My middle daughter is learning to drive. Since we homeschool, and live in a rural area, it means there are no driving schools in the area. We called the public schools to see if they’d let my children join in their Driver’s Ed classes, but they are having trouble finding instructors for the public school kids and were unwilling to take the homeschooled ones.
That means teaching her is my husband’s and my job. Since my oldest daughter wrecked the van the very first time I took her out driving, I was naturally afraid to take the middle daughter out. So I asked my husband to do it. He’s busy but reluctantly agreed.
Understand, his approach is, "Just do it. Get in, get it done. Drive fast. Keep up your speed, and no taking-it-slow." He expected her to be a fully-trained driver the first time she got behind the wheel. Of course, she came home shaking, in tears, begging me to take over the lessons. I asked DH to take her again, and we ended up with the same reaction.
Sigh. I didn’t want her to hate driving so I prayed first (I really didn't want to die) and took her out driving. We drove the back roads, and I told her, "Drive slowly. Take it as easy as you want." She was very, very slow, but I’d rather she drive like that than wrap the car around a tree or put it in a ditch. When we got on the main road, a truck passed since she was going at a snail’s pace. Then I asked her to pull over, and took over driving until we got back on another side road.
I took her out twice more, including today, and still, she isn’t main-road-ready. For example, she’s terrified of mailboxes. If we pass one, she'll move to the other side of the road. (Local readers, beware.) But she is getting more confident with her braking. I don’t fly forward and get caught by the seatbelt when she touches the brakes anymore (well, usually).
Have you ever noticed a parallel between driving and writing? Some writers start out full-speed and expect to be published (or self-publish) without taking the time to learn the rules and do it right. But other writers are overly-cautious, taking years and years (and even more years) to polish a manuscript, draining all the excitement and life out of their story.
Finally, there'll come a time when you are confident at the keyboard: typing, editing, and creating without worry. This comes with time and practice. The chapters you send to your critique partners come back with minimal changes and the first draft is very near the polished, published copy. Possibly, you'll even be meeting multiple deadlines a year.
It takes time, practice, and attention to detail to get to that point.
Just like driving still takes attention, but you still know what you’re doing.
The Christian walk takes time, as well, but with study, prayer, and discipleship, you'll grow as a Christian, more confident of the faith, and He that is in you.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (KJV) says:
Lord, help me as I live for You, work for You, and try to mirror You in my life. Amen.
Award-winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and three of their children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom, and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor. Laura also has two adult children.
Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Bird House in September 2015.
See below for information on Laura's latest, The Christmas Admirer. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.
Connect with Laura
http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q
visit her blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Laura_V_Hilton or @Laura_V_Hilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/
Love by the Numbers
After her fiancé dies in a buggy accident, Lydia Hershberger is invited to Jamesport to manage her Mennonite aunt’s gift store while her aunt and uncle are on a mission trip. While there, Lydia gets acquainted with her aentie’sbest friend, Bethel Bontrager, and her grown son, Caleb. Lydia is surprised to find herself drawn to the handsome clockmaker, Caleb Bontrager. But in spite of an instant flame of attraction between them, he doesn’t seem interested. In fact, pesky Caleb treats her like he doesn’t even like her.
Bright and sparkly. That’s Caleb’s first impression of Lydia. He’s always been attracted to sparkly things. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause are exactly why he’s determined to change his ways and settle down. With Lydia’saentie gone, he is handling the books for the gift shop and is forced to spend too much time in her presence.
When God offers Lydia a second chance at love and family, will she take it? Or will the secret Caleb harbors cause her even more heartbreak?
That means teaching her is my husband’s and my job. Since my oldest daughter wrecked the van the very first time I took her out driving, I was naturally afraid to take the middle daughter out. So I asked my husband to do it. He’s busy but reluctantly agreed.
Understand, his approach is, "Just do it. Get in, get it done. Drive fast. Keep up your speed, and no taking-it-slow." He expected her to be a fully-trained driver the first time she got behind the wheel. Of course, she came home shaking, in tears, begging me to take over the lessons. I asked DH to take her again, and we ended up with the same reaction.
Sigh. I didn’t want her to hate driving so I prayed first (I really didn't want to die) and took her out driving. We drove the back roads, and I told her, "Drive slowly. Take it as easy as you want." She was very, very slow, but I’d rather she drive like that than wrap the car around a tree or put it in a ditch. When we got on the main road, a truck passed since she was going at a snail’s pace. Then I asked her to pull over, and took over driving until we got back on another side road.
I took her out twice more, including today, and still, she isn’t main-road-ready. For example, she’s terrified of mailboxes. If we pass one, she'll move to the other side of the road. (Local readers, beware.) But she is getting more confident with her braking. I don’t fly forward and get caught by the seatbelt when she touches the brakes anymore (well, usually).
Have you ever noticed a parallel between driving and writing? Some writers start out full-speed and expect to be published (or self-publish) without taking the time to learn the rules and do it right. But other writers are overly-cautious, taking years and years (and even more years) to polish a manuscript, draining all the excitement and life out of their story.
Finally, there'll come a time when you are confident at the keyboard: typing, editing, and creating without worry. This comes with time and practice. The chapters you send to your critique partners come back with minimal changes and the first draft is very near the polished, published copy. Possibly, you'll even be meeting multiple deadlines a year.
It takes time, practice, and attention to detail to get to that point.
Just like driving still takes attention, but you still know what you’re doing.
The Christian walk takes time, as well, but with study, prayer, and discipleship, you'll grow as a Christian, more confident of the faith, and He that is in you.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (KJV) says:
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ,And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
Lord, help me as I live for You, work for You, and try to mirror You in my life. Amen.
 |
| About the Author |
Award-winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and three of their children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom, and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor. Laura also has two adult children.
Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Bird House in September 2015.See below for information on Laura's latest, The Christmas Admirer. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.
Connect with Laura
http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q
visit her blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Laura_V_Hilton or @Laura_V_Hilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/
Love by the Numbers
After her fiancé dies in a buggy accident, Lydia Hershberger is invited to Jamesport to manage her Mennonite aunt’s gift store while her aunt and uncle are on a mission trip. While there, Lydia gets acquainted with her aentie’sbest friend, Bethel Bontrager, and her grown son, Caleb. Lydia is surprised to find herself drawn to the handsome clockmaker, Caleb Bontrager. But in spite of an instant flame of attraction between them, he doesn’t seem interested. In fact, pesky Caleb treats her like he doesn’t even like her.
Bright and sparkly. That’s Caleb’s first impression of Lydia. He’s always been attracted to sparkly things. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause are exactly why he’s determined to change his ways and settle down. With Lydia’saentie gone, he is handling the books for the gift shop and is forced to spend too much time in her presence.
When God offers Lydia a second chance at love and family, will she take it? Or will the secret Caleb harbors cause her even more heartbreak?
Laura V. Hilton posts the first Tuesday of every month. For more of Laura's posts, click here.
