Contest Time!!!

My goal for this blog is to encourage my friends to learn and practice healthier living and - for my writer friends - to write, write, write!

So...

I'm sponsoring a writing contest this week to see how much news we can rack up to celebrate on Friday. Post any good news (contest finals, requests from agents or editors, sales, hitting the "lists" (NYT, USA Today, Waldenbooks, etc.), RWA PRO status and the like) or any milestones reached (finished chapter, finished manuscript, five days of writing in a row, submission to a contest, editor, or agent). If you think your news fits anywhere close to these guidlines, post a comment anytime this week. The more news you post, the greater your chances of winning!

On Friday, I'll put all the posts in a hat and draw a winner.

Prize will be a $10 online gift certificate.

Next week will be a healthier lifestyle contest, so tune in next Monday...

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I've been doing my daily devotionals from a book called "Joy for the Journey - A Woman's Book of Joyful Promises" and one struck me as essential to share with all of my women friends:

Originally from Gail MacDonald's "High Call, High Privilege"

"A fellow-learner in a class I taught shared thoughts about the tendency of many woment to fight depression in the fall of the year. She reminded us that Psalm 1 suggests that we are all to be like trees planted by a stream - trees which bear fruit "in...season." Her insight? That even trees don't flower and bear fruit all the time - only in season. But men and women alike seem to think that we should be bearing fruit all the time; we punish ourselves when we're not. She was teaching us the beauty of personal dormancy: We must allow for it and accept it joyfully...A time of inner strength-gathering for a better bloom later."

I would add to this insight that God also doesn't expect us to bear the fruit of two or three trees at a time either. Those of you raising small children, working full-time (or overtime!), battling disease - whatever drives your days - don't expect to bear a lot of fruit in every area of your life or maybe even in any area. Do what you can; God will bring a more fruitful season to your life later if you'll just handle the full plate in front of you now.

God bless you all (and don't forget to post!)
~pinkie