Category: a new direction

The Waiting

We’ve all heard the expression “Good things come to those who wait”. On the flip side, there’s the Tom Petty song about waiting. As he says, it is the hardest part. Which one is right? In my opinion, both adages are true.

As I look back on my life, there are two very strong examples of “Good things come to those who wait.”  

The first is my husband. We dated in high school, and a little bit in college. In fact, I wrote in my journal when I was 17 that I had met the man I was going to marry. But, as most kids do, we ended up going our separate ways. I moved back to New Mexico, and Vince stayed in Texas, got married, and had a family. Twenty-one years after high school, we got back together again. We’ve now been married 20 years. And he definitely was worth waiting for.

Top: In high school, on the day we met. Bottom: On a recent snowy day.

The other waiting had to do with my college education. I never finished my degree when I started it all those years ago. But at that time, they didn’t have the exact degree program I wanted. I’ve always been interested in writing. Back then, that usually meant getting an English degree which meant teaching. I wasn’t meant to be a teacher.

The alternative was Journalism, which didn’t touch enough on the creative side of writing as far as I was concerned. I finally opted for studying radio, television, and film at the University of Texas. I really enjoyed that, as a long-time TV and movie watcher. But as mentioned earlier, I left Texas and returned to New Mexico and never finished my degree. I did, however, end up having a 15- year career in radio and television. Broadcasting was great and it was a wonderful time in my life. But as I thought about returning to school, it seemed pointless to go back and get a broadcasting degree when I’d already had a career in broadcasting. It wasn’t worth the money or the time, since I had real-life experience with that.

But late last year, my wait was over. In September, I received a notice that Colorado Christian University was offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing. This was the first time I’d heard of this exact degree. I was aware of MFA programs, but not a Bachelor’s in this discipline.

I had a chat with my husband who is super supportive, in so many ways. We discussed finances, time, and as many other details as we could hash out. I finally thought, “Well, I’ll apply and see what happens.”

I was accepted… quickly. Before I knew it, I applied for transfer scholarships, and returning student scholarships, and let me tell you, the doors back to school flung wide open!

So, over 40 years after I started my first degree, I am once again a full-time student and will finish next year through the online modules at Colorado Christian University.

My husband now walks around telling everyone that I had to wait for the right degree program to come along before I went back to school. Okay, 40-plus years is quite a wait. But there you go.

There is good in the waiting. even when you don’t realize you’re waiting. If, however, you can reflect, you can see where waiting was good. I waited for my husband for 21 years. With the support he gives me now, I probably wouldn’t be pursuing my degree after waiting for the right program to come along.

Waiting is good. Waiting is hard. Good things can come to those who wait.

Do you love books?

I’m doing a new thing with my friend, Rebecca Reed. We’ve started a YouTube channel, as well as a podcast. We’ll be reviewing a book one month, and the next month, we’ll interview the author about the book. If you’re a book lover, then we hope you’ll join us.

Our website is www.RebeccaAndRebecca.com. Click on the Reviews tab and you’ll see the link to our You Tube video for this month’s review of “Out of the Water” by Ann Marie Stewart.

Rebecca and I are so excited to start this new venture, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride!

Take care.

For the Wanderers and Wonderers

What did you want to be when you grew up?

You may wonder why I’m asking that question. I’m not sure, to be honest. Maybe because when I was little, I wrote little stories, then cut up the paper and stapled everything together so it looked like a book. I’ve always written.

I’ve also liked to perform. I was a dancer, and loved drama, and did little skits with my friends growing up.  I loved playing make believe.

Then, when I did grow up, I went into broadcasting and had a 15-year-career (behind the scenes, for the most part) in radio and television.

In a way, I’ve always known, at least generally, what I wanted to do.

Granted, I’ve done other things besides writing and broadcasting. I’ve worked for a Chamber of Commerce and an Economic Development Foundation and worked a few years in the hospitality industry at hotels. But as I’ve aged, I’ve turned back to my childhood love of writing and creating.

My husband will tell you that he wanted to be a rock and roll guitarist when he was a kid. And today, he is definitely NOT a famous guitarist, although he still has his love of music. God is using other talents of my husband’s in his current job.

As much as I love writing, I’m still not sure what place it holds in my future. I don’t know what I’ll write, if I’ll ever finish a novel, if I’ll write screenplays, or just be a happy blogger.

In the long run, perhaps I don’t need to know. I just need to follow the path that God has in front of me. Praying that no matter where he leads me, I’ll honor him.

I think there are a lot of people today who might be lost or wondering what to do with their lives. They may have lost their job in the pandemic. Or quit their job due to other circumstances. Others may feel like although they have a good job now, is this really what they’re meant to do in life.

Do you wonder what your purpose is in life? If you’re walking the road God created for you?

I wish I had a good answer for those who are wandering and wondering. I don’t. But I go back to the question of what I wanted to be when I grew up. If that doesn’t point you in a direction, then maybe volunteering somewhere will, or taking a continuing education class at a community college, or just getting involved with your church. I do know this: Prayer is the first step. The second step may be up to you. After that, look out! You never know where God is going to take you.

Break the Cycle of Negativity

I love attending writer’s conferences. It’s wonderful to be around others who also hear voices in their heads, ha!

You leave the conference inspired, ready-to-go, happy to have met other writers. You’re all fired up to write, then you come home and BAM – reality hits! The cursor relentlessly blinks on that blank page. Your family needs your attention, the laundry needs to be done, and oh, you’ve received a rough critique of your work and there’s no way you’re ever going to be published. You might as well give up!

See how easy it is to get into a negative cycle?

On my last blog, I talked about breaking the cycle of negativity and self-doubt, and about putting God first in all I do, so I could walk with confidence and honor Him with my life and with my calling.

What do you do next, when negativity strikes? Conventional wisdom says, you get up the next day, dust yourself off, and start again. Really? I’m tired of starting again and again, and getting nowhere. I’m not strong enough for this. No way! Maybe I should just make popcorn and binge watch something on Netflix.

Oops! There I go again….getting caught up in the cycle of negativity and self-doubt. See how it creeps in so easily?

It’s time to break the cycle. Yes, it’s hard. It’s very hard. I’m struggling with it now. But this is where you have to pay attention and be aware of when the negativity cycle pays a visit.

As mentioned in my previous post, be prayerful. Spend time with God. Talk to a friend. Let your frustrations out, then remember to return the favor when your friend needs you!

We need to encourage one another. Build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Yeah, this all sounds so cliche. And here comes the frustration once again.

But guess what? Most cliches are true.

We have to get up each morning and try again. We have to celebrate the small victories. We need to lean on friends once in a while (something I’m terrible at doing).

Sometimes, we need to take a break. Only if we make sure it’s a refreshing break, not an “I quit” break.

Finally, always, always, put God first. You can yell at him, you can cry and shake your fist. Then be thankful. Come to him with praise and gratitude, and pick yourself up, walk with confidence and try again.

Pretty soon, as the days pile up behind you, and you’ve found the courage to pick yourself up again and again, you’ll see progress. There will be more good days than not.

I’m hoping and praying through Christ’s strength that this is true, and that cycles of self-doubt will lessen the more I take action and move forward. This is nothing new, but apparently, I need the reminder.

You really do have to put one foot in front of the other. You’ll need to be intentional, purposeful and disciplined. But you won’t be alone as you take these steps, even small ones.

Believe me, I’m taking baby steps as well. I have a goal of where I want to be in a year. And I certainly don’t want to be where I was a few weeks ago — okay, even yesterday.

Psalm 40:2 (NLT) is good to remember: “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”

So, walk on my friends. We can do it, one step at a time.

Stay strong. Keep going. You’re not alone.

Please share your tips on how you keep going when you face obstacles or when you’re discouraged.

Let’s encourage one another.