Always Learning

I try to take an always learning approach to blogging and writing. I want to learn how to write better stories. I want to learn how to reach out to people more. I want to captivate my audience. My audience. Who is my audience? I’m still struggling with defining who, exactly, I want to write to.

Here are the things I currently do to keep learning:

I subscribe to the Merriam Webster online dictionary word of the day!

My word on 4/2 was:

meshuggener:

noun

a foolish or crazy person

I don’t think I had ever heard that word before.

How about this one:

farouche

adjective

1. unruly or disorderly : wild

2. marked by shyness and lack of social grace

Wouldn’t it be easier to just say children? No, no, no! Farouche (pronounced fuh-roosh) is far more fun to say!

I enjoy learning new words, and refreshing my memory on old words.

I also read. Mostly I’ve been reading other blogs. I like to read books too. Usually I pick fiction for my book time, but lately I’ve even found my nose in a few books about writing. Books about writing clearer, getting published, and what to expect along the journey toward being a real writer.

Why do I keep getting stuck on that? A real writer. As a friend and I recently confirmed for each other, we are real writers. We spend hours perfecting this hobby of ours. We won’t use the term author until we are published, but published or not, we pour our hearts into this craft. For now, this is a time consuming hobby. For the future? I have no idea.

What is your hobby? What do you do to improve your skill?

Me, a Morning Person?

Could it be? I certainly never thought so, yet I’m writing this post at 3:30 in the morning, I’ve been awake for two hours, I’m not regretting it…yet. My house is quiet, my fingers are tapping away at the keyboard, and I’m getting the “me” time that every Mom I know craves.

My trick? Well, for starters, I went to bed at 9pm last night. I’ve been trying to get up at 5am – which is very early for me. In my efforts, I’ve been pushing my midnight bedtime back a little every night. 9pm is the magic hour. I fell asleep within ten minutes, slept like a rock until 1:30am, then I sprang up out of bed, ready to go! I switched some laundry, brewed some coffee, got a cup of water, and here I sit.

I did, unfortunately, wake up the snoozer – which was not my attention. My advice, from personal experience: Skip the laundry at this hour. Just get your coffee, use the bathroom, wash your face, and retreat to your personal space. I spent half an hour of my “me” time apologizing for my blunder. Not that I had to. I just felt really, really badly.

So badly, in fact, that while I desperately want to put the clothes that just finished washing into the dryer, I won’t. Not until daylight gleams through the windows and the people in this house expect to wake up.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? What does your “me” time look like?

Making Life Easier….One Post at a Time

I have discovered my newest blogging tool:

http://explore.live.com/windows-live-writer?os=other

Windows Live Writer.

No, I am not getting paid to say this. I mean it. Honestly. In fact, it was even my idea to write this post.

I downloaded the program a week ago, per another blogger’s suggestion: http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-do-you-do-it-all.html

After download, it sat. Just sat. That’s it. I didn’t open it. I did not look around. Well, today I’m using it for the first time, and I am thankful to have stumbled upon it!

I don’t hardly know anything about it yet. What I do know: When inspiration strikes, I can use it to write as many posts as I’d like, and I can schedule when they post. Date and time. How cool is that? So, if I whip up 7 posts for the week, they can post one day at a time, at the same time every day. This lends to some consistency that I’m not the best at.

I love to write, and I often have a folder full of blog posts, but they don’t get posted with any form of regularity because I’m the brainless wonder of the century. So, this is my tool for regulating when my posts publish. How cool is that?

What do you use to make blogging a more streamlined process?

Temptation: The Hidden Opportunity

I have to be honest and say this post was inspired by our small group study. It is relevant, and I’ve been stuck thinking about it.

Too often, I think we look at temptation as the sin itself. I wonder why we do this. Maybe it happens because we feel weak and powerless to stop it? We can’t control when it happens to us? It is catered to us so perfectly, we don’t feel strong enough to resist?

Yet, temptation is not the same thing as sin.

By Definition:

Temptation:

–noun

1. the act of tempting; enticement or allurement.

2. something that tempts, entices, or allures.

3. the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.

Tempt:

–verb (used with object)

1. to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

2. to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite: The offer tempts me.

3. to render strongly disposed to do something: The book tempted me to read more on the subject.

4. to put (someone) to the test in a venturesome way; provoke: to tempt one's fate.

5. Obsolete. to try or test.

Sin:

 

–noun

1. transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.

2. any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.

 

So, by my understanding, temptation is the desire to do something, the appeal to do something, and we should avoid it when the desire does not line up with the Word of God.

Sin is the action of wrong-doing.

Therefore, temptation is an opportunity that should have two arrows on either side of it. Showing the opposite directions of the given opportunity.

Take the opportunity! But do so with caution, the opportunity you want to be taking is to deny Satan, walk away from temptation, and therefore to begin to look more like Christ.

This is, by no means, a challenge to readily expose ourselves to temptation. We can’t hide from it, though. So, why not be ready? Why not etch the truth on our hearts, follow Jesus’ perfect example, and face the opportunity without fear? Temptation is not a curse. It is an opportunity to grow. It is an opportunity to choose to obey our Heavenly Father, the God who loves us, created us, and watches over us.

What is your approach to temptation? Do you recognize temptation when it appears, or does the recognition come after it has passed?

facebook Friends: part 2

Part 1: http://perceptionsby1.blogspot.com/2011/04/facebook-friends.html

So, after two comments on my FB page about this post, I am adding more thoughts.

Oddly enough, the two comments came from two ladies that were my childhood heroes, and I had lost contact with them over the years.

I didn't have either of their phone numbers, or addresses. (Not saying I couldn't have gotten them...)

With the addition of them to my FB friends list, we have shared many comments back and forth. So, in light of this, I am forced (pleasantly) to reevaluate some of my post. There are people in my life, that I get to share tidbits of life with, thanks to FB. I even have a friend that I met on FB, have never met in person, and love dearly.

FB is not all bad.

Another friend called me last night, reading my post inspired her to call, and we had a great visit. I even called her back later. I talked to my sister twice on the phone yesterday. It felt so good to hear these voices, to share a verbal conversation. I truly enjoyed touching base in such a way.

My FB page is....for the time being....here to stay! I do get to visit with and comment on many people's lives and daily activities, that I would have no connection with whatsoever if it weren't for FB. I also let too much time pass by between phone calls sometimes. So, while I think balance can be a huge distraction, maybe this is an area that I will try to find a little balance in.

I love hearing your opinion, thank you for commenting on what I write!

facebook Friends

I've been thinking lately, and I'm noticing this sad trend on my beloved FB wall. See, I know that some of my friends are facing hardships...and some of the people I don't really know all that well, but I kind of recognize are too. I also notice that people that I perceive to be the "best friend" of these various friends are commenting with questions and question marks that cause me to assume they don't know what's going on either.




Why don't we just pick up the phone anymore? Why don't we call?



I know with two kids running around the house, meals to be made, school to be completed, text conversations make my life simpler. I also know that people around me are hurting and maybe hearing a compassionate voice would do more good than a FB heart.



Don't get me wrong, I send FB hearts. I don't pick up the phone. It's hard to call. It's hard to hear the broken heartedness of someone going through a trial. A heart is so much easier to type than listening when you have absolutely nothing to say.



Yet, I know I am missing out. I have been blessed with a few special girlfriends in my life, some of them I never speak to anymore, some I speak to more often, some I don't even know where to find or how to get in touch with. With those relationships I have shared hours of phone conversations, the sharing of hearts and heartbreaks. I have visited well into the wee hours of the morning, dreaming about life, mourning the losses, finding joy in success and wondering what God intends to use it all for. Now I'm missing out. I don't call. I text. I check FB. It's easier.



Now, don't let me steal the validity of this form of communication, either. I have some very dear girlfriends that I rarely "speak" to, but I visit with all the time. One in particular I text nearly all day long, and she has been a huge inspiration lately!



I'm just pondering the connectedness that FB leads us to believe we have, how false that is at times, and how much of an impact a phone call, or even better, a visit, has on someone. I know that I love when my phone rings. I know I love to hear a knock on my door. Yet, as I get more immersed in social networking and texting conversations, the more awkward I feel on the phone.



How do you feel about this? Does talking on the phone feel awkward to you because of internet communication and/or texting?

Coloring Books...Better Than Movies?

Who knew? It seems in my house a coloring book provides as many hours of entertainment as a movie...more actually, because I don't limit coloring time! Looks like I need to go get some new sketch pads, because they both love blank paper, and I appear to have two little artists emerging. As I watch them develop their coordination, I can't help but wonder what their talents and skills will be.




As I wonder about their talents and skills, I wonder if I am equipped to lead them to live into their talents and skills. So I asked myself this:



Have I identified my talents and skills?



Writing, baking, mothering, photography, and I have a passion for farming.



Then this:



What am I doing to build my skills and talents?



Can we let writing be self-explanatory - seeing how I'm writing this blog and all?

Baking: I usually bake something once a week, sometimes twice.

Mothering: DAILY SKILL BUILDING!! LOL

Photography: I have been using my camera mostly regularly, and enjoying it.

Farming: The first step, in my opinion, is getting debt free. We are working on a budget to do

just that.



Then this:



Am I seeking God in the development of my own skills?



Not like I should. God is really asking me to pray and read His word to help develop my talents and passions right now. I have another post about all of the things I want to do: http://perceptionsby1.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-many-dreams.html
and I believe God wants me to be seeking Him to discover which talents and skills should be a priority, and which other things are merely interests.



and finally:



Am I praying and seeking God for His strength and guidance in guiding my boys?



Again, not like I should, but I am growing. I will continue to pray for them, and as they continue to grow I will encourage them to seek Him. I want to become more intentional about my prayers for them, praying for specific guidance, and praying for specific wisdom when it comes to raising them.



How about you? What are you answers to these very same questions?