As if writing a book isn’t enough of a challenge!

TOO FAR DOWN IS FINALLY COMING!!! OCTOBER!!!

I’ve tossed around ideas for a blog post for today and I am telling you all I can think of is the last couple of months and my stupid EYEBALL SURGERY!!!!!!

Yes, I know, I’ve whined until people’s ears are bleeding. And I know the challenges others face.

For some reason every time I say, Eye surgery, I seem to be met with, “Well, my neighbor is taking chemo…my sister’s child is in the hospital…my friend lives in Houston and lost EVERYTHING.

Okay, I get it. Count your blessings. Lots of people have it worse. I KNOW!

And I am grateful that such excellent surgery exists that I am going to be fine.

But still…it’s been a long couple of months!

I

My new writing posture. Left hand numb. Grrrr!

’ve spent too much of it having to hold my computer ridiculously close to my face because my eyes are just not working right. The surgery either messed up the eye glasses prescription I need or…I need more healing time. As a result, I hold the computer funny if I really want to COMFORTABLY read. I spend most of my writing time Uncomfortably reading…BUT TO COMFORTABLY READ I balance my laptop with my left hand while I type with one finger on my right hand. And because of that, my left hand is now numb. I’ve looked it up…and know the cure. Stop bending your elbow so much. It’s called cubital tunnel syndrome. It’s like carpal tunnel is to your WRIST this is to your elbow.

I’m sure in an effort to cure that I’ll cause some other affliction. (whining again)

I’m getting to my point.

Sometimes we have to just keep going. I picture those folks in Houston wading through waist deep water. They just keep going. Through hardship, tragedy, loss…against the current…whatever is happening to you, sometimes as writers with deadlines…or even without deadlines but with a desire to get our story onto paper…we just do our best. We struggle on.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now to me, as a rule, this verse is something you say at a funeral. I remember saying it, or maybe thinking it, at my dad’s funeral. “He fought the good fight.”

Which to me just meant he lived his faith to the end through a long, slow, hard death from cancer.

But it also means to me right now…getting through. Not through life, but through hardship.

Which brings me to another point, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” (no I’m not complaining…much…about this stupid eye…because this is an old question) The answer to this question is that God’s first love for us, his first priority for us, is our souls.

Yes he loves us and intercedes with our lives through our prayers, but bad things do happen, despite our prayers. But we need to check with what is happening through these hard times to our SOULS. God tends us on a spiritual level. If a child dies a lingering death, but has a true faith, then there I rejoicing in heaven.

If a wealthy, comfortable man lives to be 93 and dies surrounded by love and family and furniture bought at Neiman Marcus, but doesn’t believe…then to God this is a tragic life.

So it’s time to remember this. Has the eye surgery, the struggle, the stupid numb hand affected my soul? No. I won’t say this has been a spiritually enlightening time either. It’s just been a time to fight the good fight. To finish the race. To endure and mostly…to keep the faith.

We all go through this. Life isn’t a stroll through a bed of roses. There’s a reason they call where we live now the earth. Why earthly things can be fraught with trouble. Because the earth is the earth. It's a separation from God that is healed in heaven.

So I type weird. I’m far more prone to typos thanks to blurry eyes. I’ve had to cancel a trip because my eye doctor sez I’ll go blind in an airplane (still planning on ACFW--I hope). I have a weird dark bubble in my left eye, like looking through tinted sunglasses in a circle that covers about 1/3 of my eye. It's getting smaller but man-oh-man is it slow...The doctor also said if I flew in a plane the pain would be so awful I’d be screaming at the pilot to land, to let me off.

I told him to chill with the drama. He had me at blind. But I could tell he liked the ‘screaming’ part of his diagnosis, and he couldn’t be stopped.

I type on. I’ve let far too much go in the rest of my life, but I’ll make my book deadline…hopefully with a book not loaded with typos. I’ve got a daughter lined up to read it before I send it. Check for typos that don't light up spell check. 'If' instead of 'in'. 'Us' instead of 'up'. Stuff like that.

I’ll add another less Biblical saying. When at last you come to the end of your rope…tie a knot and hang on.

Or how about one my beloved mother-in-law used to say.

This too shall pass.

Hang in there. This too shall pass. Keep the faith.

Leave a comment...I'd like to here ONE TIME in your life you struggled. Please let it not only be ME who is a whiner.

To get your name in the drawing you've got to mention at least one STRUGGLE!

General comments are welcome but today's giveaway is to those who struggled.

Now it is time for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A PRIZE!!!!!!!!

BOOK #3 IN THE CIMARRON LEGACY SERIES IS HERE AT LAST!!!

I WILL PICK A WINNER NOW AND SEND THE BOOK AS SOON AS I GET IT.

TOO FAR DOWN

Smother yourself....on doctor's orders. HARSH

Cowboys, Action, Humor, and History Collide in Connealy's LatestWhen an explosion kills men and damages the CR Mining Company, the Bodens realize their

Cole Boden finds himself caught between missing his time back East and all that New Mexico offers. Sure he fights with his siblings now and then, but he does care for them. He enjoys running the mine and, when he's honest, he admits that Melanie Blake captures his interest in a way no other woman ever has.

Melanie has been a friend to the Bodens forever. A cowgirl who is more comfortable with horses and lassoes than people, she never expected to find herself falling for someone. Particularly for refined Cole Boden, a Harvard graduate who may not stay long at the ranch. She's determined, however, to help the Bodens finally put an end to the danger that's threatened all of them. But will putting herself in harm's way be more dangerous than anyone expected?

troubles are not behind them as they thought. Shadowy forces are still working against them.

Are You A Couch (Desk) Potato? Let’s Get Moving!

Missy Tippens

I have a confession to make, and it’s embarrassing to admit. But I know you're a supportive group. So here goes...

I am a slug.

I started using a fitness tracker a few months ago, and it’s been great to give me alerts each hour to get up and move around. But even when I give in to those nudges, my steps per day are usually only in the 3000-5000 range. I do sometimes hit 7000 (like days I do yard work or go shopping), but the recommendation is to get at least 10,000 steps per day.

I need to get moving, and I suspect some of you writers and readers probably do as well.

So I’m issuing a challenge!!

Let’s try to get moving more. For health, fitness and even creativity.

We already know that exercise helps reduce stress (we can all use that!). But Wendy A. Suzuki, Author of Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate YourBrain & Do Everything Better, says her lab has demonstrated that exercise improves our ability to shift and focus attention. And also that exercise might be able to improve the imaginative functions of the hippocampus. You can read her whole article by clicking here.

Today, I thought I would share some fitness ideas that I may be trying in the coming weeks. I'm hoping y'all will help hold me accountable (Ack! That's scary to say that out loud!). But before we move on to practical ideas, here's the not-so-small print...

NOTE! Be sure to see you medical provider before starting any new activity or fitness program. I am not a medical professional and only offer these suggestions based on my personal experiences.

If you zoom in, you can see I only had 3.1k steps on my Fitbit when I took this photo!

Now that the small print is out of the way, here are some ideas I've had for ways to get more active:

1.   Take a walk daily, or at least several times a week. This is great because it doesn’t require anything but comfortable walking shoes and a safe place to walk. When we moved last summer, we found a neighborhood with sidewalks and no steep hills. I have the perfect place to walk. No excuses!

2.   If you like to dance, find a class or even a video you can do in your home. I used to do Zumba at our church and loved it. But then I injured my foot twice (stress fractures) and had to give it up. Now, I plan to look into dance-type exercise videos or streaming sites that I can use at home.

3.   If you can afford it, you might want to join a fitness club. They usually offer classes and equipment. And some have swimming pools if you need low-impact exercise.

4.   If you’re homebound or have physical limitations that make it impossible to do anything I’ve mentioned so far, speak with your doctor. After my mom had surgery years ago, we bought some small hand weights for her to do exercises to strengthen her arms. Any movement helps! Adding weights and resistance can also help strengthen our bones.

5.   We’ve had previous posts from writers who write while walking on a treadmill (a treadmill desk). You can check out two of those posts here, and here.

To help come up with other ideas (and to inspire you!), I’ve asked a few of my writer friends to share how they try to keep fit and healthy.

Ruthy Logan Herne says she works out doing fun videos her daughter Beth posts. She does them for ten minute stretches at least three times a day. And she always parks far away from the door. Always. She says extra time moving equals a stronger body core.

Mary Connealy says she walks while she talks with her mom on the phone each day, which probably gives her a total of 20 minutes or more of daily activity. (Note from Missy: What a great idea!)

Debby Giusti says: “I try to push away from my computer at regular intervals to stretch and take a water break. Each afternoon, I walk, either at the gym or on the golf cart trails that weave through my hometown. We live on a lake so sometimes I stop to watch the geese. At other times, I might throw bread to the turtles in the nearby pond. I've attracted as many as fourteen who fight off the fish for the tasty morsels of whole wheat. One turtle is huge--over a foot long and equally wide. Getting out in nature helps me unwind and relax, plus the exercise is good for circulation. The gym is always available on rainy days.”

Sandra Leesmith says: “I have always enjoyed the outdoors and find that staying fit not only keeps me healthy, but it keeps my mind alert and active. Lately, I have been playing pickleball. Do you know that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the US today?  It is like a moving ping-pong game on the court that is the size of a badminton court and looks something like tennis. If you have played any racket sport, you will easily pick up the game.  I play for two hours every morning. Pickleball reversed my osteoporosis so I really feel doubly blessed. You can view videos on the official website USAPA.org.”

Janet Dean’s office is upstairs, so she goes up and down the stairs for breaks and meals. She also sets a phone timer to get up and move every hour. When she doesn't move, her Fitbit reminds her not to be a slug! She recommends using light hand weights 3x per week. Plus, she takes a walk with her husband daily.

Jan Drexler says: “I start my morning by walking the dogs for almost a mile around our neighborhood - as far as our elderly husky can go. Other than that, the only other exercise I get daily is running downstairs to the laundry room and back! We try to go hiking on weekends during the summer months (not as often as we need to or would like), and my husband and I walk at the mall or around the neighborhood in the evening when we can. I also try to eat healthy and keep the sugar to a minimum. But the one thing that has helped me the most lately is my Garmin Vivo (like a Fitbit). If I remain in one spot for too long, it reminds me to get up and move!”

Virginia Carmichael aka Mary Jane Hathaway says: “I just turned 43 and my youngest is 7, which means my metabolism is non-existent and I have no toddlers to chase. I tried joining a gym, but it was 20 minutes away and I just never seemed to make the time. Then I decided to walk more in our neighborhood, but I always seemed to have an excuse (too rainy, too hot, too cold, too dark, too busy). 

    A friend told me about how she adapted her treadmill to hold her laptop, and I thought that was a great idea. Now I walk an hour a day while I do computer tasks like email, reading blogs, and Facebooking. In fact, I'm on it right now!

    Here's to a long and HEALTHY writing career!”

I hope those examples inspired you like they’ve inspired me. These women are some of the most productive writers I know. We shouldn’t have a false notion of having to be writing all the time, chaining ourselves to our computers. We’ll be more productive if we make the time to take care of ourselves.

THE CHALLENGE

So…who wants to join me in becoming more active? (Remember to always check with your doctor before starting any physical activity!) Or if you’re already active and would like encouragement to keep going, please join us! I’ve set up a secret Facebook group (no one but members will be able to see the group or the posts) where we can gather and support each other. Email me at seekers [at] seekerville.net with “Get Moving” in the subject line and let me know you’d like to be added to the group. (Please note…Tina just told me that you and I will need to be friends already for this to work. So, we’ll need to connect before I can sign you up.)

Now, for today… let’s talk about how we can start moving more. Feel free to admit you’re a slug like me. There’s no judgement around here! If you’re not a slug, please share your tips for staying active.

I’ll be giving away a CamelBak eddy water bottle to one lucky commenter today! (U.S. addresses only.) Please let me know if you’d like to be entered.

Missy Tippens, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from near Atlanta, Georgia, made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest and a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award. A House Full of Hope was a Romance Writers of America 2013 RITA^® Nominee. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.