Challenges

I know this isn't what you want to see on a cold January day!

I thought about making this word my C word for the A2Z blog hop article this week, but I went with this word instead. Challenge is a better topic for this ROW80 Update anyway. If you're anything like me, you feel challenges at every side. I would say that right now I'm in a busy season, but the truth is, I'm ALWAYS in a busy season. I like it that way. It keeps me moving and I find I'm much more effective and efficient when
I'm hustling around under impossible deadlines than when I'm at my leisure.

My greatest challenge is to maintain my priorities. My faith. My family. My friends.

I've been inspired by a blog from a college student. likeachildforJesus. He awakened in me the deep desire I have to know more about my Savior and so I'm making Bible study one of my absolutes. Not because I have to, but because I know from experience that when I read God's Word, I want to more and more. Like using a cold pool on a hot day. If I just dip my toe, I'll cringe and hesitate. But if I jump in head-first, I'm going to be delighted and refreshed!

As for my family, because we homeschool, it's easy to assume that we spend all kinds of time together. And we do. Some of our best times are just singing in the car. Other times we might as well be alone. The other night, my Dinky Twinkies were in separate rooms one playing a computer game and the other on the Wii. My Precious Redhead lay on the floor by my bed reading a book. Sweet Hubby sat in a chair beside her, surfing the web. And I sat on the bed writing up Medieval prom articles. That's NOT the type of being together that I prefer. While it's nice to feel so comfortable with each other that we want to be in close proximity even if we're not actually interacting, the memory-maker in me knows that the engaging is what will remain in our minds. Family relationships take effort.

Friendships also take effort. After 23 years in the same church home, the Lord has led us away to a new fellowship. We love our new church home, but we miss those we no longer see on a regular basis. I find myself making every effort to send them Facebook howdies (Yes, Howdy is a word in these parts, though I usually say, "Hiya.") and call them for no reason, just to talk. Sweet Hubby and I make dinner arrangements from time to time as well.

So as I'm working on all of these writing and life goals - oh, and there are less because some have been finished and crossed right off my list, yea - I'm also cognizant of the more important priorities that I have. My writing career is important to me and I tend to spend more time and energy on it than anything, but the three above are more what my life is about.

As for my goal update:

• My revision goal on Cat's Eyes was to be done by the end of January. I think I'm going to need another week to finish them up, but it will be close. I've already begun a new romantic suspense. Only five pages so far, but the wheels are turning. 
• Read craft series by  Susan May Warren - From the Inside Out. I'd been working through that quickly, but have had to put it aside last week and probably this week, too. Hope to get back to that book as I go through my final revisions and start working up the synopsis on Cat's Eyes.
• Read and review 8 books. I haven't been able to pick up a book this week, so I'm still at 2. I've put down Relentless. Not because I don't like it, but because I'm a read-until-done type of gal and the book is the first in a three-part series. Something I could enjoy on a cruise or even during the summer, but not right now.
• Vlog 1 per month - done HERE! I do need to start contemplating my next Vlog, though. Yikes!

• Add weekly article to Medieval project - HERE. Boy, did I blow this goal right out of the water. I wrote up 20 articles, 2 web pages and 4 constant contact emails for this Medieval prom. Maybe I need to contemplate a Middle Ages Suspense? That could be fun . . . 
• Social media - I enjoyed visiting blogs last week and will be working to keep this goal up.
• Spend 1 1/2 hours in exercise - only got in a half hour last week. My volleyball time was cancelled, but I'll be playing tomorrow! Seems like this goal suffers more than any of the others, but then I hate to sweat. Go figure.

Now I have a challenge for you: What are your priorities? Big-picture thinking, what do you want your life to be about?