Coming Out of My Funk

I’m sorry I didn’t post earlier this week. There wasn’t much to say and I had been in rather a funk.

I had a meeting in the next town over on Thursday morning and the boss told me to take the rest of the day off. It was a sunny day, with temperatures in the 50s, which felt warm after the last few weeks. So I took a walk through the city park of that town and along its main drag. When I got back to my own town, I took another walk, through the neighborhood where my best friend in high school had lived. Her dad passed away last year, and they recently sold the house, Mom moving to be closer to her daughter. Walking that street was like walking back in time.

I don’t know if it was the fresh air or the sunshine or dredging up memories, but my funk seemed to lift. A feeling of success came over me, a feeling that whatever comes my way, I will conquer it.

Not that I conquered all of my short list of goals since then. But there has been progress.

Big goal

1)      Publish “The Early Life of Jesus in 40 Days” – I am half-way through the list of ten items my publisher sent me. One of the items was my thoughts for the cover picture. On Friday, my publisher sent nine concepts which his graphic designer came up with. I picked two and made suggestions to make them better, because nothing is ever perfect the first time around. I am also waiting to hear who my editor for this project is going to be and when I will get the first round of edits from them. That’s always the biggest task and one of the most important, I feel, because we do want this book perfect. Right?

Small goals

1) Submit three pieces somewhere. I haven’t submitted anything more, but I did hear that the piece I submitted to Christian Flash Fiction Weekly was not chosen as the winner, but it was still on their blog, so that is still exposure.

2) Finish the novel. Still haven't gotten back to it. 

3) Start my third devotional, with a tentative title of "The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days". I did pick all of my Bible verses and slotted them into 38 days. I know, that’s not 40, but it usually shakes out as I start writing stuff. I never know when a Bible passage is going to scream to have the attention of two entries.

4) Christmas program at church. Just waiting to hear who wants to participate, and if I haven’t heard from every single kid in our congregation in the next three weeks, I will start calling them. 

I don't know how I could ever be in a bad mood when I get to cross this bridge every day. I'm blessed to live in an idyllic place.