Edit, edit, edit

Ok, to all of you writers out there . . .

I was writing another piece for an upcoming Chicken Soup Father/Son deadline. The nearly-finished story lay dormant in my computer for several weeks. I couldn't come up with an appropriate ending. Sigh.

"Today is the day," I decided. "I am going to finish that story!"

Those of you who are familiar with my writing style know that I love weaving in details throughout the story to come to a touching conclusion. So, I naturally did that.

What a beautiful ending paragraph! Ah, so sweet. My kids and two of my nieces read it. "It's fine," they all said. (Not quite the response I was after.) That is, except the youngest one. The story was about him - an event between he and his dad.

He was mad! "That's not exactly right," he decreed. "You can tell those other stories about me right, but . . . ."

I worked to soothe my angry son. "Honey, it's okay. I'll fix it."

He was right. The words didn't fit the tone of what really happened. That meant I had to edit it - AGAIN. Ugh.

I carried my laptop to the front porch to get away from the cousins' noisy banter. Time to get rid of those well-loved words. I couldn't delete them yet, afterall no writer likes to remove their precious words. So, I spaced the paragraph to the bottom of the page - just in case.

After several strategically placed words and a new finale, I reread it. Wow! I had to admit it was much better. I still didn't delete my original words, but I did read and edit the modified version about 15 more times. Now it was test time: my proofreaders needed to read it again.

"I like that much better." It was unanimous.

How about the child it affected the most? We read the new version together. His eyes sparkled while a big grin crept across his face.

"I take it you like this one better?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah. That's how it really happened. You can send that one."

Isn't it amazing how our words can affect a story? Words, whether written or spoken, have great impact on others. Use yours wisely and EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!

Oh, by the way, I deleted the other paragraph.

Finding God

I've never commented on my blog about public figures or current events. I guess that's because I wanted this to be a space about everyday life and happenings. However, this time, I really felt the desire to "type" my mind.

Watching the news, it seems we are inudated with updates about Paris Hilton. Just before her latest Bible-toting publicity, I felt extremely burdened for her. My heart ached to watch her heading down this path of self-destruction. "How much longer will it take before she hits rock bottom?" I wondered. Why do people sometimes have to lose it all before they'll turn to the one true source of life and liberty? Why in the process of "finding oneself" do they destroy themselves? So many try to fill their lives with busyness, popularity, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. Still they're left empty.

As Christians, we have the answer to that age-old question: What's the meaning of life? God created each of us for His pleasure and purpose. I'm pretty sure destroying ourselves was not in His plan. The great news is that no matter how much we've messed up, and we all do, He wants us back. He wants to be close to you and me. He loves us.

I truly hope and pray that Paris has really found the answer in the one true God through His son, Jesus. He is the only way, truth, and life. He is not a publicity tool, but the way to joy, peace, and true happiness.

May each of you find that joy, love, and peace in Jesus.

Whoa!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written! Moving will do that to you apparently.

The initial moving process was tough on our dog. He stuck to me like glue. The boxes everywhere worried him, causing him to cry and whimper frequently. Oh the stress!

The cat, on the other hand, loved the packing process. He loved jumping in and out of every box - full or empty. Hide-n-seek was his game of choice. Pouncing on the dog if he got within a few feet probably didn't help ease the poor Yorkie's nerves. It was great fun for our feline though!

The day we moved the animals, it all flip-flopped. Nugent was thrilled with a new adventure and the new "sniffs" (as my youngest calls them). Mittens about had a heart attack on the drive over, panting and huffing. Whew! Never thought we'd make the few short miles there.

The cat hid under the couch for the first few days, coming out at night when no one was around. Once he figured out where his food and litter box were, he seemed to calm down.

Now, as we unpack, Mittens and Nugent have flipped places again. Mittens is back to jumping in the boxes as soon as I open them!

Get an animal - they'll make your life more interesting!