The last six months have been an exercise in keeping my balance. There have been serious personal, medical, family and work issues – for example, I’m closing my business this month. I haven’t written about all these things because, gee, there’s quite enough info about me in Google’s archive. 
Then too, this blog is one way to get a break from those things. But more than that – as much as God is working in our lives, I have a very hard time trying to find the words to describe it. To steal from a much better writer: I am pressed, but not crushed, persecuted, not abandoned, and struck down, but not destroyed. But we’re all getting through it, because God’s been carrying us. Someday I’ll write about it. But not today.
I’m teaching out of town today. I had to drive about five hours last night to get here, and I listened to the bible on CD the whole way. If you don’t have an audio bible I can’t recommend one highly enough. It’s not a substitute for reading it, of course, but it’s nice sometimes to just marinate your brain in it. Let it wash over you; passively soak it in. The inflection and tone used by the actors can sometimes just catch your attention and imagination, and you’ll find something new in a verse you memorized years ago.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to be giving up the domain name pursuingholiness.com to a ministry that will make better use of it. When I started this blog, it was almost exclusively bible studies/devotionals. A conviction that I am not called to teach or preach led me to stop writing those things, and it gradually changed into mostly conservative political commentary – sometimes with an overtly Christian perspective. The change isn’t going to take place for at least a year so I can transition it out as smoothly as possible. First, though, I need to come up with a new name. Which is a real pain in the neck. If you have any brilliant ideas, please do email them to me: laura@pursuingholiness.com.
November is NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. I’ve always written; sometimes professionally (I’ve written 17 software manuals for companies including Chevron and Tenet) and sometimes for fun – one romance novel and one mystery that I never even tried to have published. This November, I’m going to write a book and at least try to get it published. If you’ve ever wanted to write – the best gift you can give yourself is a deadline. NaNoWriMo is a sort of contest, but you’re competing against yourself and against the clock, and you’re doing it alongside tens of thousands of others who will encourage and help you. You’re not writing a completed novel – this is the first draft only. Find out more here. I’ve never done NaNoWriMo before, but I’m really looking forward to it. Oh, and the actual writing has to take place in November but you can certainly start plotting and outlining now! I’m going to write an inspirational murder mystery (yes, there’s a market for that) set in Katrina’s aftermath. Think Dee Henderson – that’s what I’m aiming for.
