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About This Author
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Each Day Already is a Challenge
A Texas Sunrise
 
A friend, William Taylor, took this picture. He visits Surfside Beach with his dogs almost every morning, watching the sun rise while the dogs prance about at the water's edge.
This is only about ten miles from where I lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Sadly, I only visited this beach about four times in the six years I lived nearby.
Each day is a challenge. A challenge to get by without thinking about the fibromyalgia pains. A challenge to stay awake when chronic fatigure wants to take over. And a challenge to navigate through fibro fog.
I haven't been writing as much as in the past. For years, I wrote at least 500 words a day. Now, I'm lucky if I write 500 words in month. Sigh.
For more information about what my day (or life) is all about with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pains, IBS, depression and everything else thrown in, check this out:
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Here are a few links about writing:
Travel Writers Needed
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/wri/290303007.html
WiseGEEK Writing Contest
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-wisegeek-writing-contest.htm
Tamarack Award Submissions - only for residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Join-In/Tamarack-Award-S...
$10,000 for an original, unpublished work of short fiction. Maximum length: 4,000 words. The winning story will be published in Minnesota Monthly in November 2007.
Writers with disabilities can submit poems on any topic. Non-disabled writers must submit work that relates in some way to disability.
http://www.wordgathering.com/guidelines.html
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Remember how I've shared that some of my best notes on Sunday morning are not part of the fill-in-the-blanks on the sermon note page provided by our pastor? Yesterday was no different.
 Name your flap.
The pastor was in front of the church flapping his arms about as if they were wings. Quite a sight. 
Resign as CEO of the universe and let God be God. "God is God, and you're not."
If you're discouraged, it's not God.
Never let an impossible situation intimidate you. Motivate, yes. Intimidate, no.
It is never God's will for you to just run away from a problem or adversity.
Lean on the character of God and the Word of God. There are over 700 promises in the Bible. Believe them!
Good Friday was not good. It was a horrible day for Jesus. We all have our Fridays. But for every Friday, Sunday is coming. Don't give up before the blessings.
When you thank God after a blessing, it is gratitude. When you thank Him before being blessed, that's faith.
The Pastor's message was titled, "Changing the Odds." He showed us some statistics, like how few people ever win the lottery. But he told us that we would all have our Fridays, our bad times.
Then he reminded us:
That we must make prayer a priority. He used the story of Jehosaphat, saying it was one of his favorites of what God can do. See 2 Chronicles:20. In chapter 19 there is revival and good times. In chapter 20, there are problems. In verses 1-3, Jehosaphat admits to being afraid in his prayer time.
We must admit that we are inadequate. Verse 6 says that God is powerful and mighty. Verse 2 says that, "we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us."
We must take confidence in His control. Verse 15 reminds us that the battle is not ours but God's.
We must take a position and prevail. 2 Chronicles 20:17b(NIV) "Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not get discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."
See also: Psalm 91:1-8 and Isaiah 43:2-3.
2 Chronicles 20:20 (GW) "Trust the Lord your God, and believe. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed."
We must praise in the midst of the problem. This is why our pastor loves this particular story. In verses 21-26, it talks about how the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army singing and praising God and while they were doing that, the three enemy armies got confused and fought amongst each other.
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Before hubby and I went to Texas, my son asked that I make sure to bring all of his stuff back. We did that, except for things that were broken or that were so grossly moldy that it made no sense to try to save them. Now he has a pile of boxes and clothing outside his bedroom door. Over the weekend, he asked me, "Where am I going to put this stuff?" That's an excellent question. I'm sure he'll discover some things that he can sell and donate. But there are also some treasures he'll want to keep, hopefully. Tucked in the boxes are trophies and plaques he received for his home schooling efforts, for reading more books than anyone in the (umbrella) school, and for Christian service.
He was such a cute kid back then. He used to print out cheerful messages and poems and attach the to small teddy bears and have me drive him to nursing homes to deliver them.
I also discovered some letters he had written - at about 9 or 10 years of age - to three local newspapers asking if he could write kids' columns for them. He attached a resume, showing that he had experience - writing a kid's newsletter for our church. I was tickled when I read those letters again. I was also upset that none of the newspapers even responded to his letters. How rude that was!!!
Some of the boxes I have yet to unpack contain books and audio and video tapes. I don't know where those will go, since I have filled all the bookshelves. I think it's time that hubby and I both find a few books that we can sell at Amazon.com. Just before I moved back in 2003, I discovered how easy it was to do that. If I had known that about a year earlier, I probably would have sold even more. As it was, I dontated and gave away a gazillion books before I moved. And I've moved a bunch more then and now. I think at one time, my personal library held over 2000 books.
Well, I have procrastinated long enough. It's time to start opening those remaining boxes. And finishing laundry. And cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. Fun stuff.
Later gators.
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