A mocha a day keeps the headache away...

As I type, I'm happily camped at a table in my local Barnes & Noble, a new carrying case for my new laptop perched in the chair beside me, and my trusty tall, non fat, white chocolate mocha (with no whip) taking residence beside my right hand. My current proposal is ready in a Word document, just waiting for me to tackle it with glee. Friends are only an email away, and I'm surrounded by my other friends - a store full of books, including Nicholas Spark's newer one that is in the just purchased B&N sack in front of me.

Ah, bliss.

Days like this are rare. I'm a mommy, remember? =) On days like today, it seems "struggles? what struggles?" But they're still there. I still get distracted. I still crave caffeine even though my baby thankfully sleeps the night like a champ and really, I have no excuse. I still have personal or family issues in the back of my mind. Nothing goes away or changes just because I'm in my bubble of writer self denial at B&N.

But it does help =)

Seriously, though, this is my getaway. Without these rare days of freedom at B&N (Little Miss is playing with Nana!) I would be in permanent writers block. I guess you'd say my hardest struggle as a writer is time. Sometimes this works to my advantage, as I've discovered that I can do a whole lot more than I'd ever guessed I could when left with no other option! When my editor gives me a deadline, it's for real. It doesn't matter that my MIL is barely out of her coma miles away in Alexandria, doesn't matter that my husband is exhausted working two jobs and trying to take care of his mom, leaving zero extra time for babysitting our daughter. It doesn't matter that I'm tired and want to sleep when Little Miss sleeps, instead of rack my brain for even an ounce of creativity.

Not to make my editor sound heartless, because she's fantastic and extended a deadline for me during the worst of my MIL's accident. But this is my business, this is my job, and I have to treat it as such. Which, is like I said, sometimes a good thing because it makes me push my borders, deep digger, and find that I CAN do all things through Christ after all =)

Sometimes, as a Christian, I find myself trying to do it all alone. Write alone, work alone, clean alone, cook alone, be a mommy and wife alone. That might work for a little while, but ultimately, it will all crumble if I don't stick Jesus in the middle as my anchor. He's the glue!

So during the midst of your struggles, writing related or not, don't forget to work in time for God! It truly makes all the difference. I can give personal testimony to days when I was running late but made myself do my Bible study, and voila - time warp. I got so much done that day and it logically, realistically just wasn't possible. But thankfully God doesn't play by our time rules. =)

We all have our struggles in life and with writing. We all have something that hangs us up from time to time, whether it be time, our inner critic, distractions, writer's block, procrastination, etc. The problems might be different but the solution is the same. Involve God in your writing, in your life, in your issues, and allow Him to help become your answer. Watch what He can do!

And in the meantime, keep drinking those mochas =)