I Have an Addiction

I’m on a high, writing, learning craft, writing, learning craft. Going to writing workshops, seminars, writer’s guild meetings, fellowship with other writers. I love this lifestyle. Runners get a high from running, when a writer is writing the adrenaline flowing can be addictive, a good addictive.

I challenged myself in my last blog to set a goal for my writing. I haven’t gotten as far as I would like but I am working at it. Taking a huge step in the right direction.

Today, like many of the wonderful summer days we are experiencing, I am sitting on my deck working on my craft.

This is what things typically look like:

notebook, mechanical pencil (my favorite writing instrument, I have them all over the house. Sam’s Club sells them in bulk),

cup of tea,

writing books,

 reading glasses (does anyone else need these?),

my camera

and my Netbook or my laptop spread out on the table. The umbrella on the table is up to block out the scorching sun or I couldn’t sit out here.

My companion Sammy remains close by.

Occasionally I have to stop to take a picture of the wildlife around me.
Two precious fawns grabbed my attention.

Like many writer’s I struggle with not trusting my writing. If it all depended on me I should be worried but God says write and He will provide the inspiration to make it into something worthwhile. My job is to show up daily and see what He drops into my spirit for that day. It may be to add to my story, maybe to write a blog or perhaps I need to read one of my many
books on the craft of writing.

It is all a part of this business called writing, and I LOVE IT.

“When I am writing I am doing the thing I was meant to do.” Anne Sexton

What Will it Take...

This weekend my daughter Coleen completed the Western States 100 mile Endurance Run.

Coleen Voeks crossing the finish line and receiving her finisher's medal.

This race began at 5am on Saturday and the runners must have completed it in under thirty hours. This involves running up and down mountains, through snow and heat, through the day and night. This is not her first 100 miler but an important one to her. Her father completed this race in 1984. Coleen finished in 28 hours and 46 minutes.

Coleen, 11 years-old, at Western States with her dad when he had completed the race in 1984.



As I thought about her accomplishment I began to think about the goals she had to set, the preparation and discipline it took to complete this race. The principles can apply to any goal.

Coleen’s accomplishment inspired me to set goals to finish my first novel, (sadly I have three particial novels), and have the finished novel ready to present to agents and publishers at the ACFW conference in 2013.

Getting a novel written and ready to be seen by agents, and publishers, is not a sprint but a long distance endurance run so, I think, I hope, I have set a reasonable goal. That gives me twenty-six months. I have begun my calendar of check-points to reaching my goal. Those who have finished a novel and presented it to agents please let me know if I need to allow myself more time.

Who am I going to surround myself with to help me reach this lofty place? Other writer’s of course. My daughter has her group of running friends; some went with her to California and paced her through the last part of the race. That is the kind of friends I need. Those who won’t let me quit and won’t let me put in any performance but my best.

I’ve been involved in a wonderful writer's group for three years and have attended two excellent writer’s conferences; my bookshelves are loaded with books on the craft of writing. I have the tools, now I need to apply them as I let my fingers fly across my keyboard. I hope there will be more "fingers flying" than "head banging."

Along this road to my dream, another goal I have set is to lose weight and get physically strong. I turn sixty-five on Thursday and I don’t want to look, or act, like a person of age. I am young at heart and my body needs to be able to keep up with where I want to take it.

It is time that I seriously begin the journey God has called me to, it is one I will be on for the rest of my life.

This is the prize Coleen received for finishing her race. A large belt buckle.

My Prize? A published novel.

What goal have you been pushing back, thinking, I’ll start tomorrow? The clock is ticking. What hints can you give to others for accomplishing the thing that won't let go of them?

Finish Line

Day 22 of 40 days of Lenten Posts

Life is like a race.

“We’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit!” Hebrews 12:1-2 Message Version

We start out feeling strong and ready. We get into a grove and are feeling pretty good until we hit that first obstacle, it slows us down a little but we keep pushing on.

The stream we had to cross ended up being deeper

than we had thought and it was cold.

We are no longer comfortable but we still have a long way to go. We decide to take a break and get some nourishment and to talk with other people and before we know it we have wasted precious time.

Now we need to make up for it so we push ourselves hard.

At some point we realize we have gotten off the right path, we wonder how far off we have gotten. We have lost more time and have expended energy that we couldn’t afford to lose. We work our way back to the correct path feeling discouraged wondering if we are the only one who has lost their way.

At this point
we are
barely
running, head down. People are passing us saying encouraging things to us but we are not feeling real receptive to their comments. The hills are getting steeper and running in the dark is scary and dangerous. Occasionally we see the light of another night runner and think “I am not alone.”

“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” Acts 20:24 NIV

Our body will no longer permit running it has brought us to a slow shuffle. The finish line seems so far away and yet the longer we go we know the finish line is getting closer.

We all run the race to the finish, no one avoids getting there, some get there quicker than others but it is inevitable that we will cross under that banner.

“This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause!” 2 Tim 4:7-8 Message

SUMMER RECAP

Summertime is over and it was a hot one in Colorado Springs. We have enjoyed some spells of rain with beautiful thunder. I love to feel enveloped by it when it rolls on and on.
In June I attended the Glen Eyrie Writer’s Workshop and it was fabulous. If you are looking at conferences for next year I recommend this one. I had such a great time with the featured writers/speakers, Angela Hunt, James Scott Bell, Nancy Rue, and Kathy Mackel. We laughed and learned. The location is beautiful, lots of places to walk, hike and spend peaceful time with God. It doesn’t get much better. The picture is of the members of Words For The Journey Writer's Guild with author James Scott Bell.

In July my husband and I headed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a family reunion with his brothers, his sister and their families. We had fun, his family knows how to have a good time. I did learn a very important lesson: Don’t go to Florida in July, can you say hot and humid, record breaking temperatures.
Family picture without all the kids.

July 28th our writer’s group Words For The Journey had a write-in at the Broadmoor, lots of ladies came and the click, click of computers could be heard all day.

August has been a hot month in Colorado Springs. I have spent the month reading and playing with my granddaughter. Did I mention that I will be a grandmother again in November, another girl is expected. Yeah!

This last week of August has been an unpleasant one for me, I picked up a bug and spent a whole week in my house. I am still recouping from the cough and I need to recoup fast, because I have a busy week ahead.

Monday I will be getting my hair done, it is time for a trim and color. I wonder how gray I am? Not ready to find out yet so, touch up here I come. I would like to try a new style but I have no idea what look I would want. Ugh, hair issues, you love them and hate them at the same time. I’ll also be spending time with my granddaughter.

Tuesday evening our writer’s guild Words For The Journey will kick off our return to meetings, we took a break during the summer. The guest speaker will be author Robert Liparulo. The meeting will be held at the Barnes & Noble Lone Tree by Park Meadows Mall. Join us if you are in the vicinity, we start at 7pm.

Wednesday is church night and also more time with my granddaughter.

My daughter Coleen will be flying into Denver from Kansas City on Thursday morning. Thursday night my other kids and families will be congregating at my not very clean house, remember I have been sick for a week, for dinner.

Friday morning Coleen and I will leave for Silverton where she will awaken on Saturday morning to begin a 48 hour running race. She has participated in many ultra runs; she completed the Leadville 100 mile run last year. She takes after her dad who has run many ultras. You can read my story about them in the Chicken Soup for the Soul Runners book that came out in July.

See what I mean about a busy week.

I am planning on September being the month I settle down and get serious about my writing again. I’ll keep you posted.

I hope you had a summer full of fun, frolic and fulfillment.

NaNoWriMo INSPIRATION

As we begin NaNoWriMo, at midnight tonight, each of us looks within ourselves for inspiration. We are not just writing to write, we are writing with a purpose.

“Winning” is not the only goal. Chariots of Fire is my inspiration for this race. There were so many incredible lines in this movie, and for your encouragement I am quoting some here.

“You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe your dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.” Eric Liddell

One of my favorite lines, spoken by Eric Liddell, at a critical point in his life. “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

I rewrite this for all you writers who are writing for God: “I believe God made us for a purpose, but he also made us writers. And when we write we feel His pleasure.”


 May this year’s NaNo be more than a challenge to produce 50,000 words in 30 days but may you grow closer to God as He speaks through you, onto the screens of your computer, the words that would give Him pleasure, knowing that the world will someday read them.

No Guts, No Glory. Leadville!

What is it that challenges you?
What goal have you set that you are willing to lay down everything to achieve?

This past weekend I saw over 500 men and women come together

to start a journey of a hundred miles. A journey that would take them over mountains and through icy streams, a journey that started in the dark, at 4am on Saturday August 22nd, and for the majority of the 274 finishers would end sometime between 4am and 10am on Sunday August 23rd.

My husband has competed in this journey many times over the 26 years of its existence. This year it was our daughter, Coleen Voeks, who set the goal of being a victor in the Leadville Trail 100 mile run, known as The Race Across the Sky.

With the support of her husband Erik, she put aside comfort and sleep to train endlessly for this race. There could be no mornings where she chose sleep over running. She knew the mountains of Leadville, Colorado would eat her up if she slacked off; she lives in the flatlands of Kansas.

She became a victor on Sunday August 23rd with a time of 29 hours 48 minutes 07 seconds, just 12 minutes shy of the 30 hour cut off time. For those who are not familiar with this type of race, the runners keep moving during this whole time, running and walking in light and darkness. There is no time for sleep. Keeping your body fueled for this type of calorie burning event involves eating large amounts of food, which means eating at every aid station and carrying food with you.

This is a grueling race physically and mentally. At times the mind tells you that you can’t go on, and your body will very happily agree with your mind. This is where you rely on the crew of family and friends you have brought with you. They step in and evaluate your physical condition, give you something to eat, change your socks, get you dressed warmly and tell you to “get your butt in gear, you're not quitting.”

Along with training, having the right people around you when you are going toward your goals is critical. The wrong people will let you quit. The ones who share your vision will feed you, warm you, and push you forward.

There is a saying printed on the shirts given to the participants of the Leadville 100 that says:
“Don’t be fooled by her beauty, Deep within is the grit, guts and determination to move mountains.”

What mountainous goals do you have for your life?
Do you have the guts and determination to achieve them?
Do you have the right people with you to push you and pull you across the finish line?

"It's not the mountain we conqueror but ourselves." Sir Edmund Hillary

The race at Leadville had a 30 hr. limit, your time limit is your lifetime.

Coleen Voeks, finisher of Leadville 100, The Race Across the Sky