Saturday 25 June 2011

SFFS #4

This week's six comes from The Thalladium, one of my WIPs. It continues on from the previous sixes. I hope that you enjoy.


When we got to the beach, I sat down on one of the rocks. A dog bite could be nasty, I was under no illusions as to that, but I wanted to do what I could. The children gathered around me, expectation and curiosity written all over their faces: what WAS I going to do?

I picked up a sharp rock. Pulling my overrobe up to my knees, I used the rock to tear the underrobe a bit. Then I tore it all around the base to get two strips of cloth that could be used as bandages.

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Today I Will Make a Difference - by Max Lucado

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)

Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002) Max Lucado

Saturday 18 June 2011

SFFS Week #3

Here's another snippet from The Thalladium, my WIP set in the Anders Universe. This continues directly on from the previous snippet, which you can find here.

I looked around at the group. Now I could see that there were some tear tracks running down the grubby faces of the littlest ones. I didn’t want to give them false hope, but I was so sure that I could help Petay. I turned back to James. “I realise that this is how things happen here, but where I am from, things are different. I honestly believe that I can help Petay – and if I do, and he survives, I will teach all of you how to do the same – and more."

Sunday 12 June 2011

"Excuse me, I'm going now ..."

I had a good giggle at work the other day. For those who don't know, I work on a farm. But not your ordinary farm. This farm is attached to a college, and we teach courses like horticulture and animal care on the campus.

So if I start talking about snakes, don't fall off your chairs - please! See, I'm a scaredy-cat when it comes to snakes. I respect them, but please let me know where they are in the cage before you thrust me in front of the cage. So it's been quite interesting having two carpet pythons (called Thelma and Louise, I kid you not) staring at me whenever I walk into work over the last month or so. They were put into an enclosure in our entrance lobby, you see.

But that's the background. Here's the giggle. See, the one day, these two pythons were huddled together on a branch in their cage. It was rather difficult to determine which was which, and which part belonged to which. And then the thought ran through my mind: what would happen if one of them decided to de-huddle itself? If it moved off, would the other one collapse, dangling over the branches like a flung rope thinking "What the flip?"?

Or, as someone suggested to me, would it say "Excuse me, I'm going now ..."

Sunday 5 June 2011

He is Kind

by Max Lucado

“God has . . . all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us.” Ephesians 2:7, The Message

God knows everything about you, yet he doesn’t hold back his kindness toward you. Has he, knowing all your secrets, retracted one promise or reclaimed one gift?

No, he is kind to you. Why don’t you be kind to yourself? He forgives your faults. Why don’t you do the same? . . . He believes in you enough to call you his ambassador, his follower, even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself?

Saturday 4 June 2011

SFFS Week #2

This week's snippet continues on from the one I posted last week, so is also from The Thalladium. And so, without further ado:


I looked straight at James. “Please can you fetch Petay and bring him to me down by the beach – near the outcrop of rocks at the top end.”

James put his hand on my shoulder. “Kate, I know you love the little guy – I do to – but you’ve got to let him go. We have. Don’t make it worse for all of us.”

If you want to read more speculative fiction snippets, follow this link.