It’s the season of so much more than yellow daffodils, sugarcoated Peeps (a favorite of my dad’s), hollow chocolate bunnies, cascades of jellybeans, and pastels.
It’s the time when we celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. We greet one another with, “He is risen, indeed!” Not He has risen, but He is – because Christ lives today.
After listening to Neil Gaiman’s audiobook “American Gods” with David, I was reminded of those who like to point out that Easter was originally a pagan holiday before the life of Christ. Indeed, that’s where much of the baby chick, eggs, and bunny imagery comes from, since Easter was a fertility festival.
You might be surprised to know this doesn’t bother me in the least. To me, Easter represents new beginnings. Christ’s death represents the opportunity for new life for us – a real life that goes beyond what this world can offer. It’s like we’ve upcycled a holiday to make it mean more. (Interesting article here on whether Jesus would celebrate Easter today.)
new beginnings
David and I have both made new starts: enjoying the sunshine more by running together outside and making bold culinary attempts to eat healthier (shout out to mock mashed potatoes made with cauliflower – still amazed at how good this tastes).
new book reviews
Thank you each for helping me to become a book reviewer. I am still gobbling up books and posting about them on Amazon, Goodreads, and here in the book review section of my blog, “Recent Reads.” (Check it out if you are looking for a good book to read!)
I’ve completed 28 book reviews since this time last year! It’s been a dream come true, and that’s no exaggeration. Each book introduces me to new styles of writing and creative stories that fuel my writing as well as my life in general. (Book reviews to come: Finished reading Duncan’s “Moon Women,” Picoult’s “Lone Wolf,” Abrams and Dorst’s “Ship of Theseus,” Ingermanson’s “Transgression: A Time-Travel Suspense Novel,” and Gabaldon’s “Voyager.” Aaaah, so many great stories!)
new plans
I’m excited to announce that I’ve been accepted into a doctoral program in Digital Teaching and Learning, and so in the fall I’ll be taking classes in instructional design and the cognitive psychology surrounding learning. Still stunned by this opportunity!
What does this mean for my writing? Well, for one thing, it means I need to finalize the edits to Wedding 3000, the book I wrote for National Novel Writing Month in 2013 and had edited by my terrific writers’ group here in Greensboro. I’m currently drafting a query letter and synopsis to send to agents. I’m told I should expect plenty of rejections, so perseverance is a must! Please pray that this story finds the right agent and publisher so that it can encourage couples who are planning their wedding day to focus on what’s actually important (hint: It isn’t the color of the font on the invitations or the flowers).
In closing, I wish you each a joyful Easter that means more than the candy lollapalooza and egg hunts; join me in making some new beginnings.
Best to each of you,
Susie
{Susie Boles Books} 
Susie, You are always an inspiration! I, too, have been thinking about the significance of Christ death in the Spring – more so, His resurrection….how perfect is God’s plan! Though we have so many deaths/losses/endings…..Spring reminds us of the new beginnings….always there is a new beginning.
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