over and has led me to where he wants me to be and He has guided my writing. I am so thankful for this and it is my desire to point others to Him and to give Him all the glory.

He led me to a wonderful site called FaithWriters, an online Christian Writing Group, which allowed me to first get my feet wet and do some writing, which would be commented on and critiqued. I am so grateful for FaithWriters because I did learn and grow in my writing very quickly, and it was there, that I discovered the wonderful world of blogging and was inspired to start my own blog – Seed Thoughts. And the best bonus of all, was the amazing group of writers that encouraged and inspired me, who have become wonderful friends. I am so thankful for each and every one of them. (You know who you are – go ahead, take a bow!)

In April of this year, I discovered blogging, and must say I was immediately hooked. I love this fantastic bloggy world. It is easy to look back and see how God has grown me in my writing, and more importantly, to see how He has used me to spread His word and offer encouragement to others. This blog, Seed Thoughts, has led to starting another one called He Said, She Said which is a team blog with my amazing husband. It gives us the opportunity to offer two perspectives of the same thing, from a man/husband view, to a woman/wife view. I am so thankful for the opportunity to blog on my own and with my husband, and I am so, so thankful for the faithful readers who honor me with their time and comments. Once again, the icing on the cake in the whole blog experience, has been the amazing group of fellow bloggers who continue to bless, challenge and inspire me regularly. The quality of the content of their writing and knowledge of the Word is superb, and I have grown from reading their insights.

As many of you know, I am also participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writers Month, which challenges participants to write a whole novel, of at least 50,000 words, in 30 days. It has been a wild ride, an exciting challenge and a fun experience. It was a deep desire of mine to write a novel before my 40th birthday, and guess what? I will! The challenge runs from Nov. 1st – Nov. 30th and I turn 40 on December 1st. After a rough start, with losing a beloved pet, I am now doing very well and am ahead of schedule! I’m so thankful for this experience and for the motivation that it is giving me to go even further with my fiction writing.

Now, I have big writing day coming up, on Monday, Nov. 24th, 2008. In addition to my regularly scheduled Love Letter of the week, from the His Princess book by Sheri Rose Shepherd, I have two other places where my writing will be featured. I am amazed that God continues to allow me to do this and am so thankful for the continued opportunities.

The first is going to be featured on Julie Arduini’s The Surrendered Scribe blog. She is participating in NaBloPoMo, which is National Blog Posting Month, which challenges participants to post 30 blog posts in 30 days. Julie, who is a wonderful and Godly woman, has chosen a very distinctive way to achieve this. She has chosen the topic of ‘Thankful’ and is featuring a different guest writer each day of the month. As you can probably surmise, I am featured there on the 24th. I am so thankful that she has allowed me to participate and bring my biggest ‘Thankful’ of the year to her blog. If you haven’t been over to read some truly amazing ‘Thankful’ blog post, I highly recommend you do. I’m sure it’ll bless your socks off!

The second other place you’ll find me, is at Take Root and Write, an online collaboration of Christian women writers, who compose words of encouragement, insight and thought for the journey we are all on. I am honored and blessed to be regular monthly contributor there. My monthly column will be an extension of the series I’m doing here on my blog and will be called ‘Choosing Life’. There are many different topics and columns, with dozens of amazing Christian women writers. This is a place that I’m sure you’ll want to spend lots of time. It is a wonderful online ministry. I’m so thankful that Noelle has chosen me to be a regular monthly contributor and share in her vision of reaching and encouraging women as we all go through life together.

Thank you, Lord, for all of these amazing opportunities you’ve given me. You have given me a gift to write and words to say, and have caused me to grow greatly in this. Your faithfulness has never let me down and I know it never will. I know that I am merely your tool, and apart from you, I can do nothing. I am so thankful, blessed and humbled that You have chosen me. In Jesus’ precious Name, I pray. Amen

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!

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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