To My Surprise...There's A Book In Me!!!

I am utterly shocked, surprised and thrilled to suddenly discover a book in me! I have ALWAYS loved to write, as my readers know. But the desire for a book was never strong. I wanted and still want to write an ongoing column or article for a magazine or newspaper or e-magazine. The only time I recall wanting to write a book is every time I watch Little Women! Ha! When Jo sees her book for the first time....OMG!

This recent season of joblessness and much inner soul searching has been tough and wonderful at the same time. With time on my hands I have pursued the whole writing thing with a bit more seriousness. Two articles have been submitted to magazines online and off. I am subscribed to places that weekly email me about writing opportunities, what magazines want from writers etc.

One day last week I was out in my backyard journaling before beginning my day. I was complaining about accomplishing nothing the few days prior. The only good thing I could find that felt rewarding was that I gave some light encouragement and counsel to a young ministry wife who is a good Blog-Friend of mine. It was fun and something that comes easy to me after 30 years in all varieties of ministry leadership. She was grateful for my words.

I was journaling the above words and then, my journal reads like this........."OK just had a tiny imagination break just now and this is what I saw: a small How To book for minister's wives written by me. It would be all about releasing them from all the "shoulds" and false expectations that are placed on them by themselves and by others. It would tell them that God is just not as hard to please as they think He is!

Hmm what would the chapters be?..............."

And my Blog Friends, the next two pages of my journal suddenly filled up with eight chapter titles and 4 to 5 subheadings under each one! As if it had been just waiting to be released!! Crazy!

The next few days I did something that shocked me even more. I told all my good friends about it! The more I talked the more excited we all got and they encouraged me so much! Here is some background: I have helped Hubs be a youth pastor, associate pastor, interim pastor, senior pastor, college age pastor and ministry school overseer. On my own I have directed a nursery ministry, been head director of Sunday School, kids church, taught Sunday school classes to most ages including college, lead women's ministry & local ministerial women's group, blah,blah, blah on it goes!

And through it all I raised a couple boys and journaled every bit of it. I have sometimes wondered if all those years of stories, the good, the bad and the ugly were ever going to be pulled out again or were they just going to grow dust in my closet.

I journeyed from being a super uptight 'church lady' to a happy woman who walks in freedom with a butterfly tattoo and a motorcycle jacket in the last 15 years. My heart hurts when I read of young or old women who are still striving so hard to please God and other people. God is totally delighted in them already! And if He is pleased with them, who cares what the others think?

Anyway, there it is. My first baby-step so that this does not become overwhelming is to create another blog that will be geared specifically to Christians and ministry wives. To most people that life looks easy, but it is not. I hope to use that site as a practice place for my chapters and as a research vehicle to learn more about what young ministry wives are dealing with today. My new blog is called...Recovering Church Lady. Great name huh? Well, I think so! You are very welcome to join me there even if you are not involved in christian ministry, just be warned; there will be a lot of God talk over there! Ha!

Thanx to all of you for your encouraging words and fun insights!