Mid-Week Motivation

Starting Your Day Out Right

Scripture/Devotion

 

The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord,

and He delights in his way.

~Psalm 37:23

 

I am the poster child for Writer…Interrupted. At my house “quiet moment” is an oxymoron. That said, I never seem to get enough done, whether it’s praying, cleaning, writing, or anything I put on my to-do list.

 

Are you like me? Does the to-do list loom over your head, teasing you at every interruption? Take heart. According to God’s word, our steps are ordered by the Lord. He’s the Master Choreographer, the Head Coach with the surefire strategy. He knows what’s coming our way even while we sleep. At the first sign of morning, He’s waiting for us to come to Him to get the game plan for the day. Perhaps the very things we view as interruptions are divinely ordered.

 

God knows what we need to accomplish in any given day, and He’ll never allow more to come at us than we can bear. Let’s go to Him today and say, “Put me in, Coach!”

 

 

Is Your House In Order?

Cleaning/Parenting/Marriage/Organization

 

I’ll do anything to save time, without cutting corners. Because I’m not especially kitchen-savvy, I’ve developed a routine that pares down the number of mundane tasks I have to perform each day. At one point, I was spending time daily grinding coffee beans, grating cheese for salads or dinner, and chopping veggies. Of course, if I found myself in a rush, not having everything ready-to-eat was a great excuse for a trip to the drive-thru.

 

Why not do all the grinding, grating, and chopping once a week and store it in large containers? It takes about an hour, but then it’s done. No more excuses to skip the salads, and no more grinding coffee in the middle of the night because I’ll die in the morning without it.

 

How about putting multiple trash can liners at the bottoms of each can in the house so they’re easily refitted? Try restocking the cupboards from the pantry, and placing fresh hand towels under the sink instead of the linen closet (same with the TP) for easy replacement.

 

What else can you condense into one easy session that will save you time throughout the week?

 

 

Afternoon Pick Me Up

Writing Inspiration

 

Sometimes I get stuck on my book like a horse in knee-deep mud. Other than plowing through and writing something—anything—just to get past a sticky point, there are some exercises we can do to help us move our stories along.

 

*Brainstorm at least five or six different directions your story could take. Don’t always pick the most obvious because your reader will guess that one too. Dig deep, get whacky, but stay true to your characters.

 

*Get to know your characters more in depth. Lots of ways to do this one (interview your character, learn their background and their favorite snack, etc.) But how about this: get into your character’s skin. Does your heroine hike? Head for the great outdoors. Does she shop? You guessed it—baby needs a new pair of shoes. What’s your hero’s favorite movie? Time for a trip to Blockbuster. Is your main character a garbage man? Wait…let’s not get carried away. You get the idea. Have fun!

 

*Read good writing. I don’t necessarily feel compelled to read in my genre when I’m writing, but I always crave a book that I can learn from. Nothing compares to losing yourself in a book, then trying to figure out how the writer did it. And it’s a great way to spend time reading without feeling guilty. After all, it’s research.

 

 

What’s For Dinner?

Quick Dinners

 

Georgiana’s Famous Chicken Tacos

 

4 cooked chicken breasts

1 can chicken broth

Small white corn tortillas

Mounds of shredded cheese

Ground cayenne pepper

Ground cumin

Garlic salt

Pepper

 

Shred cooked chicken breasts in a pot (I use 2 forks and rip into them.) Cover with chicken broth and simmer. Season with ground cayenne pepper, ground cumin, garlic salt, and pepper to taste. (My family loves everything spicy, so we season heavily. You’ll find what works best for you—start small.)

 

Fry tortillas in corn oil. Stuff with shredded chicken and top with tons of cheese.

 

Goes good with milk.

 

 

A Restful Night’s Sleep

Scripture for a Restful Sleep

 

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

~Proverbs 3:24

 

Isn’t it awesome to be counted among God’s people? He has good, sweet things for us, right down to our sleep. Pull this scripture over you like a warm, snuggly blanket, and rest with the peace of the Lord tucked all around you.

 

God bless!