The Beginning of the End

If you surf through my Facebook's News Feed today, you'll see the following kinds of posts:

"It's the last first day of school!"
"Last first day of college!"
"Can you believe this is the last first day of school?"

I'm thinking a lot of people are excited about it being the last first day of school, what do you think? As for me, it's the first day of student teaching. Now, I'm not in the classroom today, I just have meetings at North Greenville but I'm excited all the same. I really want to be a teacher. I really want to have my own classroom and, to do that, I have to learn and student teach for a whole semester. So, while some people might be all like "boring meetings, ugh," I'm like "yay, meetings, woo-hoo!" I can't wait to see what I'm going to learn even in these policy and procedure meetings.

Therefore, I think my Facbook status (if I hadn't already done one today) would say something like:

"First day of student teaching! Can't wait to get started!"

For some people, it's the beginning of the end. For me - it's the beginning of the rest of my life.

Leave it all on the Mat

It's that time of year. Well, that time of every 4 years. Yes, it's Olympics time. This time, we've gone to London, England for the XXX Olympiad, as I am reminded every night when I turn on NBC. And there are a lot of success stories to enjoy.

Michael Phelps, standing at 19 medals as of tonight, Aug 1, the most decorated Olympian in history. Ryan Lochte making his mark in the pool. Missy Franklin. The women's gymnastics team becoming the second USA team to ever take gold in the team finals. Danell Leyva pulling out an amazing finish and taking the bronze in the men's all-around gymnastics.

But there's one story that makes me think. I'm a huge gymnastics fan; that's my favorite Olympics sport hands-down. And I love the men's gymnastics (except for the pommel horse). So imagine my heartbreak when team's finals day came. Mistake after mistake after mistake. Sam Mikulak took a huge step on his floor routine. John Orozco botched his pommel horse routine and sat down a bazillion times. Danell Leyva fell off the pommel horse. John Orozco again sat his landing on the vault. It seemed like Jake Dalton and Jon Horton were the only ones not failing their team. Pretty soon, all the footage was of the Brits, the Japanese, and the Chinese, with a little Ukraine thrown in there. The Americans didn't even get shown on P-Bars or Still Rings. It seems like once you're out of the running for a medal, even if you're the news station's country team, you're no longer given any screen time.

Then there was the high bar routines for the Americans. John, Danell, and Jon took to the air and flung themselves off the bar in some seriously styling high bar releases. They landed every routine and finished with pride. In the end, they left everything on the mat. They didn't hold anything back. Yes, the team didn't place, and didn't finish with the result they would have liked but they gave it their all.

There's a lot to be learned from them. We can't succeed all the time, especially as Christians. There will be moments when we're far from perfect, when we don't do the best we can. But we just have to keep going and we have to leave it all on the mat, in the ring, on the court, wherever you want to leave it. God doesn't ask us to be perfect.

He just asks us to give Him everything.



I think this picture sums it up pretty well:

I Watch the Groom

In the movie, 27 Dresses, there's a bit of banter back and forth between the two main characters (Jane and Kevin) about their favorite wedding moment. Both agree that they, instead of watching the bride make her big entrance, they watch the groom. So I took a cue from them at a wedding I went to this past weekend.

My college roommate of two years was getting married. The day had been long in coming, but it was finally here and the music was playing. Bridesmaids glided down the aisles, including my current roommate. Groomsmen looked very dapper in gray suits. The maid of honor escorted (herded) the cutest 2-year-old ringbearer ever to the front. And then the music swelled. Everyone stood and turned to look at the rear of the church.

Not me. I kept my eyes trained on the groom. I watched as he teared up. I watched as he took a tissue from his mom and dabbed his eyes. I watched the smile light up his face when he caught his first glimpse of his bride. It was an expression of love that cannot be described with mere words. And by the time the bride reached the front, her smile matched his, watt for watt.

The rest of the wedding went by in a blur but I'll never forget the face of the groom (at least not until my eyes are trained on my own groom). And so I got to thinking. I know, scary thought, right? Anyway, here are my meager words of wisdom for today.

The Bible states over and over that we, as the church, are the Bride of Christ. So what would it look like if we were in a wedding with Christ? He would be the One at the front, waiting for us to get our acts together and walk the aisle. He would wait for us no matter how long it took to get to the front. He would get teary-eyed (metaphorically speaking) as our journey to Him neared completion. And He would love us, no matter what we looked like, no matter how many mistakes we'd made, no matter how far we strayed from the aisle.

Just imagine. Christ, at the front. Me (or you), taking one step at a time, sometimes a step back or a step sideways, but the destination is always the same. The altar.

Something to think about, anyway. What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!!

Practicing What You Preach

My book is all about contentment. Finding Christ and letting Him be enough for you even if you are destined to stay single for the rest of your life. Contentment ain't easy. Trust me, I've been there. I've been discontent and convinced that the only way to be "cool" and to achieve complete happiness was to have a boyfriend, someone that you would share all your deepest secrets with and hold hands with and *gasp* even kiss sometimes.

So I threw all my hopes on different boys who would come along. There was the guy I was in love with (read: obsessed with) from sixth grade all the way to my freshman year of college. Yeah. I know. L-o-n-g time. And when I realized it really wasn't going to happen, I was devastated. I was devastated each time he moved to a new girlfriend. I was horribly and sadly depressed when he gradually became less of a friend in order to spend more time with his girlfriend. I. Was. A. Loser. And I was trying to do things all by myself.

Then I threw my hopes on yet another boy in my sophomore year of college and decided that he and I were going to date and be happy forever and, if that didn't happen, well, being happy was just not in my future. And guess what? We didn't date. And I was sad. I decided I was meant to be single and that lasted...about a year.

That's when I joined an online dating website and fell hopelessly in love/like with Mike. Now, don't get me wrong; I wouldn't trade my experiences on this site for anything. After all, it gave me the idea for my book that actually might have a chance at getting published. But, once again, I poured all my energy and dreams into Mike. I waited anxiously for emails. I emailed him when he didn't email back after a while. Yes, I know that's lame. I was learning.

Ultimately, that became the basis of my book, Oh Boyfriend, Where Art Thou? Kinsey Walden is a girl who throws herself into every relationship and cries buckets of tears when they don't work out. But, eventually, she discovers the truth: God HAS to be enough for you and you have to be content with whatever His plan might be. You have to trust that what He has planned for you is way better than anything you could come up with. And then (and only then) will that soulmate come along - if that is indeed part of the Plan.

I wrote this book. Filled it with all this advice. Had Kinsey see the light. And, slowly, I began to take my own advice. No longer did I get all upset when my roommate would talk about holding hands with a boy. No longer was I jealous of the girl who is now dating the guy I was in love with sophomore year. And I'm looking at couples I know and, instead of wanting to have a boyfriend, I'm thinking how great my life is. I. Am. Content.

And then, the other day, I met this guy. Now, I'm not saying he's "The One." I'm not saying he's not. All I'm saying is that when he walked in the door and I laid eyes on him for the first time, I had butterflies performing Olympic gymnastic trials in my stomach. Best of all? I still have that peace where I know that if he's the one, great. If he's not, that's okay, too. I am finally content to let Christ be enough for me. Of course, I won't say no to a boyfriend if God's really bringing me this guy or some other guy.

But guess what? I'm finally practicing what I preach in my book and what I want to use to disciple young women. Be content. Live for Jesus and none other. Don't worry about finding that someone. And...he might just walk into your apartment one night and send your heart flip-flopping.

Blowing Things Up

It's majorly easy to blow things out of proportion. One glance from a super cute guy becomes "oh my gosh, he likes me, he really likes me!" A promotion at work quickly becomes the 500K salary and 17 weeks vacation time. And a nice comment on your book easily turns into an (imaginary) book deal, movie deal, and Chris Hemsworth playing the lead character and then falling in love with you and marrying you and you become rich and happy (and of course you lead him to Jesus first). Not that I've thought about that or anything. Haha.

Anyway, lately I've been blowing things out of proportion. I've told my roommate several times over the past few days that I'm going to die. Reason one was that I have an ulcer in my mouth (yeah I'm sure you wanted to know) cause I can't keep my chompers from chomping on my cheek. Try saying that five times fast. So as it has persisted for days, I finally told my roomie I was gonna die. She didn't believe me. Then, after I washed dishes for 45 minutes, the skin on my finger peeled off (sure you wanted to know that too). Again, I proclaimed that I was gonna die. Again, no sympathy. And then, when I pointed to my 3 week old, still hurting bug bite, and said I was either gonna pass away or turn into Spider-Man, not only did I get no sympathy, but she starts showing me HER bug bites and saying I'm making too much out of this.

So I got to thinking. I'm very bad at making things seem way worse (or way better) than they actually are. Seriously, if I get one nice feedback comment on my novel at a conference or at writer's group or wherever, I'm automatically imagining what life will be like once I get published. Even though there's no concrete proof that's what's going to happen, that's what happens in my mind.

Anyway, as I'm thinking, I'm wondering how this applies to life. In general. I realized, God equips us with what we need to do the tasks He's set before us. He has given us the talent. If His plan is for me to sign a multi-book contract and eventually marry Chris Hemsworth, He will make that happen. (Oh, please, make it happen! Haha) I don't need to imagine things as I wish they would be because, in the end, no doubt my ideas will pale in comparison to His plan.

Unless I die from mouth ulcers or zombie fingers or radioactive bug bites, I'm gonna sit back and stop making my own plans. There's no doubt God's are WAY better than mine could ever be.

The Watched Email Never Comes...

You know the saying, a watched pot never boils? Well, a watched email never comes, either. I have the patience of, like, a goldfish. Seriously. Once I know that I'm waiting on something, I just want it to come. I want to hear the 'ding, you have mail' sound that my email doesn't actually make and see the icon pop up that indicates I have a new message.

Take recently, for example. I finally got my proposals sent out to the agents and editor from Blue Ridge who asked for them. Yay! Only about 4 weeks late but, hey, I'm a busy girl. Then, I get a request for a full the same day I send out the proposal. Yikes! So I consolidate all my random chapters into one document, get my mom to read it and critique it and sent it.

And now I wait. And wait. And wait. And for some reason, I have it in my head that I'm gonna get a quick reply back (probably with a negative response) so I keep checking my email. All the time. On my phone. On my laptop. On the checkout screen at Wal-Mart...well, maybe not that last one.

It's not like I haven't done this before. I've ridden this bull, been in this rodeo, however you want to spin it. You'd think by now my patience would be crazy high and long. But it's not. It's nonexistent. I can give all the sage advice I want - but it's not going to help.

I'm going to keep checking my email. And checking it and checking it and checking it for an email that will probably crush my hopes and dreams. Haha.

But you never know, right? This could be it for me. This could be the dream. Come on, email, come on!

...and you thought this blog post would be inspiring...

Divine Appointments and Holy Introductions

First off, let me preface this by saying that I am not writing this blog post simply because I just went to a class at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer's Conference and heard all about how important it is to blog regularly. I'm not. And I'm not lying either. I'm simply sitting in my room, listening to the thunder and wanting to blog about how I'm already putting what I've learned into action.

Last night, we had a keynote on how to make the most of your time and network. Perhaps you came here to meet such-and-such but all their appointment times were filled up before you could get your name down. It happens. We don't like it when it does but it happens. Well, the keynote speaker said that you should be open to wherever God wants to lead you and whomever he wants you to meet or have appointments with.

So, yes, last night I made a mad dash to the appointment sheets to score an appointment with Sue Brower, the editor at Zondervan, and David Van Diest, an agent with D.C. Jacobson. These were my top two and I did manage to get the appointments with them that I wanted. Score one for me! This morning, I made another mad dash after the morning general session to the appointment room to see if I could get some other appointments. I was lucky and managed to get the other two editors I wanted (one from Tyndale and one from Harvest House) and the second literary agent. I've already got an appointment with Chip MacGregor because I paid him for a critique. I was pumped and I was ready.

I'm not very good at pitching. I trip over my words, nod too much and usually just generally make a fool out of myself - at least in my opinion. But this time, I started with Mrs. Brower, whom I had met at dinner last night. And she made me feel right at home. The session went great, I have a bunch more ideas on how to make my book better and I was feelin' good.

Now, I know what you're thinking. When are you going to get to the Divine Appointments and Holy Introductions part? You're in luck; I'm there. At lunch, I didn't know who I was going to sit with (you can sit with the agents and editors and writers at lunch and dinner, which is nice) but I ended up going by myself to sit with Caleb Breakey, a writer who'd had a website for teen writers that I had been on before it closed down. I sat and waited and introduced myself when he sat down and told him that connection. It was really good to put his face and person with the name I knew from the website I had enjoyed so much and I was able to tell him my pitch and he liked it, which gave me a little morale boost. I also mentioned that I had a pitch appointment with David Van Diest, who is Caleb's agent, and he said to tell David that he [Caleb] sent me. So when I had my appointment, I said that and that Caleb had said he liked my pitch (which he did, I didn't embellish or put words in his mouth, I swear) and that seemed to really put me in a new light with David. There was a holy introduction with Caleb (sitting at his table) that gave me a leg-up with my pitch session.

I also had a good pitch session with Diana Flegal from Hartline Literary and received very positive feedback. I have a good bit of work to do on the novel now but things are definitely looking promising. It's been a great first day and, with 2 pitch appointments tomorrow and a critique Wednesday, it's not over yet. I can't wait to see what God has in store next.

Total Lack of Disrespect

That's what I told my friend I would not miss when I leave North Greenville's campus in May. The total lack of disrespect at concerts and cultural events. What I meant to say was that I would not miss the total lack of RESPECT.

How can you think it makes you cool to whisper with your friends while other people, who have worked hard all semester to learn this music, sing on stage? Does it make you funny to clap once after everyone else has finished clapping? Are you popular for twittering and giggling during a concert?

No. You are just being an imbecile. Yes, cultural events are required for students. Sometimes you don't want to be there. That does not give you the right to be a jerk. Until you're the one on the stage, you don't have the privilege of judging a wrong note or a style different then what you are used to.

The students who perform in these concerts and plays and such have spent untold hours learning their music, lines, etc. They have put all their effort into their work. How do you think it makes them feel when you can't keep your comments and laughter to yourself or your cell phone off?

So please. Straighten up or get out of the auditorium.

Rant over.

Editing Nightmares

Wow. They really shouldn't tell me the last time I posted a post on here. 'Cause that makes me all depressed to see it was last year! Wow. Clearly, blog posting is not my forte. But today, I am here to make a point and I am going to slam it home HARD.

I cannot stand to edit. To go back through a manuscript and change sentences, add words, eliminate entire paragraphs. Do you know why? Well, I will tell you. It makes me feel like a terrible writer. I can't tell you the number of times I scratch my head (metaphorically) and say, "Gee. Why did I ever think that was a good idea? How could I have ever thought it'd be great to make her do that?"

And then there are the times my characters run away from me. I'm writing and editing and writing and editing and then all of a sudden, my main character is leaving work and she NEVER EVEN HAD A JOB!! And this is like chapter fifteen. So now I have to edit from the top again and make it clear she had a job all along and didn't just randomly pick one up one day because she felt like it. The whole time this is happening, I am sitting in my dorm room, staring at my computer, and yelling "Why would you do that? Stop doing that! Get back under my control!" That might be why people wonder if I'm nuts. To which I say - yes. I am nuts. I am a writer. How can I be anything but?

Back to editing. I've just now finished editing my YA chick lit novel, Oh Boyfriend, Where Art Thou? for maybe the third time. By editing, I mean going chapter-by-chapter, with Track Changes on, and skewering entire passages with the wrath of Michelle. It was intense. I just finished and the final (revised) product is about 15 pages longer than the original.

Editing stinks. It's hard work and hassle and can be really, truly irritating. Only now, when I look at this final product (that still needs some work to explain why the main character randomly begins doing things mid-book that she hadn't done before) do I realize that editing really has made my book much, much better.

Now I think I'll go edit a fourth time...oh, joy.

Rolling with the Punches

Rolling with the punches. I must say, this is hard for me. Sometimes, a right hook flies out of nowhere and hits you when you're completely unprepared. Is it possible then to roll with it? Or are you so off-balance that it knocks you off your feet into a One-hit KO? I think that some punches are just too hard to roll with.

Take today, for instance. Two punches, within half an hour, that left me staggering around with bruises and, I'm pretty sure, a nosebleed. Now, I won't go into detail on those punches in case the offending parties (party) ever reads this post. I don't want a retaliation punch, no thank you. But anyway, both of these punches came out of the blue and were completely unexpected. And because they came in such rapid succession, there was hardly any time to breathe in between.

So did I roll with the punches?

No. I didn't. I went back to my dorm room (skipping my next class, I might add, a very bad idea) and cried. Literally. Like tears, sniffles and tissue. I'm not even lying. I pulled out my slice of cookie cake, put in Enchanted and just basically sat and boo-hooed. It was not fun. And it was not productive.

Sometimes, things happen and you can't just move on. You can't just buck up and say everything's going to be okay and move on with life. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not still eating cookie cake and crying - okay I cried a bit while talking to my Mom on the phone and telling her about my day. But I have moved on. I've put it behind me and just vowed to never voice an opinion in class again. :-) It's hard to move on when you think you've been wronged or treated unjustly.

But that's what moving on is for. I'm about to go enjoy Vampire Diaries with some very good friends. I've had a pretty good afternoon, as long as I don't think about the morning. Moving on is a talent (skill) we all need to learn.

After all, if you aren't rolling with the punches, you'll never make it back to your feet. And we all know that if you aren't on your feet, you're going to be swept away.

Things I Wish I'd Known...Homework

You know what that old Chinese proverb is, that really smart one that makes you go "hmmm..." and tap your finger on your chin? Yeah, that one. Well, that's kind of like the reaction you are going to have at the end of this blog post. I am going to make you think, college students. No more Ms Funny, Ms Nice Girl. Nuh-uh. Time to put that brain to work. If mine is being used (and it is - I'm learning about media in the politics) then yours should be used to.

Today's topic is homework. I'm almost at Fall Break and, oh boy, I was gunning for Friday, when I could peace out and slide into my break. And then I made a mistake. The fatal, life-altering mistake that forever skewed my outlook on Fall Break and basically life in general. I looked at my planner.

And fainted.

Almost.

Actually, I think my heart skipped a few beats and maybe failed for a split second. Where did all this homework come from? Yes, people who believe the "H-word" is no longer part of your vocabulary after K-12 school is over. Homework exists in college. You better get used to it.

Professors in college don't always remind you when something is due. Some will. If you've got a paper due on Monday, some of the nicer professors will remind you the Friday before. Some won't. They'll expect you to refer to the syllabus to remember when things are due.

I had this happen to me already this semester. I forgot some articles were due, my professor didn't remind us (perfectly within his rights) and thus, I didn't turn it in. Had I checked my syllabus (or my planner), I'd have known it was due and I'd have turned it in.

So here's some good advice to remember when it comes to homework:

• Don't delude yourself. Homework is just as big (perhaps bigger) a part of your life in college as it was in high school
• Do your homework within the week that it is assigned. This applies mainly to reading assignments, math problems or homework like that, not long-range homework such as papers.
• Never wait until the night before. Something's always gonna come up
• KEEP YOUR SYLLABUSES. These will become your lifeline.
• Take it upon yourself to note when things are due - don't rely on your professors to baby you. They're not your mommy or daddy.

So put on your big-boy pants and get a start on that homework your professor assigned you this morning. Yes, I know you want to eat ice cream and lie on the bed and watch Pretty Little Liars but trust me - get your homework done first.

I know I've gotta get mine done before I can watch Terra Nova tonight...so now to take my own advice!!! Peace out!

Things I Wish I'd Known...Senioritis

I'm a senior now. Put on the bells and get out the party favors! Graduation is in sight! Woot-woot! Of course, I'm a semester behind so I actually have a year and a half to go but I still call myself a senior - 'cause that's what I am. I'm a senior, I'm a senior, I'm a senior and I can so totally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Either it's the end of my college career or it's a train but it sure is coming fast.

That being said, today's blog post is on senioritis. It is an actual disease that you can have. Let me fill you in on the symptoms.

1. You don't want to do any work
2. Your desire to skip class is overwhelming
3. Homework can always wait until later
4. Studying is never something that is in the forefront of your mind.
5. Procrastination becomes second-nature.

I have senioritis. I'm doing papers the night before they're due, putting off research as long as I possibly can and skimping on assignments - doing the bare minimum to get by. This is not good. Case in point: I have 2 midterms next week and a book review due and 4 lesson plans and I haven't gotten any of it done except for the lesson plans.

I'm skipping class and chapel for no good reason other than I'm tired. I think I have had senioritis for a while but I've gotta get a handle on it or I'm gonna be spending all of Fall Break and Thanksgiving Break doing work (which I will probably be doing anyway, come to think of it.)

So here is some practical advice for conquering senioritis. Follow these simple steps and maybe you can avoid the plague.

• Plan out what is due and when - then plan to have everything done at least three days prior to the due date.
• Allow at least thirty minutes each day the week before a major test to study
• Go to class - even though you might be tired, skipping class is a mega-bad idea.
• Book reviews? Read the book at least a week before it's due so that you have time to write the review.
• Keep your eye on the prize - graduation!!

So now I think I'll take my own advice and get back to my work. Take my advice as well, as something I wish I'd known.

Conviction, Direction & Obedience

Obedience. It's a funny word. That word that we, as kids, often wish wasn't in our parents' vocabulary. "Obey your mom - clean your room." How many times have we heard that? Too many to count. But, as we get older, we begin to hear of obedience in a different light. Lately, I've been hearing it quite differently indeed.

These past two weeks, I've been in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. That's right, in Canada. And I instantly fell in love. The scenery is amazing. Rolling hills turning into mountains, beautiful blue Lake Shuswap, beaches...it's gorgeous. And even more gorgeous are the people's hearts. They love, they laugh, they live with an abandon that knows no bounds.

Since I came to Canada last March on a mission trip, I've felt like God was calling me to mission in Canada but I didn't do more than give it a passing thought. Yes, it would be nice to live in Canada and yes I feel a desire to bring knowledge of Jesus to these people but my dream is to be a high school history teacher. That's my major. I want to own a horse farm and get married, write books and teach kids to love the stories of the past. Maybe Canada will have to be only in short-term mission plans. That way, I'll still be following God's will and my dreams as well. God wouldn't really want me to start a camp in Canada, would He?

So I came back this summer, to BC this time, praying a lot that God would show me His will for me clearly through this summer. Last week, we went to convention in Calgary. The first night, the speaker gave a message about dying to your own dreams and following God's plan for your life. Thank you, God, for hitting me over the head. Die to my dreams? Ok. I'll give it some thought.

I'd already fallen in love with Salmon Arm but starting a camp in Canada (which is what I felt - feel - God calling me to do)? Do you know how much that would cost, God? How much I'd have to give up to do it? My dream, that's what. I've wanted to be a teacher for a really long time. So okay, I'll think about this plan of yours, God, but I'm making no promises.

Well, everyone knows what happens when you test God. He proves Himself to be right, haha. Sunday we were back in BC at Mountainview Baptist Church. Pastor Benje Bartley preached an amazing sermon about...yep. You guessed it. Obedience to God. Thanks, Benje. He preached on how we need to obey God, no matter the cost.

My dream is just that - my dream. I had to make a choice. Obey God and follow Him, even if I have no clue how I'm going to do that? Or follow my own dream and hope that God's satisfied with what I decide to give him? So I made the choice. I will follow God's plan. I'm still open to what He's doing and will do with my life but I know that it will involve a Christian camp for kids somewhere near Salmon Arm. Here is home. Here is where I will reach Canadians for Christ.

Building Blocks.

Interesting blog title, eh? Building blocks. It can mean so many things. Wanna know where I got the title? From my hot chocolate mug that has the name of my preschool ministry on it: Building Blocks. But it applies here as well.

Building blocks and baby steps pretty much go hand in hand. You can't have the completed castle before you build it and you can't run before you walk. It's a common-known fact. Today's blog post will be short.

I'm ready to be published. Like, right now, I'd love to see my book on the Bestseller list and see it in the paper or whatever. I've wanted to be published for a long time. But now I'm learning to walk before I run.

Last time I pitched a novel - my military novel Willing to Die, my author bio was kind of crappy. I had little to no writing credits and so I was pretty much trying to run before I walked. Now, this time around, I'm walking first. My author bio looks pretty tight now with a good many writing credits. Biography in a nonfiction compilation, assistant editor of DevoKids, Honorable Mention in a national writing contest...I'm slowly padding my author biography and so I hope that that will help me to get published. Who knows?

The waiting for word back about my manuscripts is killing me but I'm surviving. Learning a lot about prayer and God's will and just waiting. Waiting stinks but I'm getting better at it!

Making a Life Change

Yep. You heard (or read) correctly. Michelle Higdon is making a life change. Turning over a new leaf. Starting afresh. Call it what you will but I am changing the way I live life today - at least part of it. And I know that right now, as you read this blog post, you are salivating and wishing I would just tell you what life change I am making. Am I going to stop procrastinating? Start learning to play that guitar sitting in the corner of my room? Be more outgoing?

No. To all those. Yes, those are great things I should endeavor to do but, hey, a girl can only make one life change at a time. So here is what I am going to do.

I am going to be healthy. Lose weight. Eat better. However you would like to phrase it, it remains the same. I am going to make the change today. Why this sudden change, you ask? Because I finally decided to use the scale my parents bought me (I asked for it - I was too cheap to buy one myself). When I did, I was in for a shock. And no, I'm not gonna tell you what it read but I am going to tell you that it was not a pleasant number.

School really throws a kink in my "lose weight, eat healthy" schemes. When you've been in classes all day, doing homework, etc., etc., who wants to exercise that night? Not me. That's my problem - I always find a reason to put it off. "Oh, darn, I just got out of the shower!" "Oh, darn, too much homework tonight." Or my favorite, "Oh, darn, I forgot...well, I'll just do it tomorrow." Yeah, and then tomorrow NEVER comes.

But now I am going to do it. I gave up soft drinks at New Year's and that hasn't been a walk in the park. However, instead of giving up soft drinks, I traded my 100 calories in an 8 oz. bottle of Pepsi for 120 calories in Hi-C Fruit Punch. Why didn't I go straight to water? Now I've gotta wean myself off Hi-C as well.

So, the plan. Here it is. Are you ready? Maybe the plan can work for you too!

• Drink only water.
• Eat only healthy food (easier said than done at school) except when absolutely necessary. No more chicken strips & fries, no more burgers. Yep. You heard it here first, folks. Michelle Higdon is swearing off chicken strips. Except for maybe the occasional Chick-fil-a run, of course.
• Exercise. I will be enjoying my 10 Minute Solutions Blast Off Belly Fat DVD every night. Yes, you heard me. Every night. Unless I go for a run or something instead, but I hate running so I don't have very high hopes for that one

Okay, who thinks I can do it? I do. So let's see...ready? Set? Go!

Conference Woes

Went to a writer's conference this weekend and left all depressed-like. It was amazing, do not get me wrong, those of you shaking your heads at me and wondering if I'm on crack. The thing just depressed the snot out of me. Let me explain.

I learned a gazillion and one things. Like literally, a gazillion and one. How to change my middle from muddle to magnificent, how to creep out (and not creep out) an editor, how to make my characters set apart, etc. And it depressed me. Cause now I have so much work to do on my novel! Argh! My friend Beth and I spent Friday night on the way to my aunt's house reworking my novel. Which was great but now I've got a bunch of work to do. Oh well.

Another way the conference depressed me was that I went to this workshop class on your first page, led by an agent who read the first pages and commented on what was good/bad and whether or not she would want to read more. She must have read at least 15 first pages and all of them were good - in her opinion - and she would choose to read more! So if all those good first pages are out there, what makes mine any better? Why should I be the one who gets published? That depressed me to no end - even though I thought some of the first pages were kinda crappy. Anyway.

The conference did have some highlights - I met two wonderful women who were hilarious - Amy and Erin. They were super funny and it was a joy to meet them, even though the conference didn't give us much time for socializing. It was also nice to see that Beth and I weren't the only ones who skipped the morning Keynote and devotion...

So yes, now I see the sheer amount of work ahead of me but I also got some good feedback on my novel and I think I might have finally found my niche. Maybe. So now it's time to put the pedal to the metal, the fingers to the keyboard (insert more cliches here) and fix my novel!

Geez, I love conferences...

Patience...Hard stuff!

Man, they tell you all the time that "patience is a virtue." Well, thank you, Mr. Perfect, I know that. But did anyone really say that impatience was a vice? My patience has been put to the test lately - basically through my own doing and so I decided to blog on patience for all of you peoples out there who are as impatient as me or at least a little impatient.

Recently, I went to a writer's conference and met probably the nicest agent I've ever met. She was friendly, VERY nice during my pitch session (which was good because I was super duper nervous) and wrote me a really sweet card because I helped her out with making some copies. I mean, talk about a really good experience!

Trouble is, she asked for a proposal. Now I know all you people out there (and my writer group people) are all like 'that's fantastic, at least she wanted to see it!' and, yes, that's how I was at first as well. All, woo-hoo, bring it on, she wants a proposal, happy dance around the dorm room. Yeah. I happy danced. A lot. Called my mom, told my writer's group, told facebook, twitter, etc.

But now comes the patience part I talked about earlier. This particular agent was nice enough to send me an email saying she'd got my proposal and she'd hope to get back to me within six weeks. Uh-oh. Start the patience meter, my gut's saying it's gonna run out in about 6 DAYS. And it kinda did. I'll find myself thinking about my proposal at the oddest times, wondering if she's looked at it yet, trying not to get the hopes up, realizing that's impossible and even daydreaming different scenarios. Yep. I'm a nutter.

Then, I started thinking about it. This agent is more than likely super busy. She probably gets like a zillion proposals a day. Plus, she does consulting work as well so that takes time. Six weeks is probably a SUPER short time compared to other agents. It's just my fault that I'm impatient naturally.

So I've come up with some ways to get my mind off my proposal and figured I'd share them with you in case you were curious about how you can spend your time - other than crossing off dates on the calendar, working down to the six-week mark (yeah, I did that...)

1. Do something else. *Light bulb moment!* If you're waiting to hear on a proposal, don't just stop writing. Me, I'm working on my sequel so I'll have something to back up my novel once I do get it published or contracted. An agent/editor doesn't want a one-book wonder. They want someone who has more in the wings. So write.
2. Try not to think about the proposal. Now, that is harder said than done. Number one, don't get your hopes up. Don't decide the agent/editor is going to say no but don't decide your proposal is so awesome, they'll put you on Regis & Kelly tomorrow. Just don't think about it.
3. This one is most important. Pray about it. If it's God's will, it'll happen. I've been trying to do God's will for my life, not only in this but in all things. So I'm just praying that if God wants my story out in the world, He'll get it there in His own time. Each morning I pray that His will would be done with my proposal. It's still hard to wait but I can do it. And if I can do it...so can you!!

Patience is hard. But it's not impossible!

Spring Break

Okay, we're deviating from the Things I Wish I'd Known series for this post. I'm sitting in my dorm room, clothes in my car, DVDs chosen and packed and easy mac packs loaded and on the backseat. Yep. You guessed it. It's time for Spring Break!

Ah, Spring Break. It comes but once a year and is a time for students to leave the schoolbooks at school, the hassles and stress in that last class, the projects in the dorm room. Students are to have fun, relax and rejuvenate for the upcoming last month and a half of the semester. Right? These are the acknowledged rules of Spring Break.

Oh, yeah. Don't delude yourself. Along with my DVDs (most of which I left at school), is a WalMart reusable bag full of books (not fun ones) and notebooks for projects. I have about three nonfiction books to read and reports to write on those books. I have about four chapters to read in my Anthropology book. I have to plan at least four lessons on World War II - if not more.

Not to mention that I'm working Tuesday, Wednesday and either Thursday or Friday next week. And I've got a list of things to do for the college ministry while they're on a mission trip next week. Plus, I'm supposed to observe next Monday at BRHS and then teach either Thursday or Friday. Teach. As in, in front of real live high school students.

So yeah. Spring Break. A week of relaxation and fun...and oodles and oodles of work! YAY!!

Things I Wish I'd Known...Paying Attention in Class

It is super duper hard to pay attention in class sometimes. Don't you agree? Especially if you're taking notes on the computer, with Facebook, email and Twitter at your fingertips. Maybe you are just going to check your Facebook for a second and, next thing you know, you've missed three bullet points of the teacher's lecture.

I wish I'd known how important it is to pay attention in class. I'm a writer. That's what I do - write. So lots of times, I am working on a novel or a fanfiction or a short story in class instead of taking notes. Or I'm reading random articles about LOST or Harry Potter instead of paying attention. Main point is: I'm not paying attention. It happens in a lot of my classes (or it did) but one example stands out the most.

Last semester, I took Microeconomics. Not the highlight of my school career, lemme tell you what. It was boring, dull and I didn't really give a rip about firms and markets. So I'd zone out, check Facebook, update my blog or work on my latest novel. I would tune in every now and then and get down the major points but I wasn't hearing what my Professor was saying. When it came time for the test, it showed. No amount of studying could help me because I had no idea what the concepts meant. I could memorize the terms and spit 'em back out at you but I didn't know what they were. So the first test was a major bust.

And yet I still didn't learn my lesson. I continued to goof off and not pay attention and bombed the second test as well. Then, finally, I learned my lesson and started paying attention in class. On the final test, I actually did well.

So now I'm trying to do better. Trying to pay attention in class, not doing the Internet during class...I still slip up sometimes (especially when said class is particularly boring) but I'm doing a lot better.

I only wish I'd known this sooner...

Things You Should Know...Procrastination

Did you know that later will never come? It's true. I really don't care how many times you say "Oh, I'll do it later," or "Well, I'll do it tonight." Do you want me to let you in on a secret? Get ready. Are you listening?

Tomorrow is never going to come either. Because, as soon as you reach tomorrow, then you're in today and tomorrow is simply another word you can use to put something off. "I'll do my homework tomorrow." Well, sooner or later, tomorrow is going to become today and that homework will be due - but will it be done?

Trust me. I speak from experience. You're looking at probably the biggest procrastinator in the world. There's always something I'd rather be doing. Reading a book (like The Hunger Games), watching TV on my computer or writing one of my books. Or sleeping. So I put off my homework. Then, I'm either doing a very haphazard job at 11 at night because I'm so tired I want to go to bed or I just give up and don't study for that Anthropology test. It's one or the other. Then I stress out all morning because I didn't study and life's so unfair when, you know what? IT WAS ALL MY FAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!

Procrastination will get you nothing but a headache from all the stress. It's way easier to just study beforehand, do the homework on the same day it's assigned. Write the paper weeks in advance.

Want an example? Here's my day today: I had two classes. Between those classes, I made 8 cross necklaces for my basketball party tonight - which I should have made when I got them on Saturday. Procrastination One. Then I went straight to work and now I'm getting ready for said party. When I get back to school tonight, I have to do probably about 1 hour's worth of work for Curriculum Development. I have to read a chapter for Classroom Management. And I have to read a chapter for Anthropology. See what I mean about procrastination being bad? Also, I am out of clean professional clothes so I have to do the laundry I've been putting off for 2 weeks. And I'm going to watch a basketball game at 9:30 because I promised a friend.

So take it from me. Don't procrastinate. And now I'm gonna try and take my own advice...until next time!!

Michelle