Nuggets of Gold Discovered

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Rom 8:18.

I may be taking this completely the wrong way, but this morning this verse is telling me that nothing can be so bad as what heaven won't outshine for us. In other words it is giving me strength to prepare me for what I am going to have to endure with my radiation treatment.

Rom 8:25 says that if we hope for what we can't see, then we wait with patience. I am learning to be patient. Facing the unknown is scary. I visited the ThyCa.org web site and learned a lot about my cancer and that pretty much, everyone responds differently.

So then I think about what should I pray for? Or hope for? and verse 26-27 says not to worry about it because when all we can do is cry, Jesus takes our wants and needs to Father himself and intercedes. Roman's chapter 8 ends on a positive note: There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

I hope this inpires you in some way too, with whatever battle you may be facing. Rmember there is no job too small or too that God can't handle.

TAKING A DETOUR

Sometimes the best laid plans must be put on hold. I'm a goal oriented person. I love to make lists and track my progress. Sometimes the rug gets pulled out from under you and you come to a screeching halt, like maybe a hurricane or earthquake or cancer.

Mine came in the form of cancer this week. I had found a knot on my throat but wasn't concerned "It was just a goiter" or so I thought. I have no cancer risks and none in my family. So I went and had the necessary tests which was inconclusive and a thyroid ectomy was performed this past Tuesday. the result was follicular thyroid cancer. I guess I can count myself lucky as this is not a life threatening cancer. It's just the idea of something growing in you and you have no idea it is there. There were no symptoms, no problems of any kind. My body is learning to adapt and so am I. God has been merciful and good. I am so blessed. I have a great and wonderful close knit family for which I am grateful for. An awesome church family and I am also blessed with wonderful friends, many of which I have met at writing conference and co-workers.

I want to thank everyone for the prayers offered for me. They mean more than I can say.

Keep me in your prayers as the ground steadies once more and I'm up and running again.

HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING

I think I must have adult hyperactivity or attention deficient when it comes to writing daily. So I have been researching some ways to overcome this and hopefully it will help you too.

In a supplement of The Writer magazine, David Taylor suggests putting yourself on a timer and put butt in chair for 45 minutes. This is to help train yourself to get in the habit of writing daily.

Barbara Seuling in her book, How to Write a Children's Book and Get It Published, says in Chapter 6 to try writing 15 minutes a day every day. Just to get yourself in the habit of sitting down and writing something, anything. Until it becomes a habit.

She described me to a "T" when she talked about how you go answer the phone and on your way you see something that needs to be done and go from one room to the next.

Well that's me and before I know it, it is time for me to get ready for work.

So this is my challenge to myself this week, sit for 15 minutes without getting up. Turn the phone off and forget everything else and just work on my work in progress.