Meandering Thoughs

     Take ye heed. This post hath no rhyme or reason.
     Here I sit clacking away on the keyboard tonight. A few random thoughts are going around in my mind, so I thought I would share them with you. Why? Because I can because it's my blog.
   
     Thought one: Why does Facebook post on your wall every time you breathe? It is just discouraging to look at the long list of likes and comments that you made and think about how much time you took to do them.

     Thought two: I have narrowed down my list of eleven agencies to two or three. Now we are getting somewhere. Beginning to think self-publishing looks inviting... but I will resist the temptation to throw my hands in the air just yet.

     Thought three: It has been almost two years since I began to write my book. Happy anniversary to me.

     Thought four: I emailed an agent asking if he accepts science fiction or fantasy. He wrote back saying "No. Try (name of agent I first sent my proposal to)." God definitely has a sense of humor.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Evil Time

     I'm sure every one of my friends, even the "Underground Elves," have heard me express my lack of time to do, well, basically anything. This is usually due to the many projects I wish to undertake, while at the same time, I must see to my, shall we say, regular duties.
     Publishing a book falls under the "projects" list, and while it is a particularly high priority project, even it must be put off at certain times. Like at Christmas time.
     Someone asked me earlier this afternoon how my search was going. This is an indication that I need to write a new update. So here it is... nothing new.
     Very sad. But necessary. Just this past week, I hardly had time to take a breath.
     I do plan to pick up my quest for a new agent very soon after Christmas. Or New Years. Somewhere thereabouts.
     I have a list of agencies all ready, about eleven of them. *pauses* Yeah, that's a lot. My plan of action is to choose two or three agents, research their credentials, and send the story to them. While I am waiting for replies, I'll research two or three more. Hang on to your seats, people. This could get confusing. :)
     So, thar be yer update fer the day, matey....
     *shakes head*
     I think I better stop typing before I make a fool of myself. Yes, I am tired.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Whoever Started this Christmas Thing

     An email has been going around. You may have already read it, but it was just forwarded to me. The email is everything a forward should be; short, but powerful. Hope you enjoy. 

     On the radio this morning, I heard a story about a woman who was Christmas shopping with her two children.  After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything  they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

      As they headed toward the elevator, she was feeling what so many of us feel during the Christmas holiday.  Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every open house, taste all the holiday food and treats, and get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

      Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the elevator.  She pushed her way into the elevator and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff.

      When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and said,  "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

      From the back of the elevator she heard a quiet calm voice respond,  "Don't worry, we already crucified him."

      For the rest of the trip down in the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.  Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word.  If we all did,  just think of how different this whole world would be.

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

Christmas Rush

     Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the feelings it brings. Everything just seems so joyful, music and lights are everywhere. It is a great time of year to slow down and really contemplate God's incredible love for us.
     But this year, I haven't slowed down much. I have been frantically trying to complete the many projects that I must attend to. Then yesterday it hit me just how stupid I was being. So I dropped one of my projects. I do not want to rush through Christmas.
     Last night felt great! I cannot say I did anything especially Christmasy (except put on my fuzzy socks), but I made myself take a breath and quit rushing. And like I said, it was great.
     Now I can really listen to the lyrics of the songs on the radio. Have you ever done that? It fills me with awe when the songs remind me of the grace and love of our Savior.
     Now I can enjoy putting up the decorations with my family, and really appreciate the beauty. And, yeah, Christmas isn't about the decorations, but they certainly add to the season for me.
     Are you slowing down the Christmas rush this year? How are you accomplishing that?

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST 

Saga of the Brother Knights - Part 2

PART II

The Clock

     Derrik gazed at the gazebo, hands in his pockets. He marched up the steps and said, “It’s a little strange to put such a fancy clock in a gazebo, especially a gazebo in the middle of nowhere. Don’t you think?”

     Thomas climbed up behind his older brother. “Yeah, I guess. The whole place seems weird.”

     “Well, it’s definitely creepy,” Derrik agreed, peering closely at the clock. He removed the clock from its hook and turned it over. The hands of the clock had long ceased to move, frozen in their positions, no longer ticking in constant rhythm.

     Carefully, Derrik pried open the back of the clock. “Woa,” he gasped.

     “What?” asked Thomas, stepping over to look into the clock’s mechanics. He echoed Derrik’s gasp.

     Bright, multicolored gems gleamed in the interior of the clock. The precious stones were flat and variously shaped, fitting together within the clock like the pieces of a puzzle. Thomas’s eyes grew as round as the tops of two light bulbs. Derrik whistled lowly.

     “No wonder the clock isn’t working,” the older boy said quietly. He pointed at the gems and explicated, “It looks like all the gears and stuff were taken out to make room for the jewels.”

     Leaning closer to examine the gems, Thomas saw that Derrik was right; the inside of the clock was empty of all machinery, containing only the gems.

     “Lookit,” Thomas said. “There’s one missing.”

     Derrik glanced at the empty space in the gem puzzle, then scanned the gazebo floor. “Maybe it fell out when I opened the clock.”

     The two brothers searched the gazebo, but with no success. Thomas hopped over the railing and sifted through the fallen leaves around the gazebo. As he circled the perimeter, Thomas began, “I don’t see it….” Then something sticking out of the earth caught his eye. He bent and drew out the half buried object. It was a blood red, palm sized jewel that glinted in the sunlight. Thomas held it up victoriously and exclaimed, “I got it!”