Life goes by fast. Enjoy it. Calm down. It’s all funny. Next. Everyone gets so upset about the wrong things. Joan Rivers
Have you ever been in a spot where everything seems to go wrong at the very worst time? You’ve prepared. You’re ready to do your best. You may be excited about what’s happening and then things start going screwy. And you begin to feel as cranky as this bird looked when it peeked in the window at me the other day.
You see, I was in this Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt and those are so fun for authors and readers. What happens is that some writers get together and pool some prize money and lots and lots of books. Then they all write these great posts about those books. When the weekend for the Hunt comes, all the posts go live and each post connects to the next as readers go through the stops collecting clues and enjoying those unique posts. I went through the hunt myself without signing up for any of the prizes. Those were for the readers we invited to go “hunting.” But I enjoyed all the posts.
Well, the hunt won’t work if all the posts don’t get online and then all the links work. This last Wednesday we all put our posts up the day before the hunt was to start. That was so the organizer of the hunt, Lisa Bergren, could check them all out to make sure they worked before we invited the readers to start on the Scavenger Hunt. The first thing that happened was that Kimberley Woodhouse who was the stop after mine couldn’t get her post link to work. She had updated something about her website and you know how those updates can sometimes mess things up. So she was frantically working on that Wednesday night and was to get back to me on Thursday morning to let me know when she had a working link.
Guess what happened at my house on Thursday morning. I woke up to no electricity. I couldn’t get online. No internet. I call the electric company and they very promptly respond. However, they decided we needed a new transformer and a new meter since the house wasn’t getting the proper voltage. That meant they had to get a bucket truck and replace those things. Took a few hours while I only had my phone to check for an e-mail from Kimberley. And I don’t have my blog on my phone. I was almost ready to head to my sister’s house to jump on her internet. But the electric people got us up and lighted before I heard from Kimberley. So that worked out.
I’m thinking, whew! Smooth sailing ahead. And so it seemed. Lisa gave the go signal and all twenty plus writers began inviting their readers to head out on the hunt. And they did. Many on Thursday. More on Friday and then Saturday was the day when the crowds went hunting. Saturday was also the day my favorite basketball team was playing in a tournament. They played a great game. The other team played a better game. It was a close game and I’m tensed up for a couple of hours doing my best to pull them through with encouragement that I must think they can hear through the television screen. But they still lost.
So I come back to my office to check on the Scavenger Hunt and see if I have messages to answer on my site or Facebook. Alas, I do have messages. Unhappy messages that the link to my website and Stop #23 on the Hunt isn’t working. My website has gone belly up, and I have no idea why. The crazy thing is that I could still get it up. So I frantically contact my web host guy who looks into things and finds out nothing is wrong on their end. It seems the internet will suspend one’s website if they decide the information is not correct on a domain registration. That was what had happened to me. Can you believe it? At the worst possible time right in the middle of this Scavenger Hunt, one time a year deal for me. Why couldn’t that have happened a week ago or a month ago or two days from now? But no, it happened right at the worst time.
So once again I go into panic mode and try to call the domain people for help. It’s after hours and I get a recorded message. So I get online to see if the company where I have my domain registered to FIX things ASAP. I do get responses from my request, but they tell me I have to fix things. That I should have gotten an e-mail from ICANN that asked me to update information. The problem turned out to be that although my information on the account I had with my domain registry was up to date in regard to my e-mail, the e-mail actually associated with my domain was the one I had when I first registered that domain years ago. I hadn’t had that e-mail address for years and years. So many years ago, I wasn’t even sure what the address used to be. So when ICANN sent me those notices to that old e-mail, guess what? I did not get them. And so at the very worst time my website was suspended. Belly up. Dead in the water.
But the domain technical help people did help me fix it. So I asked my buddies on Facebook to let me know if the site was up again. Most have said it is but a few have told me they still can’t get it up. I suppose if you see this, then you are able to see my website. I hope so. And I hope that you enjoyed the Scavenger Hunt if you went out on the book trail. The Scavenger Hunt is over, but you can probably still enjoy reading the posts.
Late last night, way past bedtime, I finally told myself that I was going to have to chill. In the grand scheme of things, a non-working website is not that big a thing. Maybe happening at a bad time, but still merely an irritation. Not something to be worried and upset about. But some of my Facebook buddies did pray and I feel sure that helped those tech people take pity on me because they weren’t required to get my site up for forty-eight hours.
I’m thankful this was merely a very small bump in the road of life. One I could have done without, for sure, but instead of fretting and worrying, I should have taken a deep breath and chosen what is better. But right or wrong, I’ve always known I’m more Martha than Mary. One of those busy people worried about getting things done. Sigh.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
So did you go on the Scavenger Hunt? Have fun?
And have you had times when things went crazy at the worst times?
Comments 12
The Bible verse is good to remember.
Author
Yes, it is, Carol. So many great Scriptures to hide in our hearts.
I again can confirm why I’ve added “Be thankful in All things!” to my emails as a signature. I learned a very valuable lesson through a hard tribulation & God told me, ” to be thankful in All things!” The message has been given to me many many times since I first heard those words. It does apply to “All things!”
Author
That is what the Bible tells us, Betty, but it is a difficult thing to do at times. Several bad things have happened recently to people in our church and those involved in the grief those things caused are struggling to lean on that verse or instruction. I can understand, but I also know what you are saying is absolutely right. As you have obviously learned in a hard situation, the Lord is with us always and we can be thankful for His love as we go through those difficult life experiences.
Ann so sorry for your trouble. I don’t know enough about the internet to even try the hunt, but I do enjoy your blog. Also understand your panic. It wasn’t that it was for yourself but the reader and authors that depended on you. We do feel our responsibilities to ours more pressing. People who care do that. Friend don’t worry, that is what makes you more endearing.
My aggravating experience was only a blip on the screen that can quickly be forgotten so it can’t qualify as one of those hard times.
Author
The Scavenger Hunt isn’t hard. If I’m ever in another one (and they may not invite me back after I caused so many problems!), I’ll try to explain how to do it. I am so glad you know enough about the internet to read my blog posts. I appreciate that, Gail.
Ann, I have a Martha mentality with a Mary heart☹️
They duel it out all the time. Some may call that schizophrenia , but I prefer double dose of twins that work to get both accomplished.
And, YES, Mama said, “ There would be days like this.”
My Nanny said, “ It came to pass; it didn’t come to stay.”
Author
I like the way you put that, Helen. A Martha mentality with a Mary heart. That sounds pretty good. The heart part is the best. I like your nanny’s saying too. I’ll have to use that in a story someday. Maybe in the one I’m working on. Sounds like it might fit if I have the right things happening. You know some of those things going wrong. 🙂
I can totally understand your frustration. I would have felt the same way (of course I’ve always been more of a Martha myself!) However, I think most of us knew it was something beyond your control. Always glad to be able to participate in these hunts and find new items for my ever-growing TBR list. So glad you were able to get back up and running before the end of the hunt. Hopefully it didn’t trip up too many people!
Author
A few got tripped up, Erin, but we worked it out for them. The scavenger organizer had to put in extra work. But Lisa was great about it. Didn’t say I’d be banned for life or anything. LOL. I hope you enjoy those books on your TBR list.
Yay! I can access your website now! And I enjoyed the scavenger hunt very much. My reading list is so long now I may never finish it!
I had one of those “not now!” moments this weekend too. I received an order for two complete Barbie wedding wardrobes. The buyer specifically requested that all the bridesmaid dresses be exactly alike….just like a real wedding. And wouldn’t you know it…I ran out of a piece of fabric…a 2 inch piece required to finish the last dress. At 10 minutes before Hobby Lobby closed for the weekend, and I’m 40 minutes away from the nearest store. I was upset, nearly frantic, but there was nothing to be done about it. (big sigh)
But the good news is, I finally found the time to start the scavenger hunt! And there’s still time to get the order finished on time.
I tend to be more Martha than Mary too most of the time…until something happens to force me to be still.
Amazing how things work out, isn’t it? 😉
Author
There wasn’t any way you were going to get to Hobby Lobby in time to get that material you needed. 40 minutes and 10 minutes don’t work. That sounds like a fun gift coming to some Barbie lover.
Guess it worked out by giving you some time to chill and enjoy the Scavenger hunt, Lavon. Hope the work went well for you once you got the extra material.