Getting Creative with You Devotional Time

Well, now that I've pretty much recovered from Tuesday's frustrations, I feel like I can actually sit down and maybe write a semi-decent blog post. Maybe. We'll see how it goes... ;)


Lately I've been thinking about how I can change my devotional time to get more out of it. What I've got going on right now isn't bad or anything. Sit down, read the day's entry for either "Jesus Calling" or "Whispers of Hope," read the Scripture that accompanies the devotion, write a few thoughts, and pray. It's a pretty standard system that I don't think you can go wrong with, really, but I can't help but wonder if there might be something MORE I could be doing to bring my devotional time to life.

Enter, Shar and her incredible Instagram...

Y'all, I am slightly obsessed with this woman's Instagram posts. Almost every day, she posts pictures of her daily devotions and all I can say about it is that I am SO inspired by her posts. I love how she gets creative with her Bible studies and I'm really starting to think I'd like to give it a shot, myself. After all, I've definitely found that adding color and variety to anything I do helps me to stay engaged and interested more easily than if I just kept things black and white and super-streamlined.


That's why I went out and bought some supplies yesterday (I even took Shar's advice and dropped by the Dollar Tree). I bought a small journal (like... REALLY small so if it doesn't pan out, I haven't screwed up a real journal), some colorful markers, and some stickers. *Confession: I'm twenty-one and I really like stickers. Just sayin... So, I'll probably start trying some form of this either tonight or tomorrow and I'll definitely blog about how it goes.. I'm pretty excited about it. :)

If you followed the links and checked out Shar's page (where she explains her process) and Instagram (where you can see examples), I'd love to hear your thoughts on them. You already know I love it. 

When Motivation is Lacking

WARNING:

INITIATING RANT OF A SLIGHTLY OVERWHELMED COLLEGE STUDENT IN

5... 4... 3... 2...

Y'all, I'm going to be honest here. A I sat down to write this blog post (because I feel bad when I miss posts because I'm trying to be more consistent with things), I had no idea what to write about. I have a list of blog post ideas on my phone, but well... I just didn't feel like fooling with any of them. In fact, I haven't felt much like fooling with anything lately. My motivation these past few weeks has been at a ZERO -which is bad because I've got so many changes going on right now which require adaptation rather than just hiding away and trying not to freak out about life. For example:

1. I got engaged over Christmas and while I'm still over here trying to get used to being "engaged," everyone else and their mother is badgering me about marriage. "When are you gonna get married?" "What are you going to do about this?" "What are you gonna do about that?" "You better consider this..." "Let me just tell you..." Sometimes just want to say, "Okay... Can we all just calm down here?"
2. I just started back to school (with a new major, mind you) after taking part of a semester off for health reasons. I cannot even begin to fathom how people can just "take a semester off" just for the heck of it because let ME just tell YOU *thank you, aforementioned givers of unsolicited advice* it's not easy getting back into the swing of things when you've gotten out of it. If it weren't for my planner, I'd be a even more of a wreck with all the dates and stuff I have to keep up with these days.
3. I just started my first official job working as a receptionist at a tax office. No. It's not the most taxing job (pun only slightly intended in my current bad humor), but it's a change and it's going to take some adjusting to.

So... All that, among other things that are currently serving to make life a little bit hectic, has been wearing on me (except the job, of course, because I just started and it hasn't really had time to) and I'm honestly struggling to stay motivated to do the things I love -like writing, blogging, and even reading. *And yes, that includes my Bible, too. Since I'm being honest, here...


Of course, I'm aware that I'll adjust to everything in time and as long as I keep my priorities in order (aka MAKE time for my quiet time and wring every drop I can out of it when I do), things will eventually level out. Furthermore, struggling isn't always a bad thing because it grows character. At least that's what I keep telling myself... Anyway, I guess it's all just part of that transition into adulthood -and most people seem to survive it with fairly minimal collateral damage. I'm sure I will, too.

In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions on how to fine or even manufacture, for goodness' sake, a little motivation, I'm open to advice of that nature.

*However... if anyone else tells me why I should or shouldn't get married in X amount of years (everyone has an opinion about that, too), I will probably have a mental meltdown and the above statement about minimal damage just might become invalid.

Forgotten Flash Drives and Such: Blessings in Disguise

Well, I officially started back to school this past Thursday and let me just say I am SO glad to be back! Don't get me wrong. Taking time off last semester was a good thing for me. I really needed the rest and the time to recoup and regroup, but after a month or so of all that, it got to be a little boring. Okay. REALLY boring, actually, but whatever. All that's over and I'm no longer a lazy bum. Thank God.

Anyway, one of the classes I had Thursday was my Technology for Educators class, so I was forced to use my flash drive in a computer that wasn't my own for the first time in forever. *Translation: When I got up to leave, it wasn't sticking out of my laptop for me to notice and put back in my purse where it belongs.

Well, that night after I got done eating supper with my family and fiancé (and had gotten this idea for a cute story from a conversation we'd had at the table), I went digging in my purse for my flash drive -not to work on this new idea, mind you, but to attempt to add my cursory 200 words per day to my current (struggling) WIP. I reached into the pocket I always keep it in, but didn't feel it there. No need to be alarmed, though, I figured. I'd probably just dropped it into the main compartment by accident. So, I dumped out my purse and quickly went though the contents. No flash drive. I checked the side pocket. No flash drive. At this point, my panic was 100% justifiable. Words have been hard to come by lately and most of my most recent writing was on that flash drive. In a final grasp for hope, I checked the bag I had my books in. Nothing.

Then it dawned on me.

I'd been using my flash drive to start on that assignment for my technology class and when I was logging off and getting ready to leave, the teacher had interrupted me to give me a handout she'd forgotten to give us -and being easily distracted like I am *SQUIRREL!!!* I'd forgotten to take my flash drive out of the computer.  #writerfail

Epic, epic writer fail...

I kind of wanted to cry and punch myself in the face. Mostly the latter.

Of course, because I'd seen the LOST FLASH DRIVE sign hanging over a designated spot in the computer lab, I wasn't too worried about getting it back or anything. I was mostly upset because my current WIP was on it and I wouldn't have access to it all weekend (and possibly until Tuesday when I'm back in the Education building again). #writerfail

Or was it?

My mind flitted back to the little gem of an idea I'd had at the table earlier. I'd decided at the beginning of the year that I wasn't going to story hop anymore. I was going to work on finishing what I started and following through until then end... but I hadn't factored in the possibility of not having access to my WIP for four days. I eyed my laptop and my spare (empty) flash drive on my desk.

I could either start something new and be a writer or I could just sit around and not be a writer and do nothing.

Well, that changes everything...

To the computer I went, probably a little bit too accepting of the misfortune that was allowing me to be flaky and start a new story.

That story, though... Y'all, by Saturday night, I'd hit the 4,500 word mark, which is almost unheard of for me. Especially lately, when 200 words a day (not even my standard "Nifty 250") has been a major, MAJOR struggle. It felt SO good.  Now, I haven't done a stitch of plotting or character profiling and I'm pretty sure this story is just going to be a novelette or novella (found out today that there is, in fact, a difference), but I'm still so excited about it. It's nice to be able to sit down and write and love the fact that I'm writing rather than dread it and spend the whole time stalking that word count number just to make sure I don't have to go three words over 200. I actually feel like a writer, today -and that is exactly what I want to be... #win


When People Act Like Dogs...

A couple of days ago, a dear family friend got a call at work telling her that the family dog, Oreo, had been hit by a car. Being a Shih Tzu, it's kind of crazy that he even survived such an accident, but he did -with a broken leg, shattered hip, and nerve damage. The surgery required to fix his hip/leg would cost around $5,000, the vet informed them, and Oreo would require long-term special care afterward (as in constant supervision). Even then, it would be hard to say how the nerve damage would affect him. It's a sad situation, altogether.

You may be wondering what a small dog like that was doing outside around cars... Aren't little dogs like that supposed to be inside dogs -to be walked on a leash when outside? Well, yes. Sort of. And Oreo WAS an inside dog, but for the leash... that wasn't usually neccessary when he went outside because his owners had a tall privacy fence built around their yard. A fence built for their dogs' protection.

So... What happened to Oreo, then? Well, it's simple. He dug out. 

You're probably wondering why I'm telling yout this sad story about the plight of a little black and white dog. I mean, who doesn't need something to make their day suck a just a little? Well, here's what I would like you to consider:

How often do we act like Oreo?

Think about it. Oreo had a pretty good setup: a loving family, a nice house, and a big, fenced-in, SAFE back yard. He was kind of living the doggie dream... until he decided he wanted something else: Freedom.

Now, I'm a big fan of freedom. It's a great thing to be able to do what you want and not be bound by things that hold you back, under certain circumstances, but what if the thing that's "holding you back" is doing more than just that? What if it's the thing that's actually keeping you safe?

I think the best way to discuss this is probably in terms of the rules and guidelines found in the Bible. So many people try to avoid Christianity and the church because they claim there are all these things they won't be able to do if they become a Christian. "I won't be able to have fun anymore." "I'll have to stop having sex with my boyfriend." "I'll have to give up my addiction." The excuses are endless. People find the "rules" and guidelines set forth in the Bible to be too binding... Too boring. They want the pleasure and fun that comes with the world and what it has to offer them rather than what Christ has to offer. 

What's sad is that in their desire to maintain "freedom" and experience pleasure, they miss out on REAL freedom and abiding joy. 

So, the alcohlic's buzz turns into a headache and a deeper emptiness that ends up having to be filled with more poison.

The girl who sleeps around ends up with an STD or a "pregnancy scare". *I find this last one to be particularly sad because while pregnancy may indeed be intimidating a times, it really shouldn't be a scary thing... not as a whole,at least.

When we examine the rules and guidelines in the Bible, we have to consider that they were put into place by the God who created us and understands what's best for us. We weren't created to have to rely on substances to make us feel happy or relaxed. We weren't created to give our bodies up indiscriminately for a bit of fleeting pleasure. These are just a couple of examples, of course. There are countless ways (even small ones) in which we sometimes seek to go against God's best for us.

When we go against God's design (when we dig out of our fence), we usually end up getting hurt. Of course, when it comes to people, there is usually hope as far as healing and restoration occurs, but it is often a long and painful process with residual damage in the end. Unfortunately, not everyone even gets that hope.

When we do live according to God's perfect design, we are able to tap into a freedom like no other -and we don't even have to go searching for it.

We are FREE to be not only happy, but joyful (which goes far deeper than happiness).

We are FREE to love and be loved by others because we have the love of God in us and around us.

We are FREE to live our lives boldly and effectively because of the power of Christ in us.

If these things don't constitute real freedom, I don't know what does. 

We all feel tempted to dig out from time to time, but before we do, it would serve us well to consider the cost of doing so...



Instagram-spiration

I am about to make a public confession of sorts, but don't be freaked out. I could do MUCH worse things. Seriously... but I should probably go ahead and say what it is I do before you DO get freaked out. Okay. My confession is...

My name is Ashley and I am an Insta-stalker.

That's right. In the past month or so, I have fallen in love with Instagram. I actually prefer it over Facebook right now and if I didn't have so many Instagram-less friends in my life, I'd probably ditch the book of faces altogether and just look at pictures all day. Anyway... I've reached that point in my Instagram-love that I've started searching for EVERYONE on there. People I know... well... some of them. Bloggers I like. Authors I love. It's kind of a problem, but whatever. There's no malice intended, so I think my behavior is still acceptable.

Really, the thing I like most about Instagram is the fact that, because it's based on single-photo sharing, it's easy to find inspiration EVERYWHERE you look. Seriously. Some of my friends are great photographers and then there are the writers/bloggers I've found who post writing-related things. It's basically a treasure trove of cool things to kick a writer's brain into action. 

Furthermore, when I get discouraged with my writing, I like to so search Instagram for hashtags such as #writerlife and #writerly to give me a kick in the seat. OR (since I'm an Insta-stalker, now) I'll just go find one of the writers I follow and look at their posts. *Yes. I'm that person who will scroll all the way back to your first post ever unless you have 2,392 posts and I just don't feel like it. #sorrynotsorry

I am sorry about that hashtag, though. 

So, for all those who say social media is nothing but a distraction, I have to politely disagree in the case of Instagram. In fact, I'd have to say that that particular social media platform has benefited my writing.

Am I the only writer who loves Instagram? Where do you look for inspiration?

A VERY Informal Book Review and Discussion

Well, as of yesterday, I finished reading my first book of 2015. As I said in my 2015 Goals post, I hope to read 25 books this year (2 books per month and the Bible over the course of the year). Not bad, huh? A book in four days. Actually, I read it in less that twenty-four hours... BUT it was only about 165 pages, so it's not really all that impressive. Anyway, this book was a little bit different, but it was interesting.

The title of the book is HOW TO BLOG A BOOK by Nina Amir.

Kind of a weird idea, isn't it? Blogging a book? Why on earth would anyone want to do that? Well, that was my initial question when I stumbled upon this title in Barnes & Noble Saturday afternoon. However, after flipping through it for a minute or two, I decided to buy it just because it was a sort of intriguing idea, weird or not. After all, with the publishing industry the way it is nowadays (overcrowded and unbelievably hard to break into) writers who truly want to get their work out there pretty much have to be open to alternative publishing options. So, I figured I'd give it a chance and see what Mrs. Amir had to offer. 

And I was rather impressed. 

Though I'd never really given that much thought to blogging a book, Nina Amir makes a pretty good case for it. I mean think about it. What's the one thing writers really want (besides caffeine IVs)? Readers, of course... and what's the first step to acquiring readers? By putting your work out there FOR people to read. What's a fast way to do that (and get much-needed feedback)? You guessed it. Blogging. Also, if you're the kind of person who struggles to finished projects (ahem... ME), writing a book a post at a time is a good way to keep yourself accountable because if you fail, it's out there for everyone to see. 

What's even more interesting is that sometimes, if your content is good enough and people like what you've got going on, publishers will find your blog and offer book deals. Pretty cool, right? I thought so.

Anyway, these are just a couple of reasons Mrs. Amir offered in favor of blogging books rather than going the traditional publishing route. There are ten reasons altogether -and all are pretty darn enticing. 

After explaining WHY writers should consider blogging their book, Mrs. Amir explains HOW to go about this, along with how to increase blog traffic and make the most out of your blogging experience. To be honest, by the end of this book (even though it's geared toward nonfiction writing), I was thinking about whether or not I should give it a try with my YA book. *Still haven't made a final call on it yet, but I'm seriously thinking about it. 

All in all, HOW TO BLOG A BOOK was an interesting read and even if you aren't interested in blogging a book, I believe much of what Mrs. Amir writes could be beneficial to bloggers in general.

For more information, you can visit Nina Amir's blog (which eventually became a book): http://howtoblogabook.com

Writers, have you ever thought about blogging a book?

Readers, would you be interested in reading a book published via blogging?

Why or why not?

2015 Goals

Alright, y'all... It's New Year's Resolution time. This year, I'm hoping to set a few attainable goals rather than make a big 'ol list of things I'll never actually be able to do -and this year I'm going to do it a little differently than ususal. If (and when, hopefully) I accomplish a goal, rather than just hang it up and say, "I'm done." I'm going to update it to shoot even higher... Since I'm sharing my goals on here, I'll also share my progress with them throughout the year. So, without further ado, here we go...

My Motto: 

Finish what you start. Never stop. 

#neverstop

2015 Goals

(1) Read 25 books.

I also plan to start posting book reviews, soon, so be on the lookout for those. :)

(2) Write 50 blog posts. 

That's basically one a week. I can handle that, right?

(3) Write every day.

This includes journaling, blogging, and writing.

(4) Write a novel.

We'll see... 

(5) Read through the Bible.

I've already read through the whole Bible once before, but this year I'm going to do it chronologically. 

*And, yes, that counts as one of my 25 books. 

So, there you have it. My goals for the year. 

What about you? What are your New Year's resolutions?