Crossing the Finish Line

Friday was an exciting day. I crossed the NaNoWriMo finish line for the second year in a row. Unlike last year, however, I plan on continuing work on my NaNo manuscript over the next few months. The 50,238 words that I wrote have given me a real love for this story and the characters. I really look forward to spending more time together with them, as I revise and bump up the word count to a marketable length.

Thank you all who cheered me on. I appreciate your support!

From the Margin of my Bible

Obedience to God's Word is the basis for God's blessing.

Fiction Friday: "When Opposites Attract"

There's no official Fiction Friday today, but I couldn't let the day go by without posting a story. So, in honor of Black Friday, I give you a flash fiction about shopping. Enjoy!

"When Opposites Attract"

By: Christina Banks

I hate shopping.

I mean, I really hate shopping.

So, what am I doing sitting on a bench in the mall, surrounded by bags of goods. It’s Jared’s fault. You see, my husband loves to shop. There isn’t a week that goes by that he doesn’t immerse himself in sales ads. I always know what is coming next.

“Come on, Sweetie. It will be fun and fast, I promise. We’ll be in and out before you know it.”

This is never my idea of a fun, Saturday afternoon, date. Still, somehow, Jared convinces me to go with him, every week. You would think I would learn, wouldn’t you. His definition of “in and out” is a world away from my conservative rendering of the same phrase. For Jared, to be “in and out” means that he will spend about twenty minutes to half an hour in each store in the mall, making for a very long day. By my definition, “in and out” should take only a few minutes as items are meticulously checked of a pre-existing list. There is no time for window shopping or perusing the aisles in my definitions, and there are no lists in Jared’s.

Take last week, for example. I made an innocent mention that I needed a new pair of jogging shoes. The ones I owned were more suited for church than the gym, due to the holey soles. Jared jumped on the idea, and rushed me to the big mall. Three stories of shopping pleasure awaited us. It took us three hours to go into every shoe store in the mall. Jared wanted to make sure that I knew what was available before choosing a pair. So much for “in and out”. Though, I have to admit that we were in and out of a lot of stores that day. I finally decided on a pair of silver and purple Nike’s, which just happened to be at the very first store that we went to that day.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband. I just hate shopping.

My mother, who also loves to shop, warned me that opposites attract. I just didn’t realize she was telling me that I would be marrying a serial shopper.

I should have clued into my husband’s fascination with stores when we got engaged. It was Jared that made sure that we registered for anything and everything that we could possibly need for our whole married lives. All the signs of his shopping addiction were there. I guess I was just too love struck to realize what was happening.

Oh, here comes Jared now. Are those flowers hiding behind his back? Did I mention that my husband is a bit of a romantic? It’s not the flowers, candy and small gifts that bring me out of the house to the busy mall every Saturday. It’s my love for the man who needs to shop. This is Jared’s time to de-stress after a busy week at work. It has taken me almost five years to figure it out, but I now understand Jared’s love for shopping. That understanding hasn’t changed my personal opinion about the subject.

I hate shopping.

But, I love Jared!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Book Review: Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

"It was ironic.

I lay in my jail cell on a squeaky iron bunk, gazing at the stained mattress above me, and I remembered the day I first understood the meaning of the word ironic. I couldn't help smiling at . . . well, the irony of it. The meaning had become clear to me ten years ago on the day my grandmother, Beatrice Monroe Garner, was arrested."

Though Waters Roar, pg. 7.

Harriet Sherwood wants her life to mean something, just like the courageous women who have come before her. Her efforts to right the wrongs of the world land her in jail, under the watch of her childhood enemy, Tommy O'Reilly. Alone in her cell, Harriet has a lot of time to consider how she came to this place. As she wades through the memory of three generations of her maternal heritage, she comes to understand more about the direction of her own life, and about the God that each of the women serve.

I enjoyed the historical setting of this book. Placed in 1920, just after World War I, the story looks at women's role in the abolition of slavery, prohibition and the suffrage movement. Lynn Austin does a great job showing the intensity that these women had about their cause, and the struggles they endured trying to reach the goal. Austin's characters are real, and easy to identify with. They are heroic, but human at the same time - a wonderful mix of vice and virtue.

Though Waters Roar is another great story by Lynn Austin. I love the way that Austin creates her characters and flushes them out. The more I read of her books, the higher she travels up the list of my favorite authors.

I would highly recommend this book!

(I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing.)

Friendship Award

Last week I was honored to receive this friendship award from Vonnie at My Back Door. (If you haven't been by to check out her blog, you really should take the time.) Thank you Vonnie!

"This award is bestowed to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-promotion. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are gained. Please give more attention to these writers."

I want to pass this friendship award on to a few people who have really become friends over the past year. I've never met any of these wonderful people in person, but I feel a kinship with them that has developed from interacting with them out here in cyberspace. I present this award to...

Janna at Something She Wrote

Susan at Christian Writer/Reader Connection

Cat at A Work in Progress

Karlene at Homespun Expressions

Thank you, ladies, for you sweet friendship!

From the Margin of my Bible

Obedience often carries a heavy price tag.