Linda Wichman

WHO AM I . . .A WAVE TOSSED ON THE OCEAN . . .A CANDLE IN THE WIND?

Yep that verse from one of my favorite CCM groups, ‘Casting Crowns,’ pretty much sums up who I am in this vast sea of infinite possibilities and yet, I say this with unrelenting hope, because God continually tells me exactly who I am.

I am His!

The hopeless romantic that I am, hopes whoever reads my ramblings, rants and praises, first does some legwork and visits my website and bio. That way, I won’t bore you with back-story of who I am, and why I write fiction novels, presently historical fantasy romances with a Biblical worldview.

I plan to be myself in this writer’s journal. No sugarcoating, unless I happen to be wearing rose-tinted glasses, which can happen to the best of us. This means you’ll get a candid view of Linda Wichman the wife-lover, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and first-time grandmother. More importantly, I hope you find I am someone you can relate to and interact with.

If you read my bio, you know I am a born-again Christian and I don’t wear the title as a gratuitous hood ornament. I make no excuses or apologies for my faith. For with Christ Jesus I can accomplish all things! But without Him I am totally and royally screwed! Yep, it’s that simple. Still, other than being in a personal relationship with the most fantastic, supernatural Keeper of the Stars – otherwise known as Yahweh or Jesus Christ, I’m no different than anybody else on this amazing orbiting orb we call earth. I’m still a sinner who daily makes mistakes, some of them repeatedly. The difference is I have accepted Jesus Christ’s free gift of salvation. I am free of the condemnation that leads others to eternal damnation. Yep, I’m free as an un-caged bird and loving it!

Now, chill, there won’t be any Bible thumping, overbearing in-your-face preaching. That’s not the way Jesus shared his love, nor is it mine. But because God is an intricate part of my existence like breathing and eating, I will share what He’s doing in my life—including the highs and low, and how He loves me where I’m at, even on my bad hair days.

My sincere hope is that by seeing Jesus in me, others will crave the unconditional love and peace I have found through an eternal love affair of my soul that God offers to each and every one of us.

Wow, I’ve no clue where this blog is headed. I originally wanted this to be about the craft of writing, creating, editing, etc., yet, that’s what the majority of published/unpublished writers do when we blog—we yap writing—which is primarily of interest to writers. A humongous, exasperating yawn . . .enough said. Still, I’m no philosopher and won’t attempt such non-fiction exasperations, which give me a headache.

Oh, and if every now and then, I quote one of my favorite television characters, General Jack O’Neill, from Stargate SG-1, deal with it. . .coz everyone else has to. VBG

I hope not only writers and readers skim my musings, but anyone trying to stuff their God-made hole with everything in this world but Who is meant to seal up that void—Jesus Christ.

Oy! A light-bulb moment! Even if you never chose God to be the master of your life, you will indubitably know that when you stumbled across my Blog and met little old me, you met God—because His Holy Spirit lives within my God-shaped hole thus, revealing Himself to you through me. Awesome!

Yeah, that’s about as philosophical as I get.

Aren’t you lucky.

A CYNICAL BLOGGERS’S FIRST POST

A note of forewarning to whoever reads my first Tongue-in-Cheek Blog.

I am not a cynic by nature.

In fact, most folks who know me — especially well, know that 99% of the time I see the cup half-full and I’m often first inline to try anything new. Adventuresome to a fault. However, I wanted to be upfront about my core response last December when I was asked, advised, then told it’d be wise for me to blog. That’s when I wrote, then filed away said-response. I never expected I’d have the nerve to post this, let along in my own blog.

Yet here it is. Gulp. Please be assured, I do not intend to offend any fellow/sister bloggers, especially those ACFW and RWA authors and writers who encouraged me to blog. On the other hand, I suspect I am expressing what many bloggers felt before they actually started to enjoy blogging.

If I could point the finger at anyone for revealing this razor-witted side of me, it would be Ronie Kendig a sister-writer who, after I read this response to her said, “You go blog, girl!” So here you are, Ronie, my first not too enthusasitic blog!

~*~

Decemberish, 2005

“Blah, blah, blah, blah . . .” Ah, yes, the unforgettable cerebral wisdom of grownups according to the adolescent cast of, Peanuts.

Anyone who doesn’t remember the memorable Charles M. Schulz’s creation of the Peanuts comics strip and its syndicated television specials dwells within the deepest black hole of The Twilight Zone. That brilliant voice clip is my literal response to the newest fad of blogging.

Okay, so blogging has been around awhile. Which makes me ask how long does a fad exist before it’s no longer a fad? Scratches head, mind begins to wander . . . No, no, don’t go there! I have enough A.D.D. issues on my dinner plate. See how easily I get distracted. Focus, Linda! Blogs, sure okay. Where was I?

Oh, yeah . . . For the life of me, this eternal optimist turned cynic with regards to blogs. I mean, even my spell checker won’t recognize the word or any version there of. Oh, wait, maybe because I’ve yet to fork out the extra cash for an upgraded word-processing program. D’oh! That aside, here I am, folks, blogging, which is my euphemism for everything you didn’t want to know about this blogger but eventually will, if you read my rambling blog.

Which reminds me of the television emergency announcement we have to repeatedly endure. “This is test of the Emergency Broadcasting System. If this were an actual emergency, you would be advised to blah, blah, blah . . .” And then comes the annoying ear-piercing sound bite. That’s my take on blogs.

Now don’t go ballistic. I know the definition of euphemism.

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines, euphemism: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; also: the expression so substituted, blah, blah. Which for many folks and myself pretty much covers our sentiments about blogging and yet here I am blogging. D’oh!

It took me five dictionary searches to find the new fandangle word in Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary 11th edition. Blog: A frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.

Let’s face it, everyone and his third-cousin-twice-removed has a blog, including extraterrestrials and my friend’s fuzzy, wuzzy hamster. Oh, pleeez don’t get me started on that last one. I highly suspect that if Charles Schulz still graced our presence Snoopy and the Red Baron would have syndicated blogs.

So why on God’s green earth would this blog cynic write a web log? Simple. I am a writer and secondly, I’m a curious sort with the mindset that one should never harshly judge some thing not experienced firsthand. Or in the words of that overused cliché’, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, is appropriate since I write novels.

So here I stand, um, sit. Taking that leap of faith that someone actually cares what I think or believe. I only hope no one asks me how to setup a blog, because I am going where I’ve never gone before . . .into the vast unexplored universe of blogging. Help!! I’m blog-illiterate and techinically-challenged.

Take for instance, comprehending the user-friendly guidelines on this blog site. I don’t care how friendly the site, I’m left-handed and right-brained which means, I’m winging it on a song and a prayer. By the way I can’t sing, but I do pray–A lot!

Arrgggggggggh!!

So, now that I’ve exhausted my precautious thoughts about public journaling, I suppose you expect me to share something significantly profound?

“Er–um,” Clears throat, “Blah, blah, blah . . .”

PS: If you actually noted, then counted, all the bold-highlighted blog words, you are a blog addict and a prime candidate to become a wierd but likeable character in one of my non-cynical novels.

May God bless us all, especially, we the cynical but hopeful–romantic bloggers.