My Writing Adventure

The crickets are singing their night song.  The TV is off.  The open window welcomes cool air.  Every few moments, the sound of a passing car softly breaks the silence. 

My heart sighs with the beauty the rest of evening brings. 

Thank You, God, for providing work to wear us out and rest to prepare us for another day.

Just finished the first day of my two-week stint as a freelance writer. For pay, I got to research travel to the Bahamas and Barbados. I handed in my first article on the Bahamas and got some really encouraging feedback.

We'll see what God has in store for me in terms of this gig. I'm trying to just glorify Him in as many ways as I am able, and not try to see into the future.

Hey! I got the freelance job and I start Monday. It's only two weeks, but we'll see what God does.

All I can say, is this is crazy!!! Crazy-good!!

:-)

So.... nothing ever came of submitting my resume for the writing job. Which was disappointing, but not surprising since they listed their ad on a well-known job website. Those job postings literally receive hundreds of responses.

I still question whether or not God wants me to be an Executive Assistant again. I have a really wonderful-looking resume, I interview well, but there seems to be no interest in me from the companies to whom I've been presented.

I'm speaking to an acquaintance from church later today about doing some freelance writing, and a possible job. We'll see what happens.

On another note, I asked God if, in His graciousness, He still wanted me to write, to please resurrect this call on my life. Soon after, He sent a reader to my Gathered Chick blog, also named Heidi, who is writing a book set in a similar time period as mine. We have decided to work together on the research. What a blessing she has been to me!!! And how good is our God!?!? In my flesh, I would definitely remove a job from someone who is just dragging their feet. But, for whatever reason, this is something God wants me to do. I feel honored and blessed that He would continue to give me the opportunity.

Stay tuned...

This poor blog. Clearly shame doesn't motivate me, evidenced by all the years I spent as a gal shopping in the extra-extra large section.

My writing adventure is mostly one of anxiety and indecision. Do I write? Do I not write? Should I pursue writing? Should I forget about writing? How do I do this? It's schizophrenic, at best.

In this season when I've had plenty of time during the day, I've found it still isn't enough time to write when you don't know what you're doing. Every day seems to be overfull and I continue to be offered more opportunities to be involved and serve at church. As much as it pains me, I have declined a few church requests. People have recently commented I don't have time to have a regular job. I am certainly not looking for more things to do.

Speaking of a regular job, as I continue to seek out a full-time work position, I've been looking in the Executive Assistant field, since that's what I've done for the last nine years. But, I'm beginning to wonder if God has other plans for me since no doors are opening in that area. So, I've actually put my resume in for a writing job. It's crazy, I'm probably not qualified, and my husband is sure the pay won't be enough. But, we'll see.

I'll keep you posted...

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Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

I took a time-out this afternoon to go see a cute little movie.

For 9 - that's N I N E - American dollars.

For a 3:55 pm showing of a two-hour movie. At which I am forced to see commercials beforehand.

But, that's not what I haven't been able to stop thinking about this afternoon.

For better or for worse, I rarely go to the movie theatre. When I do, it is usually to see a movie that only kids and their parents are attending. (I'm just not an R-rating kind of girl). I only want to waste, I mean spend, that much money on a movie that multiple trusted reviewers claim is really worth it.

So here's what I can't stop thinking about: I am floored that parents pay $9 (or more at a non-matinee) per person to bring children who have no business being at the movies into a movie theatre.

Now, I'm not saying we should ban children from the movie theatre below a certain age. But, where is a little discernment these days?

When I saw Prince Caspian a few months ago, the 8 or 9-year-old girl sitting next to me had zero comprehension of what was happening during the first half of the movie. She was either explaining it to herself or asking her mother to explain it to her.

Which led me to question if she, or any of the other question-filled youngsters in that theatre, was capable of simple reasoning. Because the who is that question asked by children all around me for the first 15 minutes was about to drive me bonkers. I mean, might they figure out that he's the title character - Prince Caspian??

Speaking of which, parents seem to have given up on speaking quietly in the movie theatre. Today, I was bewildered, humorously so, by the little social microcosm I stepped into by going to a movie theatre populated by little girls under 10 and their mom or dad. There was a dull roar the entire movie. Some kids, and some parents for that matter, didn't even try to whisper.

Unless I'm remembering incorrectly because of the lack of oxygen up here on my high-horse, I would have been given the look of death by my parents if I had deigned to make a peep in the beautiful old Fox Theater in Redlands, where I saw many Disney double-features.

Today, the movie I viewed lost over half the kids in the audience in the first 15-minutes. Kit Kittredge deals with some difficult to understand, and frankly depressing, concepts. The little girl behind me was absolutely begging to be taken home by the movie's midpoint.

Now, I'm not saying that Kit Kittredge isn't worth seeing - although it frankly should have been a "wait for video" since it doesn't need to be seen in a theatre. The American Girl movies do a terrific job of giving the viewer a taste of what a certain period of history might have been like. Kit's parents are wonderful examples of two people in very tough circumstances who choose to handle their unhappy circumstances with grace. There are many lovely aspects to this story. I just wish parents would wait to bring their kids to the theatre until they can fully understand, and enjoy, the film being presented.

Also, since I'm already ranting full-force, what mother doesn't notice their kid kicking the seat in front of them? Okay - maybe this is the ban I would create and enforce: Don't Put Your Feet Up On the Seat In Front Of You.

I can't wait until I'm a parent so I can not bring my kids to the movie theatre.

*Sigh*