Catching Idle Butterflies

Ramble-scramble-bumble-stumble

This will be a bit of a rambling entry today. Got lots of subjects fumbling around in my head.

I sent in my last assignment for the Apprentice course back on 4/25. By May 17, I have heard nothing back, either from my mentor or from the Guild indicating I had completed the course on time.

I sent my mentor an email asking if he even received my last lesson, and by the 20th, I still haven’t heard a thing. So I wrote the Guild asking what happens next.

Yesterday morning I received an email from the Guild stating thus:

I’m sorry you haven’t heard from [your mentor]. I’ve e-mailed him to see if there’s a problem. I also asked him to re-send his comments.

I can tell you that he e-mailed our office on 5/4/06 to say that you completed the course, and we’ve already sent out your certificate. You should receive it this week. Congratulations!

Thank you for your perseverance in completing the course, we wish you much success in your writing endeavors.

I then received another email stating that if I want to keep my Guild membership I need to send them $125. I’ll be doing so within the next few days.

I still haven't heard from my mentor. I hope nothing's wrong.

Yesterday afternoon, I received my completion certificate along with a letter expressing congratulations. It also said my mentor recommended me for the Journeyman course and they included a brochure giving the details.

I know I said I have no intention of taking the course ($1250 for 24 lessons), because I want to apply what I’ve already learned. Plus that’s quite a chunk of money to spend.

Yet as far as fiction writing goes, I’m in a dry spell. Taking the course will likely get my motivation back up. For the last two years, all I did was write, completing 2½ novels and a few short stories. I miss being swallowed up by the worlds revolving in my mind.

They also sent me a survey sheet giving my impression of the course and my mentor. I must admit I don’t want to fill it out, because while the course itself exceeded my expectations, my mentor disappointed me a few times. I don’t like giving low scores, but I like being dishonest even less.

I’ve decided, at least for now, to forego the Journeyman course. Being in a fiction dry spell isn’t that big of a deal. I’m still writing, and that’s what counts. I’m thinking with what I’m learning about the Bible, that’s the direction God wants me to go. I really want to write those articles I discussed in an earlier entry. I must go where my passions take me (within reason of course ). Dry spells never last for long. I just need to be patient.

Here’s something to think about:

The DaVinci Code – Blessed by God?

I’m going to contradict what I said in my entry "To whom the dollars go" . I’ve always believed God will use any circumstance to further His will, and I think Dan Brown’s book is a perfect example of that.

The thing about controversies is everyone talks about them. During my Disciple class last Sunday, Barb said, “Because of the DaVinci Code, I have been given more opportunities to talk about Jesus than I ever have before.”

Even in Blogville people are discussing it and have been ever since the book came out and started to make waves.

Anything that gets us to talk about Jesus has to be a good thing, no matter which side of the controversy you’re on.

God wants to be known, and He will take any avenue, use any action by any person or event to make that happen.