God is Good Day

Happy Assr er Gó∂r (God is Good) day everyone!!!!!! :D

Today God has scooped me up into His arms and taken me one big giant God step toward fulfilling my biggest dreams! So I decided, in honor of what He has done, and continues to do, to create a holiday; January 28th, Assr er Gó∂r day, a day to remember all of the wonderful things God does for us His children. :) It's not "official" or anything like that. I haven't bought the day January 28th, or whatever it is all that you have to do to make the kind of holiday that they put on the calendars. It's just a day for me, and any one who wishes to celebrate with me.

So, without further ado:

Sœll Assr er Gó∂r dagr!! :)

~ElizabethMarieKauffman

What Are You Doing?

Honestly, I don't really know what to write. . . . I just want to. To attempt to get all of the thoughts out before me in words, with the hope that maybe. . . just maybe, that will help untangle them so that then maybe I will be able to see them all clearly. So hang tight with me, 'cause the road might just get kind of bumpy.

God is doing so many things in my life right now. . . . So many, that the only question I can ask Him is "what are you doing? What are your plans for all of this?". This isn't the first time in my life that I've asked Him those questions–nor do I dare say that it will be the last! Never has the answer been a layout plan of the next few months, or the next years ahead, with little red arrows and pointers saying "at this point such and such a thing will happen, I know it will get pretty tough, but just hang on, and I will do this and this to get you out of it." Wouldn't that be nice! But nope, God does not will for us to see the future. He doesn't want our eyes to be so plastered on the layout plan that we forget to keep them on Him.

"And why would that be such a big problem?" You ask.

Well, if we're so busy looking at the map that we forget to look at the guide, we might get lost.

"Ha!" You say. "I would like to know how that would happen! We would have the map after all!"

But maps can be tricky, you may read it as one thing, when really it means another. Haven't you ever gotten lost on a car trip before? And I'm sure that you had a map didn't you. . . . Or maybe it was something like Map Quest, or some other online direction giver. I've even known people who got lost when they had a GPS in the car! So you see, it can, and does happen. But now, what if on those trips you had someone who knew the route by heart, without a map or any other device, sitting in the driver's seat. Now would you get lost? Most likely not.

So you see. If we had an outlay of the future, we could still get lost in it. But if you kept your eyes glued on Jesus instead–truly keeping them on Him–you will never lose your way. However, our eyes all slip now and again, our eyes move to the steering wheel, the gas peddle, and our eyes get big like a little kid's when he sees a fancy new toy that he wants. We point our fingers and say "I want that."

That's when we get in trouble and end up at all kinds of dead ends. But the good news is that Jesus is still in the passenger seat, just waiting for us to admit that this wasn't such a good idea and give the wheel back to Him.

So God. . . take the driver's seat in my life. And let whatever road I take lead to Your ultimate glory.

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

And the final word count is. . . .

93,075 words total (counting chapter titles and such) in The Sword of Teneraz!! :) That's 3,075 words ABOVE my goal!! Woohoo! :D

I am working slowly but surely on editing, and are also beginning a serious search for publishers. I am seriously thinking about self publishing using a POD (publish on demand) feature. But I am currently open to practically any ideas or suggestions you may have. So please! Do you know of any publishing companies that you would particularly suggest, or do you have any hints that have helped you, I'm just a beginner here, so I am open to all the help I can get!! :)

And also if you could keep this whole process in your prayers, I would be very much appreciative!!! Pakka Pú! (Thank you!)

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I just wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas!!!!! :D Blessings upon you all!

As you tear open your presents tomorrow morning, and scream with delight that you got what you wanted, or try to show gratitude when you didn't, I pray that you remember that this time of year isn't about getting the gift that you want, it's about being given the gift that you needed: God's son, Jesus Christ. :)

Have a wonderful holiday, and remember to when you wake up in the morning, thank Christ for coming down to earth and being born in a humble stable, all the while with the knowledge that He would die a most horrible death. Doing all of that, just for you, so that one day, He could call you son or daughter, and take you to live with Him in the Paradise, forever. :) Amen.

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂, and merry Christmas!!!!

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

An Update On Life And The Things In It

I am sorry that it has been so long since I have even gotten on here. I'm finding with the business of the holidays, I haven't had all that much time to "waste" an hour or two of my day sitting in front of the glowing screen of the computer. I've been instead reading, making Christmas presents, and just relaxing around the fire place with my family, and it feels good! I've got to say, I've now gotten to a point that it really does feel like a "waste" to get on here! Unless of course I have a specific reason for it. Like just now, I just wondered away to help my sister with some specifics about our parent's present (and no, I will not tell you what it is, my mom DOES come on here every so often! ;) lol). But anyways, that's why I haven't written very many posts. But probably after Christmas, and all of the business has passed, I'll be able to, not only work harder on getting all of TSOT onto the computer, but also be able to post more. :)

So, to begin, I've been doing a lot of reading lately, even though I'm a pretty slow reader, I LOVE to read! So, ya, the picture above. . . that just happens to be my bedside table, and those books. . . those are the books I am reading right now (sorry about the picture being slightly blurry, my camera doesn't take the best pictures at night). It's not the most current picture, I've finished The Hobbit since I took it, and there are several more bookmarks dangling out of pages. . . but otherwise. . . it's fairly accurate! :)

Yesterday we got out Christmas tree up and decorated. It is the biggest, most beautiful tree we have had in my entire life! It looks just like a tree in a toy store would; packed up with all of the different ornaments we've been given throughout are lives. No fancy, ornamental tree for us! :) And I'm kind of glad. My grandma had this tradition that each year at Christmas she would give each of us cousins an ornament, and after she died, my parents picked it up and have continued the tradition. I loved pulling out all of my ornaments, and remembering the Christmases that I got them. . . . It makes it a whole lot more special I think, when you have memories attached to the decorations and stuff.

Well, I think I shall go pick up one of those books from my bedside table! Maybe Uglies. . . it's in a very exciting part! :)

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

Announcements!!!

*clears throat* I have two grand announcements to make. First off, today, at around 10-11 o'clock, I wrote the last sentences of The Sword of Teneraz, thus, finishing the writing segment of a completed book. :D I am now currently typing it into the computer, and then I'll begin editing. And soon, very soon (for I fear I will not be able to wait until I have finished editing) I will begin writing the sequel to TSOT. (And that is the second announcement) as I promised here is the long awaited name of the sequel: (drum roll please!) The Wolves of Langoor.

Also, I've been thinking. . . and I really need to find a name for this trilogy I be writing here. (Forgive my switches between old british, scottish, others of the sort and normal writing, I am rather excited right now, and in a fantastical, dreamy, bouncy sort of mood.) I had had the thoughts of calling it the Trilogy of the King, but I think that sounds too much like The Chronicles of the Kings, by Francine Rivers, I believe, and doesn't sound all that good, besides, there is really more than one king in the series, so it would have to be Trilogy of the Kings, making it even more like that other title. What about Keys of the Kings Trilogy? That sounds sort of nice. . . besides being a tongue twister in itself. Do you have any suggestions?? I know you don't have much to go off from, but perhaps you can come up with something better than these, or do you like one of those titles? Please tell me!

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, and NaNo, Oh My!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! :D Enjoy your turkey (or chicken, which I just realized we are having instead of turkey. . . scratch the title, make it chicken.), pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and whatever else you might be having! :) Today is a day to be thankful. Thank you God!! For what? You may ask: for all the blessings which He has poured out, and continues to do so! Like this day, He realized that we all needed a nice break in between our worrying and stressing out to realize all the different things which we are blessed with, and to be thankful. And that is why, many years ago when the Indians came and saved the Pilgrims from starvation, He put the thought into one of those Pilgrims heads "Hey! Let's make this into a holiday!" And so they did. (At least, that's my version of it, don't go to your history teacher and say, "Well I've heard that it happened this way, so you're wrong!" That is liable to get you to the principles office. . . . But on the upside, you would then be able to wish him a happy Thanksgiving! –Still refrain from doing that all the same, I don't want to be blamed. . . . )

Now, onto the NaNo part of the title. I am currently. . . *takes a deep breath to calm self* . . . finishing up the last chapters of TSOT!!!!!! :D :D (Ok, so that deep breath didn't help.) I don't have my current word count, because I am writing it out by hand, and I really don't want to take time away from focusing on the actual writing to put it onto the computer right now (not with a dead line so close anyways.) So I'll have to update my little word count on the side bar later. . . . . . . when it's done. . . . o_O

Well. . . anywho. I would love to hear how all of the rest of you who are participating in NaNoWriMo are doing! :) And also, do you have any special traditions for Thanksgiving?? I'd love to hear them!

Further Than I Thought!

I am excited to announce, that despite my previous belief that this week I had fallen 6 pages behind (I caught up Sunday what I had missed last week, so I was currently on schedule), I have recalculated what I have left in TSOT, and if I kept writing 4 pages a day (without having caught up what I missed this week) I would be done by around the end of next week!! :D Finished writing the book!!! Then comes all the editing and such of course, but the writing step will have been finished! Soon, I will be privileged to announce to you all the name for the next book, the sequel to TSOT. :)

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

1 down, 3 to go!

The first week of NaNoWriMo is just about finished. Tomorrow is the official beginning of the 2nd week, but I think it's close enough to give a report on how writing as been going.

So my goal has been to write 4 pages a day, and I have been able to stay fairly close to that. The first day I wrote 3 1/2, then the next day 4, the day after 3, then 4, then about 3, and yesterday was about 4 1/2. So it's been staying pretty consistently going between 3 and 4 pages. I think that I might write some more today, and see if I can catch up the loose ends.

And so it begins. . . .

Today I am beginning my NaNoWriMo commitment. I know, November actually started yesterday, but I usually take a break from writing on Sunday, unless I'm just absolutely itching to write, so today is the beginning. 50,000 words (or book finished) by midnight on November 30th. *grins nervously* I averaged out how many more chapters I have in TSOT to write, and came to about 9. So that makes around 2 and a half chapters written each week. Yup, I think I might be able to do that. I'll keep you updated during the month on my progress. I would appreciate it if all you fabulous blog readers out there would keep me and TSOT in your prayers, that God will guide what words I should write down, so that this book will bring Him glory and honor. :) Pakka pú!

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~