Weekend Bible Reading

On Monday I will have more grammar tips, this time on parallel construction and what it means to our writing. And I'm mulling over various topics to explore further here.

For you writers out there, check out Susan May Warren's blog Book Therapy. She's going step by step on how to set up and write a novel. And there's place for the braver ones to submit their "homework" for Susan and Rachel Hauck to evaluate and help out. I highly recommend it for all writers, pubbed or yet-to-be pubbed!

Have a blessed weekend.

If you're reading through the Bible with me, I hope you're already as blessed, convicted, and in love with God as I am! Each day I ask the Lord to show me what He has for me out the scripture I'm reading. And each day He has answered. He is so good!

Friday Bible reading: Genesis 27–28, Romans 9:16–33
Saturday Bible reading: Genesis 29–30, Romans 10
Sunday Bible reading: Genesis 31–32, Romans 11:1–18

Bible Reading

Genesis 25–26, Romans 9:1–15

Happily Even After by Marilyn Griffith

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Happily Even After (#3 - Sassy Sistahood Series)
(Steeple Hill January 1, 2008)
by
Marilynn Griffith


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilynn Griffith is mom to a tribe, wife to a deacon and proof that God gives second chances. While best known for her colorful novels about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn is also a speaker and nonfiction writer.

Her nonfiction has been included in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN'S SOUL and several other devotionals and magazines. Currently, Marilynn is editor of the SISTAHFAITH:BELIEVING BEYOND SHAME anthology. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for faith fiction readers.

Marilynn is the author of six novels dealing with issues such as teen pregnancy, AIDS, abstinence, stress relief, single parenting and marriage. Her recent fiction titles include TANGERINE and IF THE SHOE FITS.

Marilynn has served as Vice President and Publicity Officer of American Christian Fiction Writers. She speaks to youth, women and writers about believing beyond boundaries and daring to reach dreams.

Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and seven children whom she taught at home for seven years. When not chasing toddlers, helping with homework or trying to find her husband a clean shirt, she can be found scribbling furiously on her next novel.

To book Marilynn for media interviews, speaking engagements, Serious Fun fiction parties or book club call-ins, please contact her thru her WEBSITE.



ABOUT THE BOOK
Superwoman doesn't live here!

I marry a gorgeous executive, have a baby, lose all the weight (most of it), and move to a fine house in the suburbs with a welcoming new church. Wait...did I say welcoming?

One teeny waaah! and new mothers and their crying babies are exiled to a separate room. At least there's some enlightening conversation. Like about my husband and issues I didn't even know about!

And then there's my aptly named mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, who can't stand me.

I'm about to lose my mind! So it's high time for a visit to the Sassy Sistahood for some much-needed advice about men, marriage and motherhood!

The Sassy Sistahood: They get by with a little help from their friends.


Margie's Comments: Happily Even After is an enjoyable read—convicting, too. Tracey, a new mother, is still adjusting to marriage, a "nosy" mother-in-law, and a new church. In the shuffle she's lost her identity trying to conform to everyone's expectations for her. Many times hilarious, often thought-provoking, this an excellent portrayal of how most women struggle in these situations. I ended my reading of this third book in a series with a satisfied sigh. Definitely a must read, especially for those who find themselves in one or more of these situations.


Today's Bible reading: Genesis 23–24, Romans 8:22–38

The Confusing Comma, 3, continued

Let’s jump right in to these sentences. Do they need commas and why?

4. Without any obligation, order your sample record today.
This does need a comma for clarity. This prepositional phrase has a natural pause after it, and therefore would use the comma. However . . .

5. In a few cases you will find a winner.
Usually, if one short prepositional phrase begins the sentence, it doesn’t need a comma after it. And since the trend is going toward fewer commas, this is a good place to delete one. But . . .

6. At the edge of the deep Maine woods near Moosehead Lake, he built a small log cabin.
There’s always the exception J. (Yikes! I just realized I forgot the e on Maine yesterday. Just proof that even editors need editors J.) Because this sentence starts out with three prepositional phrases, we need the comma—to indicate a pause, if for no other reason. Without it, reading this sentence makes me breathless.

7. Consequently, Tom must make the decision.
Single adverbs at the beginning of sentences—especially those that end in –ly—usually have a comma after them. Then and now would be the exception. If these words flow smoothly into the sentence (think Now what? or Then let’s go.), don’t put a comma after them. If it’s a “throwaway” word, like well or oh, then definitely put in the comma.


I hope this discussion on the introductory comma is helpful to you. Please leave a comment if you have more questions about this, or any other punctuation/editing confusion.


Today’s Bible reading: Genesis 20–22, Romans 8:1–21

The Confusing Comma, 3

I’ve had a lot of questions over the last few months about the use of the introductory comma, the comma used to set off introductory material in a sentence.

Let’s look at the following sentences without commas. Try to determine if a comma is needed, and if so, where the comma should go. (The examples I’m using come from Punctuation Plain and Simple by Edgar C. and Jean A. Alward.)

1. Walking through the woods on a brisk fall day can provide us with many rewarding experiences.

2. Having checked all accounts receivable the clerk concluded that somebody must have given him $24 too much.

3. To achieve the highest standards possible the school committee hired the best-qualified teachers available.

4. Without any obligation order your sample record today.

5. In a few cases you will find a winner.

6. At the edge of the deep Main woods near Moosehead Lake he built a small log cabin.

7. Consequently Tom must make the decision.

Okay, now let’s look at the answers and the reasons we use or don’t use a comma in these sentences.

1. Walking through the woods on a brisk fall day can provide us with many rewarding experiences.
This sentence doesn’t need a comma. The gerund phrase (Walking through the woods on a brisk fall day) is the subject of the sentence and can’t be separated from its predicate (can provide).

2. Having checked all accounts receivable, the clerk concluded that somebody must have given him $24 too much.
This is a participial (adjective) phrase describing the clerk. So it needs to be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Even if we moved that phrase to after clerk, we would need to set it off with commas: The clerk, having checked all accounts receivable, concluded that somebody must have given him $24 too much.

Hint: If you can put the participial phrase from the beginning of the sentence into the sentence somewhere, it will need commas, and therefore, needs a comma when used as an introduction to the sentence.

3. To achieve the highest standards possible, the school committee hired the best-qualified teachers available.
This is an infinitive phrase (to achieve is an infinitive: to + a verb). Again, for clarity and because of the natural pause after such a phrase, we need the comma.


That’s enough for today. Tomorrow we will cover the four other examples of introductory commas.


Today’s Bible reading: Genesis 18–19, Romans 7

Weekend Bible Reading

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 13–15, Romans 5

Sunday's Bible reading: Genesis 16–17, Romans 6

Lead, Kindly Light

For a person who loves to see what's ahead on the road of life, I'm not allowed that luxury anymore. And from the hymn history I read this morning, neither was John Henry Newman. (And many other godly men and women in the past and in 2008. So I know I'm not alone on this path.)

Here are the words:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on;
Keep Thou my feet: I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on;
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.

So long Thy pow'r has blessed me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.


That second verse jumped out in bold at me this morning. How that describes me. But I want to be like Abraham in Romans 4:21: He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.

Here's the story behind the hymn. At 32, John was a leader in the Church of England, sent to Italy to meet with Catholic leaders there. While there, he became ill with Sicilian fever. Still sick, he boarded a ship back to England. He wanted to get home. But no wind and a heavy fog kept the ship from being able to navigate or sail. In this stillness, John was restless, no longer in control of his life. He penned these words. And kept praying that God would move the ship.

Finally, there was a break in the fog, and one star shone through. The ship's captain told Newman, "The star is shining tonight. If a wind rises, we can chart our course. At night one little star is sufficient."

Newman realized that he'd been looking for dazzling sunlight to guide him through life. He wrote this in his journal, then concluded with, "but He sent me the kindly light of a star to show me the way one step at a time."

That's all we really need—light on the path to see one step at a time. And our hand tucked securely into His. God is good.

Bible Reading for today: Genesis 10–12, Romans 4


I'm hoping to return to some self-editing tips on Monday. Have a blessed weekend.

Bible Reading

Busy writing and editing today, but I didn't completely forget to post the Bible reading for the day, in case any of you are reading with me :).

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 6–9, Romans 3

I'm already benefiting from the readings each day. God is so good! And His love for us is amazing. These passages today, especially, reinforced this in my mind once more.

Back to Work

January 2. Back to work day. I took all of last week off. Did a lot of reading, a lot of organizing. Culled through my books—decided what to sell, what to keep. Cut into the TBR piles/boxes/bookshelves. Yeah, I have a lot of books! But between books from ICRS in 2005 and 2006 and books I received for judging in various contests, there were a lot of freebies in those piles :).

Now it's back to work. Over the holidays book ideas galore popped into my head. Now it's time to see which one is viable. Plus continuing to work on the rewrite of my romantic suspense. And I have a January 15 deadline to meet with the last of my caregiving devotionals. Then I have at least five proofreading and editing projects to work on. So I'm not lacking for work!

How about you? Are you getting back into the swing of things? Did you make some resolutions for this year? Mine are usually pretty vague, simply because I find that those made with my desires and wishes almost always get changed. The Lord is continually showing me that His way is best. But I still have goals I strive to work toward accomplishing—like reading the Bible through this year, learning more of God's love and grace.

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 4–6, Romans 2

Happy New Year!

Sitting in my recliner watching the Rose Bowl Parade, I can hardly believe we are at the beginning of another year. I love the prospect of a year untarnished, full of hope.

This year I'm committing to read through the Bible, something I've not done for a long time. While the New American Standard is my version of choice, usually, I've chosen the New Living Translation to read this year. This will force me to slow down and pay attention to what I'm reading. Out of the many reading plans I looked at, I chose the blended reading schedule from Back to the Bible. I'm inviting you to read with me this year, so I'll post the daily reading schedule each day.

(That will make me post every day, too!)

Today's reading: Genesis 1–3, Romans 1s

Verse for today: Philippians 3:10–14

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

May you all have a blessed and prosperous New Year!