Abundant Blessings

I've Got Some Questions

2009-12-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Did you watch the Survivor finale?
Did you agree with the voting for "Sole Survivor"?
Did you listen closely to the questions asked of the three finalists?
Do you remember the three words Russell said described him in the real world? (honor, integrity, loyalty)
Can those words truly describe his character if he could put them on a shelf for a chance at $1,000,000?
What does that say about a society that thinks he should have won?
Will anyone ever trust him in business again?
What legacy does this leave for his children? (Honor, integrity and loyalty are great except when you want to win $1,000,000?)
Will he ever turn his reputation around? What will it take?

Am I thinking too much?
Should I have bothered to watch the show?
Does anyone really care?

An the Winner Is. . .

2009-11-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

Remember the contest a couple weeks ago? Well, we finally had the drawing. I need to say I'm sorry to my family and friends who left messages. I remained honest and unbiased. Every name of those who left a comment were written on slips of paper and I had Phil draw. Charity is the winner. Congratulations! Your name has been added to the drawing for that beautiful Christmas display. In the meantime, I'll be contacting you privately about sending you your copy of Christmas Miracles.
Abundant blessings!

A Time to Laugh

2009-11-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

When things get tough or sad, I find that laughter is soothing to my soul. Well, this past week has been one of those times so I looked for something funny. I discovered (or rediscovered) some great You Tube videos. If you are a fan of the Back to the Future series, you'll get a kick out of these. Enjoy!

This is for all my adult ESL students.

And this is for my Project students--see how easy Haiku poetry can be?

And for all parents with kids in sports.

Laughter is a good medicine.
Abundant blessings!

I'm Back!

2009-11-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

I know, it's only been a few days but I have something to share. Michelle Gregory interviewed me for her blog. If you are the least bit curious, follow this link.

Abundant blessings!

Christmas Miracles, an Interview and a Chance at a Prize

2009-11-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be able to post today! My story, Ian's Christmas Gift, is included in a wonderful collection of Christmas stories titled Christmas Miracles. Below find out about the terrific writers who've pulled this collection together as Marley Gibson interviews Cecil Murphey. Enjoy the interview and then leave a comment for a chance at a lovely prize--check out the picture and instructions below. Oh, and before I forget, Abundant blessings and Merry Christmas!

Award-winning writer Cecil Murphey is the author or co-author of 114 published books, including the NY Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). He’s also the author of When Someone You Love Has Cancer and When God Turned Off the Lights, both 2009 releases. Murphey’s books have sold millions and have given hope and encouragement to countless readers around the world. For more information, visit www.cecilmurphey.com.

Marley Gibson is a young adult author whose first published books in the Sorority 101 series were released by Penguin Group in 2008 under the pen name of Kate Harmon. She has a new Ghost Huntress series with Houghton Mifflin written under her own name. She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com.

Many ordinary people experience Christmas miracles—those special moments during the season of giving and receiving when Christmas becomes more than just a holiday. In Christmas Miracles (St. Martin’s Press, October 2009), Cecil Murphey and Marley Gibson share the stories of those who have recognized the special moments that transcend daily experience and transform their lives.

In these stories, people overcome desperate situations through a miraculous twist of fate—all during the most wonderful time of the year. A young boy sits down to read a Christmas book and discovers that his learning disability has vanished. A woman stranded in a blizzard is rescued by a mysterious stranger who she suspects is an angel. And a woman living far from home gets an answer to her prayer in the form of an unexpected gift.

Bestselling author Cecil Murphey says, “We all face discouraging times, whether it's the lack of money, being stuck on a road in a snowstorm, feeling stress, or being hungry and homeless. But God's help is available. I want readers to see that miracles do happen—sometimes simple, unexpected blessings or those that involve the supernatural. We start by asking, and in strange and wonderful ways God tiptoes into our dark nights; we experience renewed joy in life and witness God in action through people and unexpected events.”

Interview with Cecil “Cec” Murphey

by Marley Gibson

Co-authors of Christmas Miracles, from St. Martin’s Press

I am extremely privileged to have the opportunity today to talk to my friend and co-author, Cecil “Cec” Murphey, and to chat about our upcoming book, Christmas Miracles.

Marley: Cec, thanks for spending some time with me today.

Cec: Marley, it's great that you could take time away from important things like making a living to spend a little time with me.

Marley: I’m so jazzed about our Christmas Miracles book that’s coming out soon. I’ve had a lot of questions from folks wanting to know how we met, what brought us together, etc. So, I thought we’d do a back and forth on how it all came to be. Of course, I have to give props to our amazing agent and friend, Deidre Knight, for bringing us together. For those of you who don’t know, Cec co-authored the runaway New York Times bestselling hit 90 Minutes in Heaven with Don Piper.

Cec: I have to say thanks to Deidre Knight as well. Between Deidre and my assistant, Twila Belk, I've been able to sell quite a few books. 90 Minutes in Heaven has been my big book. I'm also proud of a book I wrote in 1990 called Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. The book has never been out of print and has hit close to four million in sales. Early this year, Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in the made-for-TV film version.

Marley: That’s amazing! You are truly prophetic and definitely “the man behind the words.” Now, people ask how we teamed up. Sadly, there was a personal tragedy that brought Cec and me together as friends.

Cec: True. In early 2007, our house burned and our son-in-law died. Aside from the grief over Alan, we lost everything. Deidre and Jan, my-then-assistant, sent the word out of our tragedy without telling me. I'm immensely grateful for every gift people sent, but I probably wouldn't have admitted I needed help and wouldn't have asked. They taught me how much we need other people.

Marley: Deidre put out a call to other clients of The Knight Agency, to help Cec and his family out in any way in their time of need. At the time, my company was moving and we were cleaning house. We had a ton of office supplies that we were either going to throw away or give to some of the charities the company worked with. I got my boss’ permission to send a large care package to Cec…full of office supplies for him to re-stock his writer’s office. You name it…post-its, staples, paper clips, pens, pencils, markers, white out, ruler, scissors, paper, notebooks, notepads, envelopes, a laptop case, tape, glue, folders, binder clips…etc. A veritable potpourri of office delights. I was hoping that it would help Cec have a sense of getting his office back so he could keep working.

Cec: Marley's gift was the most unexpected I received. We hadn't met, although Deidre Knight had spoken of her many times and kept telling me she was wonderful. I wonder if you can imagine what it was like for me to open that box from someone I didn't know. I saw all those practical things for my office and yelled for my wife. I felt as if I were reading a first-grade book. "Look! Look and see! Oh, look!" I was overwhelmed by the gift and even more to receive it from a stranger. Those supplies were the most practical gift anyone could have given me. I'm still using black paper clips and red folders from Marley.

Marley: Awww…thanks, Cec! I didn’t have to think twice about doing it. Writing is such a solitary “sport,” but the writing community always astounds me with how they help their own. Not long after that, over plates of spinach and Gouda omelets, Deidre introduced me to Cec in person and I was thrilled to finally meet the man behind the words. Deidre knew we needed to work on a project together and thus began our brainstorming. What did you think of that first meeting, Cec, and cooking up the idea to work together?

Cec: Deidre and I had already spoken about a Christmas book and I had some idea about what it should contain, but nothing had come together. One day Deidre told me that Marley was coming to visit her and she wanted us to work together on a Christmas project. Marley and I talked before we ate and again during the meal. Everything felt right to me. I knew my strengths and Marley knew hers (and Deidre knew both of us). Everything clicked. Marley, a far better networker than I am, immediately sent out the word for submissions. Within days she had almost four times more than we could use. (She read every one of them!)

Marley: I was truly impressed with the submissions we received and it was hard narrowing it down to the ones we chose for the book. We’re fortunate to have such a go-getter agent in Deidre Knight. Cec, can you share how the whole idea of Christmas Miracles came about and what you thought of the project originally?

Cec: For me, it actually started while I was on the rapid-rail train from the Atlanta airport when I listened to teens talk about Christmas and it was mostly about gifts. I had the idea then, but nothing really came together. Months later when Deidre I and had a meeting, she brought up the idea of a compilation and mentioned my working with Marley. I've been Deidre Knight's client since 1997 and I've learned to listen carefully when she comes up with an idea. I said yes before she gave me all the information.

Marley: That’s the truth about Deidre! Getting back to those submissions, I want to say we got more than two hundred submissions for Christmas Miracles. So many wonderful stories to read through and select for the book. It was a challenge to pick and choose which ones were right for the book, but I loved every minute of it. After I chose the entries that would go into the book, Cec toiled long hours editing the works for a unified voice. What was the biggest challenge you found in the editing process, Cec?

Cec: I've been a ghostwriter and collaborator for twenty-plus years and this was a switch to give the book a unified voice—which was mine. It would have been easier to stay with each writer's voice, but the book—like many compilations—would have been uneven in tone and quality. When I discussed this via email with our delightful editor, Rose Hilliard, she was (to my surprise) familiar with my work. She told me she liked the warm tone of my writing and that I don't waste words. "That's the voice we want," she said. It still wasn't easy, but it was an exciting challenge. After Marley and I agreed on the stories and gave them that unified voice, our editor pulled six contributions. Although different, Rose felt they were too similar to other stories.

Marley: Can you give our readers a preview of the book? A favorite story perhaps…or one that moved you to tears? (I have to say the little boy who wished for nothing but to be able to read a book all the way through because of his stutter had me bawling when I read the submission.)

Cec: That's not fair! I liked them all. The one that touched me most, however, is the last story in the book, "Sean's Question." We had almost finished the book and I was teaching at a conference in Florida. I felt we needed one strong story at the end. Despite all the good ones, I didn't feel fully satisfied to conclude the book. On the last day of the conference, I met a conferee named Sara Zinn for a consultation. As we talked, I mentioned Christmas Miracles and that I still needed one more story. "I have a Christmas story," she said and told me about Sean. As I listened, tears filled my eyes—but, being the macho type I am, I was sure it was an allergy. Sara wrote the story, and it became the one I sought.

Marley: Oh yes…that one is an emotional one all right. It was meant to be in the book because of how you met at the conference. Now, you and I have both had challenges in our lives that others might have found too much to take, but we are both very strong in our faith and our relationship with God. How do you think Christmas Miracles is going to help others feel closer to God and experience His miracles in their own lives?

Cec: Awareness and appreciation are the two things I want readers to grasp. Awareness means for them to realize that they're never totally alone in life. Those unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary events remind us of that. Appreciation means to be thankful for what we already have. Too often, and especially at Christmas, we focus on what we'd like or what is supposed to make us happy. Christmas Miracles gently reminds readers of both.

Marley: In this day and age when our country is fighting two wars, unemployment is high, and a lot of people have a lack of hope and faith for their future, what do you want readers of the book to take away from Christmas Miracles and how can the stories in our book help provide comfort to those struggling?

Cec: I want readers to see that miracles do happen—sometimes simple, unexpected blessings or those that involve the supernatural (as in one of Marley's stories). I call myself a serious Christian. For me, the world's greatest miracle began with the birth of Jesus. Regardless of a person's religion, this book encourages readers to think about life during the Christmas season and see that life as more than gifts and celebrations. It's also a reminder that God loves us and hears our needy cries.

Marley: Beautifully put, Cec, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Can we share what’s next after Christmas Miracles? J

Cec: Why it's the Cec and Marley show, of course. Because of our go-getter agent and our enthusiastic editor, we've already received thumbs up for The Christmas Spirit. This will be stories of people who express the true spirit of Christmas by acts of love and kindness, for release in the fall of 2011.

Marley: And I can’t wait to start working on that project! Thank you so much for your time, Cec, and answering my questions. It was a privilege and honor to work with you and I look forward to our future projects together. You’ve helped me along during a trying time and I appreciate your friendship and support.

Cec: I liked this project because Marley had to send out the word, collect submissions, read them, and discard the weaker ones. I get to see only the better-written stories. (Don't tell her that I have the better job.) Although I mentioned only one story, all of those in the book touched me because of the poignancy of their situations and the miraculous answers. I won't say the stories increased my faith, but they increased my appreciation for the delightful mix of human need and divine intervention.

Marley: Thanks again, Cec! God Bless! And to our readers, please be sure to pick up a copy of CHRISTMAS MIRACLES, out October 13, 2009 from St. Martin’s Press. It’s a great stocking stuffer or gift basket filler. We hope you, too, will discover your own Christmas Miracles in your life.

Leave a comment for a chance to win the Christmas Miracles gift basket.
Wouldn’t you love to take home this amazing basket filled with Christmas goodies galore? This amazing gift basket contains everything you’ll need to make your Christmas holiday a success. Inside you’ll find a stocking stuffed with hard candies, kitchen towels and oven mitts, seasonal potpourri, holiday-colored candles, stuffed animals that talk, snowman candle, nutcrackers, Christmas ornaments, gift bags, gift tags, gift bows, ornament hangers, Christmas cookie cutters, a Merry Christmas doorstopper, a picture frame, Christmas cards, Santa ear muffs, and not just one, but two copies of Cecil Murphey and Marley Gibson’s Christmas Miracles – one to keep and one to give away to someone special.

Thank You!

2009-11-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

Boy, it’s been a long while since I’ve posted to my site. Please don’t think it has been because I’ve nothing to say, nothing for which to be grateful—I’ve been abundantly blessed and continue to be so.
Today, however, being Veterans’ Day, I feel it important to publicly say thank you to every vet who has contributed to the freedom I appreciate every day.

My first experience with a veteran was my daddy. Richard Lee Goodell, Sr. served in WWII and was a plank owner on the Bon Homme Richard.
I remember first hearing the story of Pearl Harbor and then learning my dad had been stationed there. I wasn’t so good with timelines at that age and feared for him and what he might have experienced. I was also thankful he’d made it home safe. Years later I realize he’d been at Pearl Harbor after the fact—he joined when he was seventeen, in 1943 and was a signalman in the Pacific theatre.

His older brother, Bobby—Robert Crockett Goodell, Jr., served in the Army and wrote amazing letters home. I’m blessed to have several of them, especially since he died back when I was a preschooler and I can’t remember meeting him. Creative and funny, his letters helped me get to know him a little. He told a story of a GI who’d been attached to a French resistance group. It was cold and when this GI went out on a reconnaissance run with two Frenchmen, they noted that he needed a hat. The next day, one of the men brought the GI a knitted scull cap. A few days later, word got back that the Frenchman had been killed. My uncle ended the note by saying, “Now every time I reach up and touch the hat, I am reminded of him and his gift to me.”

My dad’s father, Robert Crockett Goodell, Sr., served during WWI and was shipped home on his birthday, the day the Armistice was agreed. It was signed the next day—ninety-one years ago today. I never met my grandfather. He died six years before I was born. But I did hear lots of stories and have one of his diaries from the war. He was a man of few words but he felt things deeply.

Patriotism was alive on my mother’s side of the family as well. Her brother, Lee Johnson, served in the army during WWII as did her sister, my Aunt Alice Johnson Lehman—only she was a Marine. The first and prettiest marine I ever met. Uncle Jim must have agreed when he met her while he was serving with the marines.

My grandfather, Ole Johnson, moved to America from Sweden when he was a teen and became a citizen. He also served in WWI. Again, I didn’t get to meet him because someone took his life after he returned—a murder that never was solved. However, I can just imagine him—tall, blond, kindhearted, but a little stubborn. I’ve searched for a picture of him with my grandmother—my tiny grandmother who was all of four-foot ten, if that, where he was six foot tall—but can’t find it right now.

My mom’s baby sister, Aunt Kay, married a man who served both in the army and the navy. They are still with us though Uncle Bob is recovering from pneumonia. Only tough men serve in both the army and the navy—and he is tough, Tough, and funny and loving. I can’t say enough good about AK and UB .

After my mom (Frannie) died, my dad remarried and I gained more family. When my dad died, my mom (Mary) remarried and I gained my Norman. Everyone should have a Norman like mine—I love him dearly. And he is also a veteran having served in Korea with the 82nd Engineer Pipeline Company.

My Uncle John, Mary’s younger sister’s husband, served two tours in Viet Nam, learning the language. Today he teaches English to Vietnamese here in town. Recently he was able to return to Viet Nam for a visit. He took his daughter along, showing her where he was at when he missed her younger years. A sacrifice they both feel.

So you see, veterans have played an important part in my life from the start. Then I married into the Cary family and my father-in-law, Richard C. Cary, was added to the group. He celebrated his nineteenth birthday with the start of the Battle of the Bulge—a German bullet dented his helmet as a gift. He also met General Patton. He was there when the General came through to check on men during that push through the Arden. The General asked what he could get for them.

As the story goes, no one spoke up so my father-in-law did, “We could use a hot meal.” The next day some trucks showed up and the men saw their first real food in weeks. Months later, after the shooting ended, someone noticed that Dad had taken a typing class in high school and assigned him to the typing pool. When the General showed up for his orders (this would have fairly soon before his accident), my father-in-law was the one who’d typed them up.
Dad said the general looked at him a minute and said, “We’ve met before.”
“Yes, sir.”
The general paused a second and then said, “You’re that little @#$% who asked for the hot meal.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you get it?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Dad could tell some stories, but that is one I tend to believe.

Finally, the latest vet in our family is our “other son” Anthony. Technically he was our son Ian’s best friend, but he is as dear as any son to my heart. He has fought admirably and beyond distinction, doing one tour in Afghanistan and three tours in Iraq. He is due home for Christmas and I cannot wait to hug his neck again.

I could have taken this back to my ancestor, John Crockett, who served during the Revolution or my great grandfather, Lyman Goodell, who lied about his age so he could serve with the North during the Civil War. However, I think you get the idea. With all these wonderful examples of veterans in my life, how can I not be grateful for the freedom they have protected for you and for me? God bless each and everyone who stands in harms way that we might have our country and way of life. And God bless everyone who loves them and waits at home for their return.

Abundant blessings, all.

Interview with Michelle Sutton

2008-09-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

I first met Michelle Sutton in person when I picked her up at a mall. Okay, so there’s more to the story and to be honest, we’d seen each other before, but not had as much time to talk as we did that day when we left Metro Center and drove to our CWOW (Christian Writers of the West) meeting. It was a chance to really hear what was going on in her life, and I can tell you, there was a lot. But that’s normal for Michelle, whose new YA novel, It’s Not About Me, is now available. So, I thought you might like to get a taste of what this busy gal is like. Please welcome, Michelle Sutton!

AB: Hey, Michelle! Glad you could drop by. First, let me ask you the normal stuff—how long have you been writing? How did you get started?

MS: I’ve been writing five years and got started by just sitting down and doing it.

AB: How many stories had you completed before you got “the call”?

MS: Publishable stories? 9. Total number? 11.

AB: How did you end up settling on your genre YA?

MS: I love to write drama and romance so YA fits the profile. My book is a YA romance.

AB: You use the word “edgy” in describing your work. How would you define edgy in the context of Christian fiction? Where do we as Christian writers draw the line?

MS: I define it within the context of Christian fiction as daring to tell the truth about human hearts and our natural rebellion against God. Put simply, my characters think bad thoughts and make bad choices despite often being “saved”, and they always learn from that because God redeems every situation. For example, in one scene I have Tony telling everyone at Teen Challenge about how he found the Lord and the difference He made in his life, then he finds out his brother was seeing his girlfriend behind his back and he kicks his butt in front of the same people he just told about his new faith. That is real life.

AB: How did you get connected up with your publisher? What do you see as the strengths of going with a young house?

MS: I hooked up with my publisher back in 2004 at the Denver conference. She was my roommate and was impressed with the stories I told her I’d written. She said some day when she opened a publishing house of her own, she’d buy my stuff. Who’d a thought it would really happen? I sure didn’t. The strength of going with a young house is I have the chance to spark success for the company. I want to be the Tracie Peterson or Lori Wick of Sheaf House, contributing a large part to its success. Plus, I had input into the cover and my voice wasn’t “taken out” in the editing process. The story is fully “me”.

AB: Besides your new release It’s Not About Me, you’ve been wearing several hats in the writing world. Please tell us more about your other writing ventures.

MS: I can’t remember them all. Hehehe. I started out reviewing books as an influencer, then that grew exponentially, leading into me starting several social sites which are highly trafficked. Then I was asked to be Editor in Chief of an online magazine. And yes, it’s a paying position.

AB: What is a normal writing day like for you?

MS: Get up at five thirty, read my email, eat breakfast and drink coffee, then hop in the shower and race to drive my son to the bus stop. I call writer friends as I drive to work, then try to read or do writing stuff at lunch time and on breaks, then I go home. At night I eat and dive into email again before working on the magazine columns. Then if there is time left (usually there is NOT) I do some editing or writing. When I go to bed I read for awhile before I fall asleep. I play catch-up on the weekends and Wednesdays (my day off) between appointments.

AB: Where do you see your writing career in five years?

MS: I’ll either be a rich magazine mogul, or I’ll have many more books published (my preference), however, I suspect I’ll still have to work a government job for the insurance benefits. I hope to be published in more than one publishing house, too. I doubt I’ll be reviewing as many books as I am now.

AB: What was the one best thing you did to help yourself on this journey?

MS: Read several good books about how to write fiction and listened to my mentors when they gave me advice.

AB: What was your biggest writing mistake that you’d like to keep others from making?

MS: Don’t listen to too many people when they give you opinions or it’ll make your head swim and discourage you. Pick a few good critiquers and stick with them.

AB: Who are your favorite authors? What about them is the most appealing?

MS: Anyone who writes edgy stuff. Francine Rivers, Julie Lessman, Deanne Gist, etc.

AB: Julie is one of my crit partners and a dear friend—I agree that she is terrific! One of the most important questions I must ask: White, milk, or dark?

MS: Dark first, followed by milk and last is white.

AB: Where can readers get copies of It’s Not About Me?

MS: CBD, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble online and can go into any Barnes and Noble store and order a copy. However, right now just about every place is out of stock. I hope to do a book signing in Phoenix in October the weekend of the CWOW (October 4th) meeting and will be selling books there.

AB: How can readers learn more about you and your writing?

MS: Subscribe to my edgy inspirational author blogspot blog or check my website www.michellesutton.net

AB: It was good catching up with you. Thanks for dropping by Michelle!

Abundant blessings!

And the winner is

2008-09-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Trish!
Of course Trish had more entries into the pot than any one else. But to be fair, I wrote each name on a piece of paper--Trish had four due to sending three others via her link. I put the papers into a plastic cup (for those of you who need the visual, the cup was red) and shook them up well. Honest. And then I drew out the winning name. Thank you everyone for stopping by.
Abundant blessings!

I'm Sorry and I Have Gifts!

2008-09-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Thought I’d better pop in here again and beg some forgiveness. It’s been a while and, in spite of my good intentions, I still have trouble getting to this regularly.

A few things have happened since I last posted. My grandmother celebrated her 102nd birthday—yes, you read that correctly. GrammaDear is 102 years old and going strong. She’s still in charge of dishes and plays a mean hand of Kings in the Corner though we finally found a jigsaw puzzle that gave us both fits. Phil and I spent a week with her this summer and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Then we came home to become grandparents. I know, I’m too young for that (at least that’s what I think you’re saying, right?) but what a sweet bundle of joy our new granddaughter is! She looks so much like her mother at that age, though a bit longer like her aunt. I think she’s going to be a tall one.

And then school started again. I taught at Academy the week before, sharing some projects I’ve developed for my gifted students with other teachers. It was my first time doing that and I had a good time--plan to do it again next year. Plus, getting my classroom ready, I decided to paint a couple walls. Okay, I didn’t just paint—I painted the world. I now have a giant world map on my wall. After finishing I realized I had left out a rather important body of water, so there was a contest to see who could figure out what was missing. The winner would get to paint the missing body of water into the map. Two of my fourth graders began coming after school everyday to try and figure it out--picture two boys staring hard at this wall. Finally, on Friday, they succeeded. D came in with a tiny map and pointed out the area but he couldn’t name it. J remembered having seen maps in the back of dictionaries (his favorite thing to read) and looked it up. Lake Victoria was added to the map in a very nice cooperative method—perhaps a tad more south than it should be and probably several miles larger than in real life, but it’s now on the map. Looks good.

Been doing some reading this summer, too. Two books I want to recommend to you. The first is actually Carol Cox’s third installment of her A Fair to Remember series titled A Bride So Fair". Carol and I went to the same high school (not at the same time, though it’s not an age thing—honest!Go Panthers!) and she is still a fellow Arizonian and a well published author. Her series reintroduces the Chicago World's Fair and all the wonder it generated to new audiences. A perfect match for an ol' history buff like me. I enjoyed the first two books of her series, but the third I think is my favorite--romance, excitement, intrigue--what's not to like? I am giving away a free copy just in case you want to check this out for yourself. Leave a comment and your name will go into a drawing to be held on Sunday, September 7.

The other book I want to recommend is The Shack. I’ve never read a book like it. And , next to the Bible, I’ve never read a book with bigger impact on my faith thoughts. I know there are people out there who will disagree with my fanfare, even to the point of crying heresy. However, the book was never meant to be considered doctrine. It is a fictional story that makes one think. And cry, and laugh some, and then cry some more. But most of all it makes one think. In my life the thinking is moving my relationship with my Abba closer, deeper. In a very real way it has brought a new level of peace to my heart.

So, I am making this contest a two book deal. Someone who leaves a comment will receive both A Bride So Fair and The Shack. The chance to enter will close at midnight Saturday night (September 6th). Oh, and just to make it interesting, if you tell someone about this contest, have them leave a comment and say you told them about it. That way your name will go into the drawing again—recommend 10 people, you get 10 extra opportunities to win.

Now can you forgive me for being lax about blogging? Please?

Abundant blessings, all!

An Interview With Julie Lessman and Book Give-Away

2008-06-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

My good friend, critique partner and conference buddy, Julie Lessman, has written a sweeping novel in the spirit of Gone With the Wind. I've had the privilege to see it grow up from rough drafts sent via email to a breath-taking trip back into history through the pages of a published book. To say I'm excited for Julie is an understatement. She is one of the most talented people I know and I couldn't be happier for her success. She's a funny, high-energy lady who is passionate about what she writes.
If you’d like to be eligible to win a copy of A Passion Most Pure, please post a comment and leave your email info (without the "@" and "dot." Example: jcary at gmail dot com) to avoid those bad guys glomming on to your email address!
And now, it is my honor to interview her here and hopefully introduce her to more readers.

Welcome Julie!
Hi, Jenny!
Since we do know each other, I wanted to try to come up with questions you might not have heard yet, ones where I don't already know the answers. Here we go:

When did you first know you wanted to write?
Oh, that’s easy—at the age of twelve after reading Gone With the Wind. That novel so impacted me that I immediately began writing my own romance novel—a 150-page, single-spaced ms. entitled When Tomorrow Comes, which, by the way, is now a Janette Oke title! But that initial manuscript is actually the basis for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure. I used to read it to my little sister, Katie, before we went to bed and she loved it. But then adolescence hit, and I soon abandoned paper romance for the real thing as a teenager.

Fast forward almost forty years later—I was sitting in a beauty parlor reading a Newsweek magazine July 16, 2001 cover article about Christian entertainment. It said Christian books, movies and music were on the threshold of exploding. My heart jumped, and something in my spirit said, “It’s time to finish your book.” I started writing A Passion Most Pure one month later, finally selling it to Revell after 4-1/2 years and a total of 45 rejections.

Wow! I didn't realize there had been so many rejections. You are up there as a success story with Dr. Seuss!
So then what was the catalyst that put you on the path of edgy inspirational romance writing?
Gosh, Jenny, I’ve never been asked that question before, which is saying something after more than 35 interviews! I would have to say my driving need for love (I used to sneak downstairs at night when I was kid and watch romance movies on the TV when my parents were sleeping) and my very dramatic and emotional nature (I LOVE strong romantic tension, ala Gone With the Wind) were the main catalysts for writing passionate romance. Add to that my driving need for God after I became a born-again Christian, and the only direction I felt I could go was “edgy” inspirational romance.
I longed to write a book for women like me—those looking for more relevancy to their own lives, both in a passionate love story and the struggles encountered between God’s morality and the world’s. The American Religious Identification Survey conducted by the Barna Group states, “nine out of ten women nationwide consider themselves to be Christian.” Yet most of these women purchase secular books depicting more passion than is currently found in Inspirational novels. They crave a great love story without the gratuitous sex, and in the case of women like me, long for compelling novels with strong romantic tension that are also threaded with God’s precepts. So basically I wrote what I wanted to read!

Who is your toughest critic whose opinion you respect the most (besides me;-)
Oh, wow, another great question! I would have to say my 20-year-old daughter because she does NOT read (no matter how many books I read to her as a child!!). It’s so bad, in fact, that I actually had to PAY her $20 to read the first chapter of A Passion Most Pure!! Fortunately, I’m happy to say, the rest of the book didn’t cost me a dime (grin). In fact, she actually loved it so much that she immediately read the next two manuscripts—for free!

Maybe that's what I need to do, pay my kids to read my work. Ha!
Next question: Where do you go for inspiration?
To my treadmill. I don’t know what it is about it, but I put my headset on and crank up the worship CD and start singing my heart out to the Lord (or wailing, as my daughter calls it!). And before I know it, I’ve got plot ideas and scenes popping into my head faster than I can jog on that silly machine.

Seeing that I first read your rough drafts for A Passion Most Pure nearly five years ago, where do you see yourself, writing wise, in five years?
God-willing, I see myself wrapping up what I hope will be a total of seven books on the O’Connor Clan. My publisher prefers 3-book series, but there are four Daughters of Boston, so I plan to incorporate the youngest daughter’s story, Katie (who is a pistol that comes of age in the Roaring Twenties) in a second 3-book series along with separate sequels for each of the two O’Connor brothers, Sean and Steven. After that, I have had some good writer friends (who have read all three books in the Daughters of Boston series) suggest I write a stand-alone prequel for the parents, Marcy and Patrick, which I would very much like to do.

I know from previous interviews and from our own sharing that you credit contests for helping you to sharpen your writing and make needed connections. Was there anything you did in this writing journey that you would caution others not to try?
The only thing I would caution aspiring writers “not to try” is going the publication route alone—focus on getting an agent first! I learned this the hard way (three years and 39 rejections on my own) before I finally hooked up with my agent who sold my book in a 3-book deal after only six months. Many of the publishers I queried on my own took as long as three years to reply simply because they are SO busy and SO inundated with manuscripts. Ironically, after I got published, I discovered that the unagented proposal I sent two years prior to my current publisher (following an ACFW conference appt.) was STILL in the publisher slush pile!! If it hadn't been for my agent (who my editor respected and trusted), I honestly believe I would not be published today, but still in that deep and dusty pile.

What are you reading right now? Who is your all-time favorite writer (besides, me or any other member of Crit 19;-)?
I just finished up both Cheryl Wyatt’s A Soldier’s Family and Amber Miller’s Promises, Promises (excellent, both!!) because they were the May selections for the ACFW Book Club. And, yes, Jenny, I remember your stories from our ACFW Crit 19 group as well, especially The Huguenot, which I loved!
The check is in the mail, sweetie;-)
Right now I am reading Vickie McDonough’s Spinning Out of Control (also excellent!), followed by Jamie Carie’s Snow Angel, which I heard is wonderful.
My all-time favorite writer? Clearly for me, Margaret Mitchell because Gone With the Wind is the greatest historical novel I’ve ever read, not only for the rich and sweeping Civil War tapestry that Margaret Mitchell created, but for the wonderful impact her haunting love story had on me at a very young age.

If you weren't writing historical romance, what genre do you think you would be writing? Why?
Probably contemporary romance because romance is my passion over and above anything else. I am more of a “Calgon, take me away,” type of gal rather than “slice-of-life,” so I don’t read a ton of Women’s Fiction or nonfiction, mostly lovely, uplifting, heart-pounding romance. The bigger the book, the better, in my opinion (which explains the … ahem … length of my own novels!). Turn my head with romance and nail me with God’s precepts in the process—that’s my kind of book! Like Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love or Liz Curtis Higgs’ Scottish trilogy—Wow, “pure” enjoyment!

I agree--you know I'm a big fan of Liz!
Moving on: You've touched on this a bit already but, once this series is through (and we know there are still two more books coming in the Daughters of Boston series--can't wait!) where will your next series take you (and your readers)?
Well, once I finish off the O’Connor clan, which I hope will take me through seven books, I have contemplated another series about the O’Connor nieces, which would take place during WWII, so that could be fun and still incorporate the original O’Connor family that I love.

Chocolate—dark, milk or white?
Grin. Best question of all! Milk, with white a close 2nd!! And put them together, and you WILL hear moaning. 

Any parting words?
Well, first I want to thank you, Jenny, for allowing me this time to connect with you and your readership. In closing, I’d like to share a really cool quote I found that some have attributed to Maya Angelou: “A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.” I absolutely LOVE this quote because it is the total essence of what A Passion Most Pure is all about, and I hope and pray this message will resonate with every person who picks up my book.

Also, I LOVE to hear from readers, so they can contact me through my Web site at julielessman.com, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter. Currently in my newsletter, I am having a contest to win a signed author copy of Book 2, A Passion Redeemed, before it even hits the stores! Also, I invite your readers to visit The Seekers, a group blog of which I am a part that talks about “The road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between.” You can find it at http://seekerville.blogspot.com. Thanks again, Jenny, and God bless!

Thank you, Julie! I am so proud of you and honored to call you friend.
To you and to all our readers,
Abundant blessings!

Nobody Does It Better. . .

2008-05-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

than Lisa Samson. And I’ve got proof.

I haven’t run a contest here for a while so I figure it is about time.

Lisa’s latest, Finding Hollywood Nobody, is great reading fun. In case you don’t believe me, I’m giving away a copy, just to prove it. Here’s all you have to do: Tell us your favorite recipe for making Grilled (or Toasted) Cheese Sandwiches. Everyone who leaves a comment with their recipe on my comment page will go into a drawing and the winner will receive a copy of Finding Hollywood Nobody. It’s that easy. And in case you’d like to know a little more about the book before you commit,click here to see my review.

All this talk of cheese is making me hungry so I’ll close and go whip up some fetticini alfredo--or something equally cheesy.

Abundant blessings!

Blog Tour Time

2008-05-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

I know it’s been a while and I promise to catch you up soon. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know what I’ve been reading—at least one book I’ve been reading.

I inhaled the third book in Tricia Goyer’s Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, A Whisper of Freedom and joined her blog tour. Click here to see all the other stops.
To help promote, Tricia’s running a Me-me. Here are my answers.
1. List three things you would do with a chest full of gold (assuming you got to keep it!)
a. Give to my church
b. Set up a fund for my family.
c. Set up a charitable donations foundation—ones I like: Habitat for Humanity, Samaritan’s Purse, Silent Blessings, KLOVE radio
2. List three charities/missions/organizations you support (and why).
See above (that was easy)
3. List three ways you have volunteered your time/services.
a. Helping kids in the school room at Phoenix Children’s Hospital
b. Cleaning up trash from streets in our town
c. Tutoring after school to help kids
4. List three things you keep "hidden" when company comes over.
a. My bedroom
b. The Arizona room
c. My bathroom
5. List the last three things you've lost.
a. one of my diamond earrings (this one is killing me)
b. my temper (this one, too, but for other reasons)
c. one of the Blokus games from my classroom
6. List the last three things you've found.
a. how to play some computer games I didn’t realize I had
b. a micro SD card I’d forgotten I had
c. my meds—Alyssa had cleaned for me and I couldn’t find them at first. (oops, guess I should have listed this with number 5.

You can answer these yourself in the comments or just link to your blog. Also you can read my review here. Yep, I loved it.

During the tour, you can enter to win one of FIVE signed copies of A Whisper of Freedom by signing up for Tricia's newsletter here!

Three brave "players" will be selected at random to win their own lost gold (Gourmet chocolate coins and all three books in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series). To enter all you have to do is answer the MEME on your blog and then leave a comment on Tricia’s blog tour post here http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2008/03/whisper-of-freedom-meme-sticky-post.html" that you’ve posted your MEME. Easy.

I’ll catch up soon, promise.

Abundant blessings all!

It's All About Timing, Talent and a Great Make-up Artist

2008-01-06T17:08:00.001-08:00

I was on the freeway the other day, listening to the radio. I mention the freeway (the Black Canyon, a.k.a I-17) because when I relate what happened, I want to you appreciate my driving skills. No accidents occurred.
A commercial came on advertising a touring company presentation of Camelot--coming to town in February. This is a professional touring company and according to the ad, it has received rave reviews.

I'm not too proud to show my age and say I fell head over heels for Franco Nero as Lancelot in the movie version of Camelot. That's the movie that introduced us to Richard Harris--before he immortalized MacArthur's Park for Jimmy Webb and long before he gave us Harry's rather happy professor of wizardry. I've come to expect someone along the lines of Richard Harris when imaging King Arthur singing Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight. I mean, the precedent is set, the gauntlet tossed.
There is a standard, people!

Apparently creativity trumps standard and precedence. Lou Diamond Phillips has picked up the gauntlet and is really to warble for audiences around the country.
Pause here a moment and let that sink in.

Yes, Lou Diamond Phillips. As in Richie Valens in La Bamba, the street gang math wiz in Stand and Deliver. Think Young Guns, friend to Keiffer Sutherland. Think ethnic.
My brain just couldn't see it.

So I did some research. Below is a video interview with Mr. Phillips and a bio website. After discovering them, I have to admit, it might work. At least I'd be willing to check it out. Take a look yourself and let me know what you think. For years, my mantra has been "Timing's everything." Now, I'm thinking talent and a great make-up artist can go a long way, too.

Abundant blessings!

Lou Diamond Phillips bio

With a Heart of Gratitude

2008-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

While working on another blog post (honest!) I came across this--my friend Karen sent me this link and I want to share it with you all. Enjoy!
And as always,
Abundant blessings!

Carded

2007-12-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

What some people won't do to get me to blog!

My sweet friend Megan DiMaria carded me from her blog. Okay, Megan, I'm making good on this--I know I'm a couple days and a few dollars short but I'm working on my New Year's Resolutions and trying to put a few into effect before the old year is through. I should have answered before Christmas but those of you who know me can't be surprised I'm a little late with this. I'll just respond as if it's Christmas Eve :-)

And just so's you know, Ronie Kendig altered this CARDED meme to include a Spiritual Wish list so we can know how to pray for each other, both spiritually and physically. Sweet!

THE RULES:

1. Each player starts with 5 gifts that they would want for Christmas.
2. People who are "CARDED" need to write their own Blog about their 5 things & post these rules.
3. At the end of your Blog, you need to choose 5 people to get "CARDED" and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a COMMENT telling them they're "CARDED," and to read your Blog.

Since it is after the deadline, I won't be carding anyone this year but don't be surprised to see a reoccurrence for next year.

My Materialistic Gift/Wish List:
1. Diamond earrings (got'm and am wearing them!) Please note it says Materialistic--I can do altruistic also but just following the rules.
2. DVD's of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (I got them for Phil--it was on his list, too)
3. New clothes (got lovely blouses and a sweater from my girls--note to self, remember to give them my sizes for next year)
4. Some shopping cash (thanks Mom, Norman and GrammaDear)
5. Bath/shower fragrance set (got a wonderful set from my eldest that smells so good!)

My Spiritual Gift/Wish List:
1. For us all to be together for Christmas with a focus on the true meaning of the Holiday (didn't work out because some people have to work--let's try this one again next year, please)
2. For all my children (that includes you, Juan) to draw closer to God this year.
3. To spend time again with my 101 year old grandmother and learn more from her example and devotion to God (I did).
4. To bask in the favor that God continues to pour out by spending time with my mom--too many people don't get one good parent, I have four I can say love me and it is all by God's grace that Mom came into my life. Thank You, Lord. I love you, Mom--good to be with you for another Christmas.
5. This one is secret, private but I may be tempted to share sometime in the New Year. Let's just say God is Gracious and Good.

And on that note, I wish you all a lovely, peaceful and joyous New Year full of an awareness of God's Abundant Blessings!

What's Up

2007-11-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

Been informed I've been too quiet lately--I'm just glad to have friends who check in on my every once in a while.
Without going into great detail, here's what's been going on (I'll do individual blogs for some of these items in the near future).
1. September went to Dallas and took second place for the Contemporary Romance category in the Genesis Contest at the annual ACFW conference.
2. October my middle daughter married her sweetheart--think purple and pretty and you've got the idea. Lovely wedding and we love the groom almost as much as the bride.

3. Also in October was robbed at gun point in my driveway in the middle of the afternoon. Still dealing with the aftermath but I'm okay--physically at least.
4. November received an author copy of my latest pubbed work--I'm May 15th in Tyndale's One Year Life Verse Devotional.
5. I learned I'm not "highly qualified" anymore because I don't have a Reading Endorsement on my teaching certificate so I get to take classes (2 of them) this spring.

6. My roommate at my classroom has been teaching me about grant writing--learning a lot there. Hope to get a SMARTboard for my classroom.
7. Recently finished two really great books I need to write up for review. Look for those posts in the very near future.
And between all that I continue to teach, test, write and sometimes even critique for my partners.
I'm whupped just reading that over--think I need a Sunday afternoon nap.
Later!

Thank You, Vets

2007-11-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time but thought today would be a great day to get back into the swing of things, blog-wise. And, since it is Veterans' Day, I want to take time to say thank you and express my appreciation for those who have stood in harms way for me. This includes my father (above left) and my grandfather (right) as well as my father-in-law (Battle of the Bulge), four of my uncles (two named Bob)and an aunt who were in WWII and one uncle who was stationed in Viet Nam. Of all of them, only my Uncle John of the Viet Nam era survives. That is why I am reprinting, with permission, Tricia Goyer's piece, Don't Let the Memories Die along with the pictures she has of WWII vets. I hope you will take the time to not only read this, but to then find a vet, say thank you and then listen before the stories are gone for good. It is part of our heritage, a part of our legacy, a part of who we are today.

And, to all vets and their families, I say thank you and abundant blessings!

Don't Let the Memories Die by Tricia Goyer

In 2000, I got my idea for what came to be my first historical novel, From Dust and Ashes. Wanting to know more about the 23 men who liberated Mauthausen concentration camp, I contacted the 11th Armored Division who put me in touch with six of the veterans. These men then invited me to attend the 59th reunion of their division. I wasn't expecting that at all. I thought they'd point me to a good research book or allow me to interview them over the phone.

I felt SO unworthy to meet with these men. I knew very little about WWII, and I didn't want my inexperience to show. Not to mention the $1000+ for airfare, hotels, rental car for a book I didn't have a contract to write.

I urged a friend to go with me, and I've been so thankful we went. The men were caring and opened their hearts to me. They shared stories with me that they hadn't shared with anyone before. They laughed. They cried. They took my hands and thanked me for caring about their story. They hugged me and kissed my cheeks.

When it came to writing my novel, I wasn't writing about fictional characters. I was writing pieces of Charlie's story, bits of Arthur's experiences. The memories that made LeRoy cry made it into my book. The snapshots that Tarmo carried around in his mind for 60 years transformed into scenes in my novel (and the novels to follow!).

I get many letters from readers who say that my novels come to life on the pages--that's because the men's experiences came to life to me as I looked into their eyes and saw glimpses of young heroes. Also, the following year I went to Europe and walked the streets of the SS housing with a man who'd been nine-years-old when the camp opened near his home. Again, I "saw" the story in his eyes as he shared--this time from someone on the outside.

There was an added benefit to this diligent research that I didn't expect. After my second novel Night Song came out I received a letter from a veteran. He made a list of twenty minor research points that I'd gotten right, and then he asked, "One thing I didn't understand was the faith element of this story. Can you tell me more about your faith in God?"

YES!

Because I had done the research, I'd was able to share about my Jesus with a veteran who has since passed away.

One more fun thing I didn't expect. One of the men I met at the reunion was Pete. Pete was a medic--the one medic I met. Years later I received a letter from a reader who had read From Dust and Ashes. She was a survivor of Mauthausen--actually, she was born there. When she was 3-weeks-old she was close to death. When the gates were open a medic spent a full day lancing and cleaning infected boils on her skin, saving her life. She asked me if I knew any medics. I knew one, and I passed on his phone number. It turns out Pete was the one who saved her life! They have since met on numerous occasions.

If I hadn't gone to that reunion I wouldn't have met Pete, and I wouldn't have been able to connect him with Hana--what a God thing!

Of course, I do have regrets concerning research, too. In my most recent series on the Spanish Civil War I received a letter from a SCW veteran who said he was willing to help me with research. The letter got put into my "very important" pile on my desk and weeks and months passed. I pulled it out again, and I planned on calling him when I heard from someone else that this man had passed away. That has happened more than once with men who offered to be interviewed, and I'm always regretful of the "one more story" I missed. After all, once gone they are gone for good.

If you have a veteran in your life ... today is the perfect day to reach out--to listen to his or her story. Don't let the stories die, when you have a chance to make a difference.

Below are photos of a few of the men I've interviewed.

To read some of their stories, go to:

http://www.triciagoyer.com/ww2stories/

To see more photos (including real photos from the liberation of Mauthausen) go to:

http://www.triciagoyer.com/dustandashes/

To watch my NEW video about my WWII Liberators Series, click here.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Me

2007-08-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Fellow Misfit, Michelle, jumped onto the Personality Test bandwagon and, not to be outdone, I took the test, too. Here's the results:

You'll notice I'm considered Extroverted (not a surprise to anyone who knows me) and that I'm an ENFP or an Advocate. Here's more information on that personality according to the Myers Briggs people:

ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental.

Okay, so I don't understand what they mean by actively sending out thoughts and ideas. I do pray about things--thoughts and ideas--and discuss them with my Abba so perhaps that counts. The rest sounds nice--I do enjoy hearing nice things about me or rather people like me:-) And apparently there are people like me to varying degrees. ENFPs make up about 5.5% of the population. This is a list of "famous" ENFP-ers.

Famous ENFPs

Real ENFP People

* Alicia Silverstone - actress (Clueless), fashion model
* Andy Kaufman - American entertainer
* Andy Rooney - television writer
* Bill Cosby - actor, comedian, activist
* Bill Moyers - journalist, commentator
* Bob Dylan - singer-songwriter, musician
* Buster Keaton - silent film comic actor
* Carol Burnett - comedian
* Charles Dickens - English novelist
* Dave Thomas - businessman (Wendy's), philanthropist
* Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geise) - writer, cartoonist
* Franz Joseph Haydn - composer
* James Dobson - evangelical psychologist
* Joseph Campbell - writer, orator
* King Jordan - deaf president of Gallaudet University
* Lewis Grizzard - humorist
* Martin Short - Canadian actor, comedian
* Paul Harvey - radio broadcaster
* Paul Robeson - actor, athlete, singer, writer, activist
* Phil Donahue - TV personality
* Regis Philbin - TV personality
* Robin Williams - actor
* Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) - writer
* Sandra Bullock - actress
* Sinbad - actor, comedian
* Upton Sinclair - author, investigative journalist
* Will Rogers - Comedian

Fictional ENFPs (Characters)

* Ariel - The Little Mermaid
* Balki - Perfect Strangers
* Dr. Doug Ross - ER
* Lara Antipova - Doctor Zhivago
* Steve Urkel - Family Matters
* Will - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

And, good news! Among the various possible career matches for ENFPs are the areas I've spent my time and energy--actor, church worker, teacher, and writer. Hmmm.

You'll also notice that under the Multiple Intelligence portion, I scored highest in the verbal area. Not a surprise there, either.

The tests didn't take very long and actually made me think a little more about how I feel about things. If you'd like to try this--and it is free--click here.

And no matter your personality, abundant blessings!

PS Thank Michi!

An Interview With Allison Bottle

2007-08-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

When I heard editor and friend Allison Bottke would be doing a blog tour for her latest novel, One Little Secret, I was happy to join the parade. Back when her first novel, A Stitch in Time came out, one of my book club buddies commented that "Allison could make a phone book exciting to read!" So it's no secret why I was excited to get my hands on One Little Secret.

Her heroine, Ursula, actually first appeared in A Stitch in Time and the star of that book makes a cameo appearance in One Little Secret making it rather like seeing an old friend in a new place. I love the fact that these ladies hold similar memories to me--that we've traveled the same decades. The glam and designer name dropping is still there but if you think this is the same old story, I've got a secret for you--it's not. But before you go rushing off to buy a copy of One Little Secret--and yes, I do recommend you do--first read through this interview with Allison and then go get your copy. You'll be glad you did.

Welcome Allison! Let's get started.
You describe your latest novel, Our Little Secret, and your previous one, A Stitch in Time, as "Boomer-Lit." Would you explain to my readers what you mean by this term and how your novels fit into it?
Typical “chick-lit” is written for a 20-30 year old target market. The protagonist is usually single, and struggling with her faith, career, family, love-life and things young women often struggle with. In my books, I wanted to approach the issues that baby boomers are dealing with, (women born between 1946-1964) things like the empty nest syndrome, aging parents, a change in career, retirement, menopause, and other health issues. I wanted to look at women in the prime of their life who were suddenly stepping out in faith to achieve the dreams of their heart. Women who weren’t afraid to take risks—who had the chutzpah to dare to dream big. That’s how “Boomer-Lit” was born.

What do you do when you aren't writing?
Oh gosh, a ga-zillion things! Currently, I’m doing a lot of packing as we are moving at the end of this month from Minnesota to Texas! However, I love to garden in the warm season (very short here in MN) and reading and going to the movies are BIG favorite pastimes of mine. I could take off for the nearby Cineplex and watch 3 movies, back-to-back with no trouble at all! I’m a movie-holic!

What other creative outlets do you have?
When I have time (make time) I love to scrapbook. I’m also somewhat of a teacher at heart, I love to encourage other writers, and to that end I’ve begun to produce a series of Teleseminars for writers, with bestselling author Randy Ingermanson. Your readers can find out more about these online MP3 workshops here: http://www.boomerbabesrock.com/eventsteleseminars.html

When did you realize there was a need for baby boomer fiction?
I read a lot. Especially what is known as “chick-lit.” But the typical “chick-lit” is written for a 20-30 year old target market. The protagonist is usually single, and struggling with her faith, career, family, love-life and things young women often struggle with. In my books, I wanted to approach the issues that baby boomers are dealing with, things like the empty nest syndrome, aging parents, a change in career, retirement, menopause, and other health issues. I wanted to look at women in the prime of their life who were suddenly stepping out in faith to achieve the dreams of their heart. Women who weren’t afraid to take risks—who had the chutzpah to dare to dream big. That’s how “Boomer-Lit” was born.

Are you leaving God Allows U Turns behind to write fiction?
Not at all! I have a passion for sharing the true stories of how God turns people around. In fact, we are currently accepting true short stories for three new volumes in the acclaimed series. Your readers can check out the Writer’s Guidelines here: http://www.allisonbottke.com/writersguidelines.htm My co-editor, Cheryll Hutchings, is collecting the stories and our submission deadline is December 30th.

You've written a lot of books and you're so young! When did you start writing? How long does it take you to write a book start to finish?
Young? God bless you! (Where do I send your check? Ha-Ha) I’m 52 years old! I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil—it’s how I best communicate. However, I was 45 years old when my first book was published—volume one in the God Allows U-Turns series. It takes us about 9 months to compile and edit a volume in the compilation series. It takes me about a year to write a novel. Alas, I’m not very fast.

When you look back at your twenties what do you wish you would have known then that you know now?
I’ve heard it before but it rings very true now…I should never have spent so much time sweating the small stuff! I should have chosen my battles better…and not made mountains out of molehills.

What are your favorite three Christian music artists?
Without a doubt I am a huge fan of Bonnie Keen (from the band First Call.) Bonnie helped me to get all the musical info correct in One Little Secret. I also love Sandy Patti – what a vocal range! And Mark Schultz is amazing, his gift for story telling is amazing.

What blog or website do you try and visit every day?
FOX News and Glen Beck.

Allison, is there anything you’d like to share with readers before you go?
I encourage your readers to tell me what they think about One Little Secret. I really do want to hear reader feedback. I’m working on my next novel to release in summer of 2009 and I take to heart reader comments. They can reach me here: AB@AllisonBottke.com and please, I’d love to invite everyone to participate in the Hollywood Casting Call Contest where a lucky winner can win an all expense paid trip to Hollywood! Visit my web site and select the actors and actresses you think would make the best lead characters in One Little Secret! Check it out here: http://www.boomerbabesrock.com/bookcontests.html

And …we have a monthly newsletter that we call a “Dream-Zine,” I’d love to invite your readers to subscribe:
http://www.boomerbabesrock.com/dreamzine.html

And one final thing, we have a co-authored blog with six best selling authors blogging each and every day – BOOMER BABES WITH BRILLIANT DREAMS: http://www.boomerbabesrock.com/blog/ I think that’s it – thanks for having me!

My pleasure! And now you can go get your copy of One Little Secret--and feel free to share!
Abundant blessings!

One More Meme for the Road

2007-08-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry about this, folks but I got tagged again. So here's more info about me that you probably didn't care to know.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My father told me I was named for Jenny Lind because one of his favorite memories was hearing his grandfather tell of meeting her.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Yesterday.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Usually—I can do calligraphy
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Budding chicken
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes—4
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so, usually, most of the time, maybe.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Moi?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yeppers
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not even on a dare—and I don’t care how much money you offer.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Hot—Cream of Wheat/Cold—granola
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Nah, too tired...
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Not hardly
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Extreme Moose Tracks—can’t remember the brand name
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
The smile
15. RED OR PINK?
Depends on the reason for the roses
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Emotionally: I cry when I get angry—can’t help it and it makes me angrier—a vicious cycle
Physically: My weight—I have only myself to blame but I wish it would come off easier now that I’m working at it
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My Ian
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO LINK THIS BACK TO YOU?
If they want—no pressure
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS (Or Kilt) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue jeans—I put off doing this until after I got out of my jammies
20. WHAT WAS The LAST THING YOU ATE?
Half of a turkey sandwich
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The hum of my computer
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Heliotrope (just because I like the word)
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Roses, lilacs and lavender—oh, and fresh fruit
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My middle daughter Alyssa
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO LINKED THIS TO YOU?
He’s okay for a guy who writes scary stuff
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Depends on who’s playing and if I can watch in person or on TV
27. HAIR COLOR?
Dk—it’s hidden by medium ash brown
28. EYE COLOR?
They’re technically a pale blue-green but can look gray or blue or green or any combination depending on my mood and what I wear—I know, TMI
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Used to
30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?
Generally Italian or Mexican foods
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings most definitely
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
A Piece of Eden
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue—a shirt from the 309th Fighter Squadron stationed at Luke AFB—Go Wild Ducks!
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
I live in Arizona—Winter, duh!
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs are more universal, kisses are reserved
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Too many to name
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
DK
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
I’ve no idea
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Getting ready to start The Mermaid Chair
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A picture of a Coyotes hockey game
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
An interview with Billy Graham and the living presidents he’s counseled
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Children’s laughter
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles. Of course—none of them would have snorted a parent.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Belfast, Northern Ireland—or Heathrow, England—I’d have to check a map for mileage
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can tie cherry stems into knots with my tongue
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Kokomo
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I’m tagging Cynthia Hickey and my Phil.
.

2007-08-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

Going to send you all over to the Misfits blog today. My friend and awesome writer Mary DeMuth is our guest blogger for Saturday and I think you will enjoy what she has to say. This is part of her blog tour for her latest non-fiction book Authentic Parenting. You can meet Mary and read her crazy blog here. The book we've been discussing, Authentic Parenting in a Post-Modern Culture, by Mary DeMuth is available now. You can purchase your autographed copy directly from Mary at the link above. I encourage you pick it up today!

Be sure to check out the other blogs participating on the Authentic Parenting Tour this week.
Actual Unretouched Photo
Bluebonnet in the Snow
child of divorce/child of god
Geaux2Girl
Good Word Editing
Halland
RappFamilyAixtremeLife
Ripples and Reflections
Spaghettipie
So Many Books...So Little Time
The Point
Tiffany Colter
Toni V. Lee

For a complete listing of the blogs participating in the six week tour, visit here.

But, most important, go to the Misfits blog and read what she has there. You'll be glad you did.

For Moms

2007-08-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Got this in an email and must share. Hope you enjoy as much as I do. Wish I'd had this when my kids were young--but wait, I did--I just hadn't set it to music yet.
Abundant blessings!

To All the Dogs I've Loved Before

2007-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a dog lover. Okay, so I like cats, too, but, for their own safety, I do not own any while I live in the same house with my husband. (Don't boo and hiss--he has to have at least one flaw!)
Anyway, a few years ago I was on the couch, supposedly working on a Bible study, when our pug jumped up on the couch (where he knew he wasn't allowed) and cuddled up in my lap. Our Puglsey was a rescue dog who still bore the scars from someone trying to burn him. But he was the sweetest, cuddliest dog we'd ever owned and it got me to thinking. When I curl up in my Abba's lap and cuddle, does He see my scars? Does He stroke my head like I did Pugsley's that day?
Since then I've looked differently at my canine friends and I've received a few life lessons in the process.
Jack could just tell when I was sad and liked to rest next to me.
K.D. was sure she she was human.
Daisy's curiousity has gotten her (and me) into some fixes.
Mack had to be taught how to play.
Shelby could look at anther dog and see what it needed--usually a fun romp.
Vern E. Lou is sure she's a princess.
Chandler had to learn that the freedom of a walk was better on a leash.
Howie knew when to bury the bones and the best time to dig them up and deal with them.
Chuck knew how to welcome company with a smile.
Molly prefered no pictures but never let a little thing like a missing leg slow her down.
Sonny kept watch over the house on his nightly patrols.
Muncher stood guard over my baby brother's crib.
Brutus only looked scary but was loveable.

I wish I had pictures of them all. Not all belong to my family. All have a place in my heart for their loving presence. Some have passed away and some are still with us. All made an impression. So, since I have so much time on my hands (not) here's a little tribute to one of God's best creations.

Abundant blessings!

MeMe - Because I Promised

2007-07-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Good buddy and fellow Misfit Heather Goodman tagged me (and the rest of the Misfits) with this meme and since I haven't done one in a while, I agreed (since I haven't had much to write about until after I agreed). So, without further anything, here's what the world's been waiting for--the answers to all those age-old meme questions:

1. What's the one book or writing project you haven't yet written but still hope to?

I want to write about my great grandmother. I remember sitting in Aunt Bessie's house and hearing the stories of what it was like growing up and what her parents were like. Much was in hushed tones and I don't think the adults thought I was listening. But that's where I learned what "pondering in your heart" meant. Someday I hope to put those ponderings in a book.

2. If you had one entire day in which to do nothing but read, what book would you start with?

There's way too many to choose--I'm a slow reader and want to read too many. Hmmmmmm. I think I would start with To Kill A Mockingbird simply because I'm finally old enough to really appreciate it now (yes, before you gasp, I've already read it once).

3. What was your first writing "instrument" (besides pen and paper)?
My mother's typewriter--big bulky thing in a black case. Not electric but fun to push the keys down and watch the letters form on the white paper above.

4. What's your best guess as to how many books you read in a month?

I'm not fast at this so maybe 3 (depending on whether I'm teaching or on Summer Break).

5. What's your favorite writing "machine" you've ever owned? My PC. I love it and feel comfortable at the keyboard. I can rush the words from my fingers or tap my nails on the keys waiting for my next idea. It is tempermental sometimes but I do love it.

6. Think historical fiction: what's your favorite time period in which to read? (And if you don't read historical fiction--shame on you.)

I have to agree with Heather. I enjoy Jane Austen and I love things from the Colonial Period. Civil War time is good reading and Oh! love to read about the Roaring Twenties. Turn of the 20th Century (give or take 20 years in either direction) is good. Ok, I confess, I just plain ol' love reading historicals.

7. What's the one book you remember most clearly from your youth (childhood or teens)?
I read all of the Janet Lambert books I could get my hands on. There were several in her series that I loved and I remember the plots even today but one of them hit me hard--she killed off a beloved character and I sat and cried. Her characters were ones I talked about with my friends as if they were a part of our crowd. They were so real (not in a psychotic way--get back with those white jackets). Wish I could remember the title. I collected a few over the years now but haven't found that one.

Not gonna tag anyone--everyone's been tagged!

So, th-th-th-that's all folks!

Abundant blessings!

Catching Up

2007-07-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

This will be short though the news is big. Here are 2 links for you to check out.

First, my friend and fellow Misfit, Mike Snyder, has a great announcement on his blog. You can check it out here. I am so excited for him and hope you will check it out--this is big!

Second, a few of my writing friends and I began a rather special critique group a while back. I can honestly say that the story I'm currently working on is probably one of the best things I've ever written and it is because of the encouragement and feedback I've gotten from these friends. Well, now you can meet them and see for yourself. We've started a blog, The Misfits. We began with our Misfit Manifesto on Independence Day and have been posting ever since (I know, I'm slow). Anyway, check out the new blog and the Misfits individual blogs as well. Good stuff.

Have a great weekend full of abundant blessings!

Interview with Trish Perry

2007-05-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of reading a new book, Too Good to Be True. Author Trish Perry is an award winning writer and editor of Ink and the Spirit, a quarterly newsletter of the Capital Christian Writers organization in the Washington DC, area. She has published numerous short stories, essays, devotionals and poetry in Christian and general market media, and she is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group. Trish has graciously agreed to be interviewed and so without further ado, I want to welcome Trish Perry to Abundant Blessings.

TP: Thanks for featuring me, Jenny!

JC: Trish, let’s get the preliminaries out of the way. First, how long have you been writing? And we all want to know about when it became professional—tell us all about getting The Call.

TP: I’ve been writing seriously for about 12 years. I dabbled here and there before that, but I felt the I-Have-To-Write bug about 12 years ago. I got The Call about my first book contract back in October 2005. My agent was talking with a few houses about Too Good to Be True while I worked on the follow-up, The Guy I’m Not Dating. Harvest House decided they wanted both books, with one condition. They wanted the events of The Guy to happen first, followed by Too Good. Was I willing to switch the books’ sequences and order of release, they wondered? Were they kidding? I would have switched anything about the books—made them about polar bears setting up house in Manhattan—as long as Harvest House was willing to give me a try!

JC: What is a typical writing day like for you? Have you been able to make writing a full-time career?

TP: It’s definitely my full-time career now, although I can’t honestly say I’m self-disciplined enough to keep my boss (and that would be me) totally happy. There’s something to be said for clocking in at an office, with clipboard-toting ogres standing watch over you, allowing you a mere ten-minute coffee break once in awhile.

But when I’m under deadline, I can be very disciplined. I drop everything else and dive so deeply into my fictional world that the people in my real world give up on me. They make their own lunches, do their own laundry, talk amongst themselves as if I’ve passed on. During these periods, my typical writing day gets into full swing as soon as everyone else is out of the house. Then it’s just me, my computer, and all my little imaginary friends. I break for a quick lunch—usually reading something fun, but if pressed, editing instead. And I break for dinner (there exists an exponential relationship between how much time before deadline and how much Chinese carryout we eat). I’ll either call it quits for the day at that point or, if I feel I need to get more writing done that day, I’ll have at it again after dinner.

JC: So Too Good to Be True turned out to be your follow-up to The Guy I’m Not Dating—both being chick lits from Harvest House. What made you try writing chick lit?

TP: I had slowly worked on a more serious, spiritual-warfare novel for a few years before I started the lighter storylines. My SW novel involved creepy stuff and considerable research about Eastern religions and the Civil War. I had such a hankering for comedy by the time I was done. The romance factor just fit within the comedy story the Lord gave me, once I started considering it. Too Good to Be True was actually the first of the two books, as I mentioned above. I didn’t really think of it as chick lit—I simply wanted to write romantic comedy. But my heroine had a chick lit sense of humor, so that’s the direction I went. I’ve always enjoyed a wide variety of novel genres, and I’d like to publish in other genres eventually. But I do love a good laugh.

JC: I noticed when reading Too Good to Be True, you kept it is 3rd person POV rather than the traditional 1st person POV of most chick lit. Was that your call or your publishers? Can you share the reasoning?

TP: Originally, I wrote Too Good to Be True in first person, which, as you say, is traditional for chick lit. Loved writing in first person! But when I wrote The Guy I’m Not Dating, there were some scenes I wanted to include which couldn’t include my heroine. So I wrote The Guy in third person. Harvest House published The Guy first, and it wasn’t until about a month before Too Good was due to the printers that my editor noticed I had written Too Good in first person. Since the books were unofficially a series, and the first one was in third person and already out there, my editor asked me to rewrite Too Good in third person. (There’s a word to the wise, if the wise are writing a series—write all of the books in the same POV!)

So that was quite an interesting little adventure! The funny result from the experience is that some people read the books and remember them as having been told in first person, even though they’re in third. I suppose the flavor of first person remains, to some extent.

JC: What is on the writing horizon for you? Will you be following a new romance with one of the characters in Too Good to Be True?

TP: Actually, I started to write that story—a third in the series, featuring two of the characters my readers have already met in the first two books. I hope to be able to do that soon. But Harvest House asked me to start working on something else first. It’s another chick lit idea, but with an entirely different set of characters and situations. We haven’t discussed whether it will be a stand-alone or a series—we’re very early on in the discussion stage.

And then I’ve been asked to flesh out a five-book series idea, which another house has expressed some interest in. I’m not even beyond a simple paragraph-per-book point with that project yet.

Finally, I’ve been asked by a third publisher to put together some ideas for a novel for the 16-23 year old reading audience.

So there are many possibilities in the future!

JC: What has been the biggest blessing you’ve discovered in writing?

TP: I never expected to get such wonderful reader feedback, especially from readers in the college-aged range. I think that happened because of the subject matter of The Guy I’m Not Dating. Every positive comment is a fantastic blessing, but when a writer learns that her efforts helped a reader feel closer to the Lord, or more at peace about her situation in life, the blessing goes beyond mere kudos. You feel so certain that this is how the Lord wants you to serve Him!

JC: What advice do you have for someone trying to break into the chick lit market?

TP: To begin with, I’d say read as much chick lit as you can. Obviously, writers need to be voracious readers, regardless of what genre they choose. But there’s nothing like immersing yourself in your chosen genre to trigger your best capabilities and ideas. Learn the craft through books, magazines, and courses. Enter reputable contests, mainly to achieve exposure of your work to editors and agents. Attend conferences and writers’ meetings whenever you can. Shrug off rejection, listen to constructive criticism (all writers should have critique partners). And if you want to break into chick lit or any other genre, you need to submit submit submit! Pray like crazy, and listen for God’s guidance. One thing He gave me about a year ago, and which I often repeat, is that He will never use discouragement to lead you away from writing. If He wants you doing something else, He’ll draw you to something else. I would caution writers against deciding God doesn’t want them writing, simply because they haven’t sold yet. If He blesses you with joy when you write, you need to hang in there.

JC: Any special thoughts you’d like to share with the readers?

TP: I mentioned praying, above. I’d like to reiterate the importance of sitting down in total silence for a short time each morning, before starting your day. I must admit I don’t remember to do this every day. Heaven only knows why I ever forget. When I set aside just ten minutes each morning to shut up and simply sit before Him, waiting for anything He might want to tell me, He blesses me in amazing ways. I might not realize it during those ten minutes, but the ideas He gives me and the ways He guides my steps . . . just phenomenal.

JC: Please let our readers know where/how to get a copy of Too Good to Be True.

TP: The book is available at all of the online bookstores, like Amazon and Christianbook and any actual bookstore can order copies, if they don’t already have them on the shelf. Sometimes people get a kick out of signed copies, and that’s possible through SignedByTheAuthor.

JC: Thanks again for stopping by Trish. And to everyone, Abundant Blessings!

Then and Now

2007-05-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

I know it’s been a while—a dear friend recently pointed that out (hi, Lori). I’ve had too much to share and too little time or inspiration on how. But I think I’m ready. First, I want to thank my mom for her hard work and sacrifice that allowed me to go to college. Without that, I never would have been a part of a wonderful reunion that was too long in the making. So, Mom, thank you. I love you. And happy Mothers' Day.

Also, this reunion wouldn’t have come together without some very key people—first and foremost, my old friend and self-adopted brother, Rev Curt. Without your stage managing expertise, this just wouldn’t have happened. Old friend Ricky Grove put together an amazing DVD of old times and faces—great job Rick. Robbie and Ed who helped with the logistics end of things, gathering memories from NAU, you made some wonderful finds. And the folks at NAU—Erin in particular—you all did a great job.

I’ve put together a short video to give you a glimpse of the then and now of our reunion. Consider it a slice—I wasn’t able to include everything I wanted (due to lack of resources, time allotted and talent). This is only a sample of the memories in my heart. I love you all so much and really hope we can do this again.

On a side note, was anyone else impacted by the number of guys in our group named Richard? Not that I’m complaining—I have two brothers (long story), a father and a father-in-law with the same name. Plus, both my husband and son have Richard as their middle name. So, maybe it’s just me. Let’s just say I’m fond of Richards (and Phils).

Love to all, enjoy the video, and as always,

Abundant blessings!

How Does Your Kissing Rate?

2007-04-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Kissing—a fun activity, to be sure. People talk about it, write about it, sometimes tell-all about it. It’s a great topic. And it’s kind of important. For example, I read a Susie May Warren book a while back where the heroine was dating this movie star-pretty guy, with an accent no less. The romantic tension built and you knew that wonderful moment of first-kissiness was fast approaching and then, he kissed like a fish and slobbered all over her face. Trust me, it did nothing for the romantic mood--hers nor mine.

But did you know that the Bible has something to say about kissing? And no, I’m not talking about that favorite verse of teenage boys everywhere--the instruction to greet one another with a holy kiss. Rather, I’m referring to a section from the Book of Ephesians in chapter four. Now, before you think I’m amazingly insightful, I need to mention I am stealing this (with permission) from my friend, the guy who is filling in as our pastor for the time being, Robin Wood.

I’m learning Robin has a knack for discovering amazing nuggets in Scripture and what he shared today is no exception. The Scripture he used was Ephesians 4:29 – 5:1. That first verse has been important to me, something I’ve tried to live by (notice the “try”—don’t always succeed, but I continue to work on it). However, I’d never thought this was a guide to being a good kisser. Here’s how Robin said God laid it out for him.

ind. This Scripture tells us to be kind. Am I being kind in my thoughts and actions when I kiss my spouse? On the surface that seems easy enough but I really had to ponder that. Do I let my mind wander from my focus on him and his likes and needs?

ntimate. We’re told not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Robin pointed out that how we are with our spouses, how we treat them, can grieve the Holy Spirit—if we shut them out and do not lay ourselves transparently before them, we are not intimate with them.

elf-esteem. This one hit home to me. We’re not who everyone says we are, we’re not who we say we are. We are who God says we are. But truth be told, we glean most of our self esteem from the person who has the most significance to us. We see our reflection in his/her eyes. Do I let my respect and love for my husband show strong enough that he knows it and lives in it? We need to be mirrors for each other that reflect an image of how God sees us, building each other up and removing bitterness and words, said even in jest, that tear down those we love the most.

ecurity. In offering forgiveness, just like God has forgiven each of us, we offer a haven of security. We know that even when we mess up, there is love and forgiveness and not malice and retribution to bind us together in love.

So I ask again, how does your kissing rate? Don’t know about you, but I think I need more practice. Now where did Phil go?

Abundant blessings!

Tricia Goyer's Story Behind the Story

2007-03-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to read an advance copy of Tricia Goyer’s A Valley of Betrayal. I won’t go into the review here but if you want to see what I think, click here.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share Tricia’s own words about this amazing time in history—yep, you know I love that stuff. There are time periods where I feel pretty comfortable with my knowledge and there are time periods where I don’t know anything. This is one time period where I’ve a lot to learn. Maybe you do, too. So, I’ll let Tricia’s words whet your appetite and perhaps you’ll want to learn more.

Abundant blessings!

The Story Behind the Novel:

A few years ago when I was researching for my fourth World War II novel, Arms of Deliverance, I came across a unique autobiography. One B-17 crewmember I read about claimed to make it out of German-occupied Belgium after a plane crash due, in part, to his skills he picked up as a veteran of The Spanish Civil War. Reading that bit of information, I had to scratch my head. First of all, I had never heard of the war. And second, what was an American doing fighting in Spain in the late 1930s? Before I knew it, I uncovered a fascinating time in history—one that I soon discovered many people know little about. This is what I learned:
Nazi tanks rolled across the hillsides and German bombers roared overhead, dropping bombs on helpless citizens. Italian troops fought alongside the Germans, and their opponents attempted to stand strong—Americans, British, Irishmen, and others—in unison with other volunteers from many countries. And their battleground? The beautiful Spanish countryside.
From July 17, 1936-April 1, 1939, well before America was involved in World War II, another battle was fought on the hillsides of Spain. On one side were the Spanish Republicans, joined by the Soviet Union and The International Brigade—men and women from all over the world who have volunteered to fight Fascism. Opposing them, Franco and his Fascist military leaders, supported with troops, machinery, and weapons from Hitler and Mussolini. The Spanish Civil War, considered the “training ground” for the war to come, boasted of thousands of American volunteers who joined to fight on the Republican side, half of which never returned home.
Unlike World War II, there is no clear line between white and black, good and evil. Both sides committed atrocities. Both sides had deep convictions they felt worth fighting and dying for.
Loyalists—also know as the Republicans were aided by the Soviet Union, the Communist movement, and the International Brigades. If not for the weapons and volunteers from these sources their fight would have ended in weeks rather than years. While many men fought side by side, their political views included that of liberal democracy, communism and socialism. The Catholic Basque Country also sided with the Republic, mainly because it sought independence from the central government and was promised this by Republican leaders in Madrid.
Nationalists—or Francoists were aided mainly by Germany and Italy. The Nationalist opposed an independent Basque state. Their main supporters were those who believed in a monarchist state and fascist interests. The Nationalist wished for Spain to continue on as it had for years, with rich landowners, the military, and the church running the country. Most of the Roman Catholic clergy supported the Nationalists, except those in the Basque region.
During the Spanish Civil war, terror tactics against civilians were common. And while history books discuss the estimated one million people who lost their lives during the conflict, we must not forget that each of those who fought, who died, had their own tales. From visitors to Spain who found themselves caught in the conflict, to the communist supporters, Basque priests, and Nazi airmen . . . each saw this war in a different light. These are the stories behind A Valley of Betrayal.
Tricia Goyer

Never Can Say Goodbye

2007-03-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

It started Sunday morning in the shower. Only a week early but my tears didn’t want to stop when I turned off the faucet. Phil asked if I was practicing. I told him no, just thinking too much.

And I guess that’s what it is, still thinking too much about the last few days with my pastor, Steve Chiles. He has been senior pastor at North Hills Church for over eleven years now. A lot has happened in those eleven years and I’ve got that Clifton Davis song humming in my head over it.

Steve’s done his best to make this transition as smooth as possible but the truth is, it is still change.

And I hate change.

I loathe change.

Change is right up there with vomiting in my book. Upheaval, upchuck—they both have the same prefix. Kind of like living in the same area code of misery.

However, how does one argue with God and still move forward? So I surrender. Uncle. Let’s get this hard part done—that part where I quit fighting and do what He always knew I’d do when I came to my senses. I love my pastor. He has asked that I love the new pastor. I can do that, I can. I can do that because I love my Abba and this is what He asks of me. I can do this because my friend asks this and it will help him to focus on God’s leading if he doesn’t have to worry about how his church takes this new, gulp, change. I can do this.

But don’t ask me to say goodbye. That I cannot do.

Love ya, Steve. This video is for you.

Abundant blessings!

Here's the Answer

2007-02-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

I thought I put something up that was too easy but I'm guessing it was the Internet that made it harder to see. No correct answers so I get the chocolate-Ha!

Last fall when Phil and I went to New York, most of the tourist type places were closed--Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Fort William Henry--but one place we could still get into inspite of the season. Fort Crown Point. I've included some of the other pictures from there for you. The "what is it?" picture is actually bedrock there where a couple centuries of water and snow and ice have come and gone leaving that design on the ground. I would have accepted rock or stone and probably should just give Jen the benefit of the doubt here since she came closest. So, Jen, I'll send you some chocolate. Thanks to everyone who left a comment and to my mom (whose birthday is really today and not tomorrow--I lost a day somewhere!) Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!
Abundant blessings!

What Is It Saturday

2007-02-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Taking my cue from Brandilyn Collins, Michelle Pendergast, and Kristy Dykes I am putting up a “What is it?” photo. I’ve got chocolate for the first person to come up with a correct answer. Good luck and have fun!
Abundant blessings!

My Love Laughs With Me

2007-02-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

I’ve been spoiled by our Sunday school class. Or rather, I’m spoiled by the makers of coffee and bringers of donuts for our Sunday school class. This morning as I went to hug the coffee guardian, feeling oh so blessed. He nearly spilled a cup of the precious brew and he reminded me of the danger.

“Danger,” I scoffed, “I live for danger.”

My friend Linda snickered. “That’s why you’re married to Phil!”

“Yep, I’m headed for sainthood.”

Truth is they have no idea. Like last night. Phil took me to the Valentine Soirée sponsored by the Men’s and Women’s ministries at our church. This year it was held off campus at a hotel. Very elegant. There was also a silent auction with the proceeds going to help defray costs for the youth ministry trip to Jamaica this summer. Phil hopped up to see what was there. I didn’t think anything about it. However, with his second trip back to the auction table, I suspected he had his eye on something.

Our friend Barb winked. “What are you bidding on, Phil?”

“A new wife.”

Barb gasped.

“You better win.,” I told him. Phil enjoys ornery way too much.

He did win, only not a new wife—a grateful wife, but not a new one. He’d been bidding on a dozen roses and presented them to me at the end of the evening. The man is good. Ornery, but good. And he knows me oh so well.

So I want to take a minute to let him know I love him—and the beauty of it is, he’s really a shy, behind-the-scenes kind of guy who just happens to have a sharp wit and sensitive streak.

He’s not the only ornery one.

My love laughs with me.
Not at me or about me.
My love laughs with me
And we share a moment between just us two.
Rivulets of joy stream from his eyes.
I enjoy him so much I forget what began
this laughter together.
My love laughs with me
Moments over days bound by years into decades
Our laughter warms us, heals us, binds us,
makes us one for one more moment.
My love laughs with me
and I hear the music of our love.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Phil. I love you.

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

Come See What I'm Doing

2007-01-31T16:25:00.000-08:00

I'm taking the easy way out again, sort of, but you'll understand why. Just hope you will forgive me.
I'm filling in for Cindy Thomson over at PASTtimes blog (so really it's not "easy" but just not a lot posted here). If you really miss me, you can find me there this week.
Abundant blessings!
Jenny

The Truth

2007-01-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite authors (or actually author duos) has a blog and I just learned of it. At Bodie's suggestion I visited the Thoene's blog to read her latest post on Truth. Her elequence is beyond me and her solid knowledge of Hebrew and the Gospel back up every word. I cannot say it any better so I am offering this link to the post. All I can add is Amen.

Abundant blessings!

'Tis the Season

2006-12-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

A friend made a statement today that spoke to my heart for this time of year. I hope it will speak to you as well. My friend, Arlene, explained to our Sunday school class that the quip is incorrect—it is not the season to be jolly. It is the season to be holy.

I’ve mulled that thought over since we left church and the truth of Arlene’s wisdom shines over competing thoughts and feelings, putting things into perspective for me. This season is filled with anything but jolliness for so many. Suicide is at its peak near the holidays. Loneliness, depression, and helplessness all run rampant.

Our family has experienced three deaths in the last month and a half. Even before that it has been a bittersweet time for us for over seven years—this will be the eighth Christmas without our Ian.

Yet, you hear it on every radio station—‘tis the season to be jolly.

Ever want to fa-la-la the bejeebers out of someone?

I’ll admit I question why I can’t seem to get into the holiday spirit like I did when the kids were little. But I’ve seen a lot since then and have wondered about a lot more things—things like do the kids who receive the Angel Tree gifts really feel a familial connection to their incarcerated parent or maybe do a few just want to forget about the person who used to rage and terrorize and abuse them? Maybe they are feeling lucky the parent was arrested for something else just to get them out of the house? Nonetheless, that doesn't keep me from volunteering--just in case.

However,when one must spend an hour haunting the lanes in the parking lot for a spot so one can spend money one really can’t afford to spend on a gift that will be consumed, broken or unappreciated just so one doesn’t forget to give something to someone whose approval one seeks but will never receive, it tends to take the jolly out of things. (There are some who will be more concerned about the absurdity of that sentence than the truth of its message).

Then Arlene’s statement comes back to me. ‘Tis the season to be holy. What does that look like, sound like, taste like, smell like? What does that feel like?

To me, it’s the red pot outside the store that reminds me my little bit together with others’ little bits can make a big difference. It’s the sound of someone sharing my tears as I remember a missed loved one. It’s the sweetness of acceptance. It’s a newborn baby in a dark, dank cave of a barn, lying in a manger of straw who is beginning the arduous journey to the cross of our salvation—God putting on flesh to enter our world through a womb and exit through a tomb. He didn’t come to make us jolly. He came to make us holy, to bring us peace in the midst of all that confuses, to bring us hope to sustain us, to bring us love to share with the least of these.

He came. We must remember.

‘Tis the season.

The Good Samaritan—Cary Version

2006-12-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

There’s this in-ground pool in our back yard. It contains no water but once upon a time it did and many fun memories still fill it. One day we will most likely have it filled in but, as of now, the money is not there. So it remains a gaping hole outside our back door.

Last Friday night, I came home after having my fabulous nails redone. Phil was at church so I came home to a semi-dark house and dogs in the backyard. Or at least there should have been dogs in the backyard. Mack was chained up but Daisy, who has never tried to hop the fence, was nowhere to be found. I called and called. No bark. Finally, I flipped on the outside lights and there she was in the bottom of the pool, very happy to see me. She still didn’t bark, though, but she panted hard. I imagine she got down there soon after Phil left and, having been trying to get out for sometime, she was too tired to bark.

In one of her other recent escapades, Daisy’s collar was ruined and I’ve yet to replace it so I had nothing to hook onto to pull her out. I looked around for the pool skimmer or other possible tools, but found nothing. Finally, out of ideas, I went down into the shallow end and sat at the edge of the ramp that ran to the deep end. I thought if I could coax her a little closer with some treats and I might then pull her up.

Instead, I slid down.

Did I mention this was a full-sized in-ground pool with a nine foot deep end?

At the expense of sounding clichéd, I tried repeatedly to scale the slippery slope to no avail. Then I figured, maybe if I took my shoes and socks off I could get better traction. Wrong again. Now I’m stuck in this hole with my shoes off, at night, in below normal temps for Phoenix (hey, it was cold!) and had no cell phone, no one else at home, and no means or ideas for escape. Phil wasn’t due home for more than an hour. Panic set in.

So what’s a girl to do? Well, this girl prayed. And prayed. You remember the verse about praying without ceasing? I didn’t cease. However, the only answer I seemed to hear was to call out for help. I did. Loudly. Often. Still nothing.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, I heard a voice. “You need help?”

“Yes, please! I’m stuck in my pool and can’t get out!” It was a new twist on an old line but it was also true and I wasn’t thinking about how my dialogue would sound for posterity—I’ll work on it for the book version. “You'll have to jump the fence.” The back yard is surrounded by a six-foot block wall.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.”

It was one of the longest minutes of my life.

Finally I heard him again. He’d brought reinforcements. Soon I could see him and his friend. They were concerned thinking I’d fallen in but before I could explain, they were coming to my rescue—right down that slippery slope.

Then they needed rescuing. Yep, they both slipped and were down at the deep end with me. Fortunately, they were taller than I am (most twelve year olds are). One of the men grabbed hold of the built in love seat and pulled himself up. Then he held out a stick for his friend who tucked my arm securely under his—my other hand wrapped around his bicep. Slowly, I slipped and slid to the top.

I was out, but that still left Daisy in the pool. She had shied away from the guys when they first joined us and I was becoming more concerned for her.

“Do you have a sheet?” one of the guys asked.

I ran into the house, grabbed one and hustled back. “Here.”

He shook it out and tossed an end to his buddy who was back in the pool with Daisy. The buddy coaxed her onto the sheet and together they got her up. They used the sheet to get the other guy out and then the shaking started. I shook from head to toe, even when I walked them to the front door (didn’t want my rescuers to have to jump the fence again). I remembered to thank them over and over and to ask their names—none of which stuck with me.

And then they were gone.

When I finally calmed, I knew I needed to thank them better than just parroting “thank you thank you thank you.” So I bought a card and some cookies (you don’t want to eat my baking) and began my search for my rescuers. Now, Phil and I know the neighbors around us but over the back fence and on the next street, not so much. After two unproductive trips, my husband finally suggested the house. The one where the police show up every so often. The one where neighborhood gossip has them doing all sorts of illegal things. That house.

Well, I hadn’t tried that house so I decided I might as well. Bingo!

The thing is these are the only people who heard my cry for help and answered. I saw lights go on in other houses as I called but no one inquired or risked getting involved. Plus these guys didn’t just live on the other side of the alley. They lived across the street in back of my house so my voice apparently carried. I don’t know why the police show up at their house occasionally though I could guess right along with my neighbors—the ones who didn’t answer my cries. Or I can thank these men and speak blessings over them and share the love of God through my actions. God certainly blessed me by drawing them toward my need. It makes me wonder if the Good Samaritan felt he was repaying a debt to someone who had helped him once. I don’t know, but I am thankful and pray somehow they do see God’s love in our meeting. I sure do.

Abundant blessings!

Salute

2006-11-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

In honor of Veteran’s Day, I want to share with you about a certain vet, Richard C. Cary (yep, we’re related). To most, he went by Dick but to me, he was Dad Cary.

Over the years I’ve heard many stories (some I can’t repeat here) but my favorite one comes from his time in the army during WWII. Dad was assigned to Patton’s third army. Just out of high school, he was trained at Fort Dix before being sent to the European Theater. He celebrated his nineteenth birthday by getting his helmet creased by a Nazi bullet during the Battle of the Bulge.

If you remember your history, you’ll know that General Patton promised that his troops would move quicker and farther than even General Eisenhower thought they could. The truth of it is, that army moved farther and faster than even General Patton thought they could and he showed up to tell them so. With the men in Dad’s unit all lined up to see the general, Patton thanked them for a job well done and asked what he could do for them. Dad looked at his buddies all keeping quiet and just couldn’t stand it.

“We could use a hot meal, Sir.”

The general said he'd see what he could do. You can imagine the elation, especially after living on c-rations for days on end, when trucks bearing hot food rolled into camp the next evening. My sister-in-law recently told me that the general even helped serve the meal.

But the story doesn’t end there.

After the Nazi’s surrendered, someone noted that my father-in-law had taken a typing class in high school and assigned him to the typing pool at headquarters in Berlin. He was given the task of typing out General Patton’s stateside orders. When the general arrived to pick up the papers, he looked hard at Dad.

“We’ve met before.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re that little SOB who wanted a hot meal, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“So, did you get enough to eat?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir”

It wasn’t long after that the general was hurt in that car accident and eventually died, never getting to use the orders Dad typed.

My father-in-law passed away last month. He would have been 81 next month. A lot went on during those nearly 81 years but today, I thank him and all like him who have stood in harm’s way so that we may continue to live as safely and prosperously as we do here in the United States. God has abundantly blessed us because of you.

Abundant blessings, and thank you, Dad.

Just an FYI

2006-11-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

I've just posted reviews for two books:
1. The Jade Bracelet by Wilma Walls

2. Marta's Promise by Jeanne Denis and Sheila Seifert

Both books are published by Kregel. Just click on the titles to check them out. I recommend them both.

Abundant blessings!

Purse-onally Yours, the sequel

2006-10-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, it's been a week and even though not too many of you took a chance on posting your guesses, I'll reveal the answers. If you are not acquainted with the writings of one or more of these authors, may I suggest you check them out? Not only are they lovely purse models, they also write like nobody's business. You won't find better authors anywhere.

I learned last week that I can't seem to line up my words next to the pictures, so I'm going to list the answers and then the picture proof will follow.

1. Mary DeMuth
2. Deborah Gyapong
3. Lisa Samson
4. Kathy Ide
5. Brandilyn Collins
6. Linda Windsor
7. Deborah Raney
8. Liz Curtis Higgs

Please check out their websites and blogs and expecially their books.
Abundant blessings, all!

Purse-onally Yours

2006-10-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was privileged to speak at the North Hills Annual Women’s Brunch. The topic was Purse-onally Yours and was themed around what our purses say about our personalities. I thought this was a great idea and so in preparing for my talk, I asked some authors if they’d allow me to take pictures of their purses, just to see if people could identify the genre based on the purse. I had so much fun and such a great response that I thought I’d share the game with you all. As you are guessing, I’m hoping you will be brave and post your guesses. However, if you see your own purse here, please don’t give it away. I’ll post the answers with lovely pictures of the owners next weekend. In the meantime, please pack your purses with care (okay guys, your wallets). Grab your salt packets, a flashlight, and some tissues because when we let our God-given personalities shine for His glory and flavor the world around us, there’s going to be a few tears along the way and some messes to help clean up.

And now, have some fun! (Okay, small problem--I've been fighting with blogger and can't seem to align any numbers or letters next to the pictures for identification so, there's eight of them. Just do your best).

The Art of Reading and Reaching Another Generation

2006-10-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

A classroom off the school library comes with perks.

I have to admit, I’m a fan of writers who write well for children. But when they can inspire and impact a child to write, they’ve just imprinted their seal on the next generation—providing good books and good readers for more years to come.

One such author, Jack Gantos, visited our school this past week. And, lucky me, I was able to just open my door and hear him—and the laughter and interest of class after class of would-be authors.

I’d had the privilege of hearing Mr. Gantos a few years ago. This time, whenever I heard our librarian speak of him to a class, I volunteered how they were in for such a treat. So, with teachers, our librarian, and myself prepping the way and sharing the excitement, Mr. Gantos was ushered through waiting crowds of children who’d either caught the excitement or were ripe to see if the hype matched reality.

Everyone left satisfied.

What I found so amazing is that he delivered to the kids a simple plan of genius. When he was done, they were eager to start a journal just like he had done as a child—and let me tell you, if Jack Gantos had been my child, he wouldn’t have had younger siblings. Somewhere there is a chair among the saints for his mother. Something about his stories of breaking his brother’s arm or letting the Pagoda brothers launch him through the air, or the favorite one where he dropped a roach down his sister’s throat while she was sleeping (which led to him being locked out of the house buck naked) grabs the attention of even the most callous sixth grader and makes excellent fodder for his Jack Henry books. Personally I’m just glad he survived his youth and can write about it now.

Mr. Gantos repeated a phrase I’ve heard reiterated over and over by other authors, editors and agents—paraphrased: you must read if you want to write well. He expands this thought on his website where he bravely shares another of his journals. Here’s the link, you'll need to scroll down a bit on the journal page. Check out the entry for 7/31/05 and you'll see what I mean. And I have to agree with him. The writer in me also understands his post of 7/08/05—the excitement of a new book.

For a better understanding of what Mr. Gantos does with kids, check out this link to an article on his school presentations.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading a Jack Gantos book, I recommend you check them out—Rotten Ralph books, the Jack Henry series (highly autobiographical) and the Joey Pigza books. Be prepared to laugh and be transported--two very special blessings.

Abundant blessings!

Dallas

2006-09-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

I had an epiphany. Right there in Dallas in the middle of the American Christian Fiction Writers’ annual conference, I had an epiphany.

Before I can explain, I need to give you some back-story—honest! I know the rules about back-story and dutifully am judicious in my writing, but this small tidbit you need to know—I changed jobs at school this year. No longer am I teaching kinders (still love’m though). Rather I am teaching the gifted children of our school. We qualified for a part time position on-site since our numbers had shown more than 20 kids identified. However, that included last year’s sixth graders. Plus, we had to do some redistricting with the boundary lines so, though I got the job for having 20+ kids on paper, the body count was closer to 15. Therefore, I need to test my little brains out to get our numbers back up so I can keep my job.

These kids come in, so excited that someone thinks they are smart. I explain I am looking for a certain kind of smart and ask them if, should they not pass my tests, would they still be smart? Most say yes though some need to think it over. I affirm the yes, they are still smart, just not the smart I’m looking for at the moment. And you got to know, I love these kids. I’m cheering them on and want each one to succeed. Some have even been former students and I really want them to make it into the program. It breaks my heart that so many do not make it. The standard is high. I’ve had kids score a 96% (that means they only missed 3 questions between all the tests in that particular battery) and I have to turn them down.

Anyone in the writing business can see where I’m going with this. There I was in Dallas, mingling and conversing (and learning a few things, too) and it hit me—this is what the editors and agents go through each time they have someone come in for an appointment. They hope they will see something of what they are looking for, an idea of the right kind of "smart." Then the test comes. Is the story compelling? Is the writing stellar? Has this author a track record? Do they fit the pub house? Do they mesh with the editor/agent personality-wise? The standard is high. Oh, sometimes it is just a matter of a different house or editor or agent being a better fit. Sometimes in my class it’s a matter of trying a different test or giving the child time to mature before I test again.

The good news, for me anyway, is that bit of empathy for the editors and agents relaxed me and helped me enjoy my time so much more. I was ready for the take-homes I needed because I wasn’t manic about my assessments. . .er, appointments. I soaked up wisdom from Mary DeMuth on going deep and not letting anyone, including myself, put Jesus in a box. And I had a paradigm shift. I know I write for an audience of One (though you all get to read this, too), but until Liz Curtis Higgs said it, I had never ever thought the following statement:

Jesus is my agent.

Sure, I want a 21st century flesh and blood agent but finding that right fit is in the hands of my number One Agent. And with His guidance, it will all fall into place the way He wants it.

But lest you think the trip was all visionary and deep, I’ve included some pictures at this link. I hope you can tell we had a blast. Sending a special hug out to my roomie, Jen Tiszai who gave a wonderful Late Nite Chat on the art of mentoring. You are the best, girlfriend!

And now, back to the real world.

Abundant blessings!

Questions We All Need to Ask

2006-09-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well guys, I'm behind on posting--again. The good news, though, is I have something to post (yea!).

First question: Would you like an easy way to see when I've updated my blog? If so, look at the bottom of my sidebar. You will notice a place to subscribe to Abundant Blessings. All you do is fill out your e-mail address where you would like to receive my musings and then you won't have to search over and over only to be disappointed that I haven't written something new. What happens is FeedBlitz will send the post directly to your e-mail. You can click on the link to come to my site or just read the e-mail note. FeedBlitz will notify you only when I have something new. I use FeedBlitz to receive my favorite blogs and like the convenience. Hope you will, too.

With that out of the way, I have some more important questions for you. First I need to set the stage. My pastor has been doing a series titled American Idols where each week he shines the light on things we, as Americans, tend to let come between us and God. Today the idol was Excitement/Pleasure. Pastor Steve asked some deeply probing questions and I want to ask them of you. Here we go:

1. What are you giving yourself to that is significant? (Consider: Life is going faster, but is it taking us to better places?)

2. In Whom are you investing yourself?

3. For what are you embracing sacrifice?

4. If you were to die today, what would you be known for?

As Arsenio Hall used to say, "Things that make you go 'hmmmmmmm'." Only not because of the incongruity but because of the significance the answers mean to our lives, our futures, and those we touch. Pastor Steve also left us with some parting thoughts so I'll empart them to you.

Some people leave lasting investments of their lives.
Some people leave lingering impressions.
Some people just leave.

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

It's All About Meme

2006-08-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

It's meme time! I got tagged last week by my buddy Jen but had just put up the interview with Tricia so I'm keeping my promise to do the meme today. Here goes!

1. A friend who has blessed me: There are too many to name. I easily could name Jen and pay the favor back but I’ll pass it on and say my friend Lori.

2. An unexpected gift: My husband has been getting me technorized (new word—should be in Webster’s by 2008) as of late. The most recent gift is making my new laptop into a card-free wireless laptop—very cool!

3. A kind word shared with me recently: I received several compliments on the interview I did with Tricia Goyer. It was the first interview where I wrote up all the questions alone, and was rather nervous about doing so.

4. Something that makes me stop and praise God: Hugs from former students.

5. Something I'm looking forward to: Having fun in Dallas at ACFW.

6. A particular part of me I'm pleased with: At the moment, my toes—they are pretty and sparkly--oooh!

7. Something in my life that I wanted but never expected: Hope for the future.

8. A place that moved/moves me: Ireland—standing in the ruins of the place where my ancestors were married.

9. One thing/person that always makes me smile: Ditto on Jen, my kids (ditto on the hair-pulling part too—see, you’ll have to go read hers.)

10. Most recent "love note" from God: A new story idea—He whispers them every so often and I heard a new one just last night.

And so, now, I have kept my word and it is time for me to tag someone else. Who, who could I tag? Just to be ornery, although I highly doubt he'll do it, I tag my beloved hubby, Phil.

And to every one else, abundant blessings!

Win a Copy of Arms of Deliverance by Tricia Goyer

2006-08-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

So, dear reader, here we are at the end of summer (or so it seems) and the children will be starting classes at my school come Monday. Therefore, this weekend I am trying to finish up something I should have completd weeks ago. Please do not let my procrastion lead you to the eronous assumption that Tricia Goyer's latest novel, Arms of Deliverance, is anything other than wonderful. And just to prove that fact, I am offering a free, author signed copy of Arms of Deliverance to one of you. All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog (for this post) and I put your name in a drawing to be held in one week (Saturday, August 19, 2006). Just in case you are reading this and wondering if you want to take the time or not, I have three (count'm t-h-r-e-e) tidbits to help you make your decission.

1. If you click on this link, Arms Of Deliverance, you will find my review of the book.

2. If you click on the title of this blog post, you can link to the first chapter of the book--you will need to scroll down a little bit. And,

3. if that's not enough incentive to leave me an appreciative comment, keep on reading. I have an interview with none other than Tricia Goyer herself.

So, without further ado, here's the interview.

JC: Welcome Tricia! Before we get started, please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started as a writer.

TG: Thanks Jenny. I'm a wife to a wonderful guy, mom of three kids whom I homeschool, and I also mentor teen moms. Oh yes, I write books too . . . because I've discovered I can actually CONTROL the people in my mind better than the real people in my life. Ha!

I started writing in 1994, when I was 22-years-old and pregnant with my third child. (Yes, I was a teen mom, and all the nitty-gritty details in that can be found in Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom)

I attended my first writer's conference with a friend, and I actually sold a magazine article at that conference. I think it was just God's way of letting me know I was on the right track because I didn't sell anything else for 2 1/2 years. After that, I began regularly writing magazine articles, curriculum, Bible Study notes, devotionals . . . and eventually fiction and non-fiction books. I'm one of those crazy writers who want to write about everything in my life, so I tell the truth of my life in non-fiction, and explore the themes of my life in fiction.

JC: You've had four novels now set during WWII. What about that era draws you?

TG: When I first started writing proposals for novels I wanted to write contemporary. I thought research was too much work. Then I was on vacation in Europe and I met a historian who told me the true stories behind the liberation of Gusen and Mauthausen concentration camps. The story was so amazing it inspired my first WWII novel, From Dust and Ashes.

As I wrote that first novel, I was blessed to be able to meet and interview some of the veterans who were there. Their stories sparked more novel ideas, and so I kept writing about the area.

I think the one thing that draws me is the idea that God's hope and love can be found even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.

JC: What sets Arms of Deliverance apart from your other WWII novels?

TG: Well, for one, there is a little more romance, and the characters actually get to spend time together. In my other WWII novels the characters are drawn a part during the war. In Arms of Deliverance, it's the war that brings them together.

Also in Arms of Deliverance I expore a number of POV characters, who really give insight into the various thoughts and motives behind different people involved in the war.

JC: You've touched on some diverse and unusal occupations for women of the era in your books. If you were to be able to go back and live during that time period, how would you have contributed to the war effort?

TG: Yes, I've had some strong female characters in occupations not formerly open to them before the war. In Dawn of a Thousand Nights I have female pilots. In Arms of Deliverance I have female war correspondents. Someday I'd love to write about the women in the factories.

Of course, I'm a big chicken. I can explore these exciting occupations while still remaining safe. I'd most likely grow a victory garden or pack bundles to send over the soldiers. Or write about the war . . . a safe distance away from the front lines.

JC: I understand (big grin). What lessons do you think we can learn from those who fought or kept the homefires burning during WWII? How can this generation apply them to the war we fight?

TG: During World War II our country lived with a strong trust in God. They looked to Him for guidance and help. So many times today, we try to figure everything out ourselves. We try to succeed in our own strength, but I truly believe that in our weakness God's strength is complete. When we are weak, God has a chance to be strong in us.

JC: Is there something you've learned in your research that you want to make sure your kids understand?

TG: I suppose the only thing I stress over and over is that we should be grateful for those who fought so hard for our freedom. All my children have been with me when I interview veterans--we've even had some veterans visit our home. We've also attending Veteran's Day ceremonies and have been the only people there under 50-years-old. It's easy for kids to be self-centered these days. It's good when we can get them to look beyond themselves and their circumstances.

JC: I understand your next novel will take on a different time period. Can you tell us about that? Do you think you will ever write about the WWII era again?

TG: My next novel is as close to WWII as you can get without being about WWII. It's about the Spanish Civil War. Here's a short overview of the series:

Nazi tanks roll across the hillsides and German bombers roar overhead, dropping bombs on the helpless citizens below. Italian troops fight alongside them, and their opponents attempt to stand strong—Americans, British, Irishmen—in unison with other volunteers from dozens of countries. And their battleground? The beautiful Spanish countryside.

From July 1936-April 1939, well before America was involved in World War II, another battle was fought on the hillsides of Spain. On one side, the Spanish Republicans, joined by the Soviet Union and The International Brigade—men and women from all over the world who have volunteered to fight Fascism. Opposing them, Franco and his Fascist military leaders, supported with troops, machinery, and weapons from Hitler and Mussolini. The Spanish Civil War, considered the “training ground” for the war to come, boasted of thousands of American volunteers who joined to fight on the Republican side, half of which never returned home.

And to answer your question, yes, I'll most likely write about WWII again. There are so many amazing stories I've heard that would make fantastic novels.

JC: Where can readers get a copy of Arms of Deliverance?

TG: On on-line book stores . . . or any local bookstore can order a copy too!

JC: Any last words?

TG: Thank you for the interview!

JC: Thank you so much for dropping by, Tricia!

And thank you, dear reader, for checking out my blog. Be sure to leave a comment and I will put you in for the drawing next Saturday. Also, do check out the link to the first chapter of Arms of Deliverance. You won't be disappointed.

Abundant blessings!

Been Working--Honest!

2006-07-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Just wanted you to know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I've got two things to share with you today and would love your feedback.

First, I'm about to post some reviews for books I've recently read. If you'd like to check out my opinions, here are the links:

Everything's Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren

Fighting for Bread and Roses by Lynn A. Coleman

Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago by Stephen Bly

Cowboy by Staci Stallings

Feel free to leave comments but I've changed the setting so your comment won't show up immediately. I'm testing this out and may not keep this particular feature.

Second, I am working on an article about prayer and why people should pray. If you would like to share why you think we should pray (or for that matter if you think we shouldn't) please post a comment. This is the reason I've readjusted the comment posting feature for my blog. I want you to be able to tell me what you think yet still not have your comment posted if you prefer. Also, you can post annonymously. The important thing is to let me know if it is okay to quote you. This does not mean I will automatically quote you but I will contact you should I feel the need to for your permission. I may even contact you to expand on what you commented. Just soze ya know.

Have a wonderful week.
Abundant blessings!

Family, Friends, and Fellowship

2006-07-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

We just got back yesterday afternoon from a lovely vacation in the mountains of Arizona. I can't believe we're back so soon. Gotta tell you, if you ever get to visit up in Payson or Prescott, take the opportunity and enjoy your stay. There is so much to see, so much history and beauty you could have a never-ending vacation. Don't they call that retirement? ha!

My mom and Norman live up in the White Mountains in an incredible house Norman built for her. It is amazing with a porch that spans the whole south side. You have your choice of chairs, the swing or the glider to relax in while you watch everything from the leaves moving on the the trees to the antics of animals to the friendly neighbors waving as they drive down the street. In the afternoon you can stretch out on the hammock while the breeze rocks you to sleep. I could live that way for sure.

The best part of the visit, though, was enjoying my family. GrammaDear officially turned 100 years old yesterday. Plus friends came by--Tracy and her girls. I hadn't seen Tracy since her daughters were babies and now they are quite grown. Tracy and I go way back. I think she was about the age of her youngest daughter when we first met though she and my sister were the ones practically inseparable back then.

There was also the opportunity to visit the Women's Bible Study at Mom's church. They going through Liz Curtis Higgs book Bad Girls of the Bible. I saw old friends and made new ones there also.

For the weekend, Phil and I were at Family Camp with our church. The keynote speaker, Randy Spence, had the wonderful habit of spinning a story to pull you in and then holding up the mirror for you to see your own place in the story. I should never have worn make-up.

We also got to slip over for a party with friends, making connetions with people we hadn't seen in a while. It's funny how life keeps you moving until you find too much space between you and people you thought you would see routinely.

So, I've had this amazing and restful week of family, friends and fellowship--also fun. Now I am jumping back into my life with both feet. I am the guest blogger this week on the God Allows U-Turns blog so I hope you will check in there. I am sharing how God has blessed us so abundantly (like I do most times here) but including a great deal of my personal testimony. So, if you are the least bit curious as to how I got to be so . . . okay, just don't finish that statement where I can hear you. Anyway, drop on by. I will be blogging daily over there (don't get used to it) and would love it if you left a comment. Until then,
Abundant blessings!

Happy Birthday America!

2006-07-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Let the flag fly high
Flashes cover the sky
Your blessings overflow

You’ve been honored and blessed
By so much of the best
Your blessings overflow

God’s hand pours forth grace
Mercy streams from His face
Your blessings overflow

So raise thanks up to He
Who has caused you to be
Your blessings overflow

Abundant blessings, America!

This One's for Jen

2006-06-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Accent: Only in Ireland
Best personality trait: Jen says I’m an encourager. The jury is still out on whether that’s actually a personality trait.
Chore I hate: I’m with Jen on this—I detest housework. But I’d say scrubbing the bathtub is probably the most hated.
Dad's name: Richard
Essential make-up/skin care products: mascara—I have no eyelashes without it.
Favorite perfume/cologne: Totally addicted to Amarige by Givenchy.
Gold or silver?: Why do I have to choose?
Hometown: Kokomo—the town in Indiana, not the bar in the Caribbean
Interesting fact: How long do I beat this dead horse about Davy Crockett being my Great, great, great grandfather? Is there anyone on the planet that doesn’t know? (Jen says that’s not too snarky, just funny so if you disagree, take it up with her. This was her idea anyway—luv ya Jen.)
Job title: Jill of all trades
Kids: Finally figured out where they come from.
Living arrangements: Hubby, me and our dog named Mack—well, we’re also dog-sitting for Chandler and Daisy
Mom's birthplace: Chicago
Number of apples eaten in the last week: Zip—what do I want with healthy food?
Overnight hospital stays: Five of my own—tons more if you consider the family members I’ve stayed with
Phobia: heights –don’t spend much times around kites either.
Question you ask yourself a lot: Where did I put that?
Religion: Christ follower
Siblings: one younger sister and two younger brothers (yes, that makes me the eldest, but I’m NOT old!)
Time I wake up: work schedule:5:00 a.m., summer schedule: whenever I feel like it (or when the dogs won’t let me sleep anymore)
Unnatural hair color: I’ve been blonde, red-headed, and a brunette.
Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: Brussels sprouts—when did Brussels sprout anyway and how do we keep it from happening again?
Worst habit: Putting things off—but I’m good at it so that’s also a strength.
X-rays?: Which ones do you want to hear about—head to toe.
Yummy food I make: Cooking isn’t my forté but I make a mean trip to Taco Bell
Zingers: You say that like it’s a bad thing. (that’s really my hubby’s so I stole it)

So, who to tag, who to tag... Malia, you're up!

Abundant blessings!

Glimpses

2006-06-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

The other day at church I was so taken by something I saw I had to come home and write about it. With Fathers’ Day so close on the horizon, I thought I’d share my experience with you. Oh, I do want you to know, I did not take this picture. I do not know who did or I would give gredit. Whoever did take the photo, I know he/she understands what I saw.

There is a man in our church, a new father for the fourth time. This man stands tall and imposing, easily mistaken for intimidating until he smiles and his face cleaves in friendship. I remember once watching as he leaned in to help a woman struggling between wheelchair and seat. With gentle firmness he guided her to her destination. She struggled, she worked, she breathed a sigh when landing on her chair. His moves were unobtrusive yet sure. When done, he melted quietly into the seat behind to continue in worship.

Another time this big man did something that made me cry. He picked up is newborn son and stood holding the tiny bundle to his chest, smiling down on helpless trust.

And I saw God.

A stalwart defender. A tender father. The warrior king. The protector.

I saw my Abba and was drawn close against His chest, deep into His heart. A picture of power, a glimpse of glory, an embrace of eternity. Safe and secure from all alarm. Hallelujah!

May you see glimpses of our loving Abba this week—when you least expect it and when you need it most.

Abundant blessings!

So You Want to Talk Grandmas?

2006-06-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

You probably have a wonderful grandma, a terrific grandma.

But does she carry brass knuckles?

Mine does and she just celebrated her 100th birthday. Okay, so her real birthday isn’t until next month but, here in Arizona, who wants to party in the middle of July? Hence, my mom set the party for the first weekend in June. Family and friends from all over arrived, some actually meeting for the first time. GrammaDear, as my girls call her, was surrounded by those she loves and those who love her. Getting to one hundred years of age has its burdens as well as perks. GrammaDear has out-lived one spouse, all her siblings, one grandson, and one great-grandson. However, that only ensures a big celebration when she has her "Welcome to Eternity" party. They can keep planning awhile longer though, since we aren’t ready to say good-bye quite yet.

One thing became very apparent during our weekend celebration—GrammaDear has been a major influence on a lot of people, many who will never know her until they get to heaven. Here’s one tiny example: When my cousin Greg was a child, Gramma led him to the Lord. Greg, in turn, led a lovely young woman named Lynn to the Lord when they were both sixteen. A few years later, Greg and Lynn married and had two very beautiful daughters and Lynn led them to the Lord. Greg and Lynn’s daughters have both grown up and married godly men and are working in Christian ministries—Lindsay and her husband work with Young Life and Kristin and her husband are looking to leave for the foreign mission field, working with Campus Crusade. Imagine the number of lives they will touch all because one grandmother shared her heart with her grandson.

GrammaDear was surrounded by her four daughters, most of her grandchildren,
and several of her great grandchildren.
All of her daughters share her faith and the majority of the grandkids and great grandkids do as well. It is a testament to God’s promises for families.

Today as Phil and I were leaving for home, I got to stop and talk with Gramma one more time. It was like a mutual fan club meeting, sharing how much we love each other. But then she put her hands on my face and said, “The best part is we both love the Lord and we will be together in His Kingdom forever.”

She carries brass knuckles and she’s one hundred years old, but that last part makes my grandma the best.

Abundant blessings!

At Last, the CCWC

2006-05-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

In my last post I promised you all I'd tell you about my trip to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference (CCWC) . I thought I'd be quicker about the sharing but after the past week, this is good. As you can see, the vista was incredible--hardly any pollution (or oxygen, for that matter) but the view was quite lovely before I passed out;-)

My friend and mentor, Esther Bailey, thought this would be the perfect trip for us to do together and I agreed--still do but with a few reservations. We had an adventure with the shuttle service making our arrival time 11:30 p.m. The driver dropped us off and we checked in. As the man handed us our keys he said we could drive a couple blocks to the four-way stop. Go another block beyond and then turn left. That's where I explained we didn't drive. He shared a "short-cut" and wished us well. Esther and I (along with Monique, another writer who shared our shuttle adventure) started walking, pulling all our luggage behind--uphill. When we finally arrived at the door to our building, this is the sign that met us. I had to take a picture--I didn't think I'd believe it the next day without proof.

Fortunately things improved after that. I had so much fun seeing old friends, making new ones, learning, growing. I took James Scott Bell's continuing session and was lucky enough to get to sit around the lobby of Wind River one night and shoot the breeze with him, Nancy Rue, Angela Hunt, and Lisa Samson. I think I learned more that night about being an author and this crazy business than in any of the classes. It was fun, it was great, it was amazing.

Seems I've loaded my limit on pictures (and didn't even get to post the ones with me and Ted Dekker and Tammy Alexanderor several others--none to worry, I have plans:-). However, I have to say this has only whet my appetite for the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference (ACFW) in Dallas this September. More pictures to follow. In the meantime, wishing each one of you a day of rememberence and hope. Thank you to all who have stood in harm's way for us and Abundant Blessings one and all!

PS By request, I'm adding a link you need to check out.
www.writehisanswer.com/colorado
And it is my pleasure to do so.

Interview with Stephen Bly and More

2006-05-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

I have a million and one things to share with you, not to mention a great interview with Western author Stephen Bly. So, a quick set of announcements and then on to the interview.
First, I have a new website that is up but not quite done. So, if you checkout JenniferLynnCary.com and notice some problems, please be patient. I will announce when it is finished. Second, I have just returned from the Colorado Christian Writers Conference (CCWC) in Estes Park and have lots to tell and pictures to share. Again, soon, I promise. Last (before the interview) this Wednesday is the seventh anniversary of the homecoming for our son, Ian. If you are led to think about us this week, I’d appreciate your prayers. Also, use this as a reminder to give your child an extra hug or pray for a family dealing with chronic illness in their midst. If you want to do something more substantial, may I suggest making a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation? This group was wonderful to our family.

And now, please enjoy getting to know more about author and Pastor Stephen Bly and his latest book Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago.

Abundant blessings!

Q: Why did you decide to try your hand at writing a contemporary Western instead penning another historical?

SB: Actually, I've written a number of contemporary novels, for instance: The Austin-Stoner Files, The Hidden West Series, and Paperback Writer. One motivation was that the basic plot for The Horse Dreams series, a divorced teacher whose ex dies of a heart attack, before she gets a chance to offer peace and forgiveness, fit a contemporary scene better.

As a matter of fact, that was my entire plot when I sat down to write the books. I don't plot much. Okay . . . I don't plot at all . . . it's more like a "guideline" idea. I often don't have a clue where a story is headed. PLUS. . . in this case, I knew lots of ladies like horses (and cowboys), even if it's only a daydream. So I combined those elements and placed the series in one of my favorite locations, the empty prairies of central Wyoming. It seemed like a good mix. Dev Worrell is the kind of caring, gifted schoolteacher that all of us can remember--mine was named Mrs. Welch, and she taught the 4th grade at Ivanhoe Grammar School.

Q: Which character in this series did you most enjoy writing?

SB: Casey Cree-Ryder. I was going to say Casey and Uncle Henry, but since Uncle Henry is a burro, I suppose he doesn't quite fit the category.

Casey is a 29 year old, Wyoming "cowboy girl," who is dark skinned like her Native American/African American bloodlines but has the temperament of her Mexican American/Irish bloodlines. She is totally unpredictable in behavior . . . almost shocking in speech, and lives life with few restraints. She is very much the opposite of Dev. But they become great friends and throughout the series, you can see how each makes the other a better person.

Casey is one person you would like on your side in a fight (guns, knives or fists.) One glance from Casey and tough cowboys are known to cross to the other side of the street. Yet, there is sensitivity, a crushed spirit and a broken heart that need healing. I like her too, because she has a waist-length, thick black braid that is purdier than bronc-rein.

Q: What challenges did you face writing from a woman's point of view?

SB: You know, I get that question a lot. Gals write to me and say, "How did you know what was in my mind?" I attribute my ability to write from a woman's point of view to two factors: first, I have been married to a talented, interesting, adventuresome, intelligent, creative and beautiful woman for 43 years. Second, I have LISTENED WITH ALL MY HEART to a talented, interesting, adventuresome, intelligent, creative and beautiful woman for 43 years.

If a man will truly listen to women . . . he can write from their point of view.

Q: You are among the first to write Christian Westerns. What changes have you seen in this genre? What advice do you have for others wanting to break into this market?

SB: I'm not sure the genre has changed too much, but there are still only a few that can master it. Too many writers want to tell a modern story, and they dress it up like a doll in cowboy gear. That's not a western. If you are going to write about the 1800's, you have to know the west-the history, the geography, the politics, and human nature of 1880.

Many read a Louis L'Amour novel and say, "I can do that." They can't. Most good writers can research the right words, but they don't have the right tune. It's the rhythm, the tone, and the flow that makes a great western. It's a tough thing to teach.

If you want to break into the western market, spend the next 10 years roaming up and down every dirt road in the 11 western states. Read every book you can find about the old west and published by University of Oklahoma, University of Nebraska, University of California, and University of New Mexico press-and a few others. For months, study every old map of the west you can find, memorize such books as Ramon Adams' "Western Words" . . . Andy Adams' "Log of a Cowboy" . . . Charlie Siringo's "A Texas Cowboy" and Fay E. Ward's "The Working Cowboy's Manuel." Then move to Denio, Nevada and work the Fall Gather for one of the Big Basin ranches. That'll work.

Get your facts right and forget most of what you've seen in western movies.

Q: As mayor of Winchester Idaho, pastor of a church, and a prolific writer, what does your schedule look like? How many hours a day are you able to spend writing?

SB: Lucky for me, there are forty hours in a day. That's the only way I keep up. I go to bed about 10 - 10:30 and get up about 3:30. I like to spend 5 to 10 hours a day writing-more when the deadline approaches. But there are breaks. I travel a lot around the west and find time to read lots of non-fiction books about subjects that fit my stories. I have all the time I need to do the important things of life. I just have to keep reminding myself what those important things are.

Happy Mothers' Day

2006-05-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

They come in all shapes and sizes, temperaments and abilities, colors and humors. Most people only get one and if they’re lucky, that one is a keeper. I have to say, though, I by-passed lucky a few decades ago when my little brother’s speech teacher saw something in a widowed father with three kids. The smartest thing Mary could have done probably had something to so with “just say no!” and running as fast as her feet would fly. Instead she opened her heart and loved us all.

That’s my mom—my second mom.

My first mom died of cancer when I was a young teen. I thought that was the end of the mom-thing in my life. God had other plans. And now this retired teacher has been my mom more than twice as long as the one who gave me birth.

Not that is was all moonlight and roses. Anyone who has tried to blend two families knows what I mean. But Mom didn’t run when she had the chance and she didn’t even when things got bad, ugly or rough—and they got all three. She hung in there for the long haul and now she has seen the rewards of a Proverbs 31 Woman—we, her children, call her blessed knowing full well that we are the ones who have been blessed.

My first mother was a rare gem. Lovely, loving, and lovable. Not everyone can say that about their mom. I can say that about both of mine. I am blessed beyond measure and want to publicly thank you, Mom, for not running for the hills, for loving us as your own, for being my mom. I love you! Happy Mothers’ Day.

Abundant blessings!

Friendship

2006-05-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I learned a lot about friendship.

During the course of my life I have been blessed to call a few incredible women “friend.” I wrote about one of them, my friend and pastor, Lori, a few posts back. Today I want to tell you about another friend who allowed me the privilege of sharing in her special day.

My buddy Laura has now joined the ranks of those of us who can officially claim to have lived a half century. Many find reason to celebrate that milestone with black balloons and AARP jokes. No black balloons for Laura, though.

Ten years ago, she was forty, bald and in a wheelchair, fighting an uphill battle with stage four cancer. I doubt any of her doctors would have placed bets on her seeing fifty. That is, unless they took time to get to know her.

Laura puts the fun back into dysfunctional.

She and I go back a long way, about twenty-five years to be exact. We’ve been pregnant together, sold Tupperware together. Laughed, cried, and leaned on each other. We never say good-bye though years may pass without us being in touch. And then one day we get together and just pick up where we left off. Almost like a revolving door deposits us in the same place every once in a while and then we move on. But somehow we always manage to end up back together one more time. Probably because that revolving door spins inside my heart.

I could tell you of how Laura came running to the hospital in the middle of the night when my son was dying. I could tell you how she ran interference for me when I just couldn’t take another hysterical phone call, or how she held my hand through panic attacks and the loss of my identity. But I haven’t the words to do her justice.

Instead I want to tell you how she finds laughter in the midst of pain, beauty in brokenness, and magnanimous heart in the middle chaos. But how do I describe how lights burn brighter in her presence? Or how humor becomes more healing when she tells the story? I can’t. I can only say I am so blessed to call her my friend.

Happy birthday, Laura! Many, many more!

Abundant blessings!

Kindergarten is a Dangerous Sport

2006-04-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Whodathunk it?

One of my little darlings, who has had some difficult days in the past, had a wonderful day last Tuesday. A stupendous day. A red-letter day. She earned twenty minutes of computer time to be awarded during the last half hour of said day. Sounds like the makings of a date to circle on the calendar, huh?

Oh, it got circled alright.

Dad, in his infinite wisdom, decided to pull my little darling out forty minutes early. HE had an appointment. He never thought to call and let us know ahead of time. Oh, no. And so I had a sobbing five-year-old who had jumped through every hoop of the day with alacrity only to be crushed with the injustice of it all.

And if that wasn’t enough, when I knelt to comfort my little kidlett, my knee landed on something—or at least I was sure it had due to the stab of pain shooting up my knee. I quickly moved to see nothing between my knee and the carpet and felt the burn—and not the good kind.

The next few minutes were a blur of getting the child to the parent in tears (both mine and hers) and sending another child to the nurse’s office for an ice pack. Wrong move The ice-pack request generated paperwork and a trip to Occupational Therapy. By the time I was seen (and I have to say my nurse had the best sense of humor) the X-ray department was closing so I had neither x-rays nor MRIs done. However, I was given instructions to stay off it and allowed five minutes per hour to maneuver myself to the facilities should I feel the need. Other than that, no standing.

I teach Kindergarten.

Alrighty then.

First there was Tuesday night (also known as my husband’s birthday—he spent it pushing me around in a wheelchair. I SO owe him big time) when I was supposed to be at Kindergarten Registration. In the wheelchair it felt more like a cry for attention than being there for parents to get to know me.

Wednesday, a team member had called in for a sub already so I knew I could not miss. That day was spent with children vying for the privilege of pushing me in the wheelchair. The above-mentioned little darling had a very difficult day as did a couple of her friends and I left the second I could roll myself out the door.

The good news is I had extra writing time this week (Pollyanna will now return to her corner)

Thursday and Friday I hobbled on a crutch, waiting for the weekend. And now we’re back to that key word in my life—waiting.
I am really getting tired of waiting.

Even things I thought were good to work through while I waited have been stripped away. I was up to walking three miles (count’m T-H-R-double E) and now I hobble. So much for losing a dress size before attending the CCWC in Estes Park next month. There are so many exciting things on the horizon but not here yet. So I keep asking my Abba what am I supposed to be learning in all this waiting?

I may be starting to get it—at least intellectually. Up until now I have been looking forward and excited like a kid at Christmas. All the goodies that might come my way. But I don’t’ think that is the definition I am supposed to be taking to heart. Somehow I’m getting this picture of a waiter, like in a five-star restaurant. The type of waiter who is unobtrusive but always available. One who doesn’t ask how things are the second you have just put food in your mouth but instead knows exactly when to remove the salad plate and bring the entré and fill the beverage glasses without a request.

Am I that type of waiter for my Abba?

As much as I’d love to say yes, I know the answer is no. So, maybe if I can take that head knowledge and get it into my heart, I will begin to appreciate the journey and not be so focused on the destination—the ultimate destination is up there ahead and I am excited for that. But the big oases along the way are only enjoyable if the journey brings about the right attitude.

At the moment, mine needs an adjustment.

Abundant blessings to all!

Just Fiddling Around

2006-04-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

“A little bit of this, a little bit of that.” I feel sort of like Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof for this post. Today I’m just sharing snippets of interest.

Actually a good one came this morning. My pastor made a confession that rocked the church—to be fair, I’ll put it into context. He began a new sermon series on relationships and is using a driving/rode motif to illustrate his points. Today his focus was that no one likes a road hog. And in the midst of this very spiritual, moving sermon, he asked of the married people in the congregation how many disagree with their spouses on the types of movies they like to watch. Hands flew up all over (mine and Phil’s included). And that is when Pastor Steve confessed. He likes movies where somebody blows up—he’s not picky, he just wants bloodshed and mayhem. However, his wife prefers something to make her cry. He went further. After the last Elder’s Meeting (a grueling one that saw my own Elder/hubby crawl in way after his bedtime) he popped in Rambo First Blood to feel better.

Something about knowing that little quirk about Steve leaves me unsettled. However, the men in our congregation had else to say. Especially when I suggested a good ol’ chick flick comedy (and yeah, Jen, I was thinking about your favorite nail polish at the time) instead of a tear-jerker. Uh, no. Rather it was countered we find one where the hero blows up things, but sheds a sensitive tear in the process. Where’s the chick flick fun in that, I ask you?

So, before I let flashbacks from Steve’s confession and the resulting aftershocks scar me forever, I’ll switch topics.

One of my very favorite people in the whole world—yeah, he’s got a corner on the market most of the time—is having a birthday this coming Tuesday. He will officially be old. But that’s okay, I’m learning to like antiques. Happy birthday, dear husband of mine. I love you.

And with that I will wish you all abundant blessings!

Dealing With Rejection

2006-04-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had jury duty this week. I didn’t get picked. Again. I never get picked. Okay, for the first few times I trotted my little self down to one of the courthouses we have around here I was happy to escape the final selection. But now, I’ve done this about six times already. You’d think someone down there would like me. At least a little.

But no, I’m rejected again. Went off to moan and groan to my Abba. Bad move—especially this week. He knows more about rejection than I’ll ever experience. Talk about feeling like a whiner.

But when I got over my little pity party and let Him give me that attitude adjustment I was just begging for, I was reminded once again that it is all Him. Even though he did it for me. And you.

Bottom line, my rejection meant I got to sit in an air-conditioned courthouse, make a couple new friends for lunch, and read a novella without having to deal with kidletts poking and prodding and calling, “Teacher, TEACH-er.” Don’t get me wrong. I love my little rug rats, but Spring Break is long over and there are still six weeks left (count’m S-I-X) until I kiss their dear little heads so-long. It doesn’t even compare to the ridicule and rejection Jesus endured on my account.

Our motives were different as well. Way different. I went for the vacation from school—and to do my civic duty, of course. He did it to give me life everlasting. And he did not allow the rejection, the ridicule, or the pain to keep him from his appointed goal—the original postman living out a love letter from the Father.

So, have I grasped the lesson now that it isn’t all about me? Well, the jury is still out on that one. For the long term, don't know. But for the moment, I’m grateful He hasn’t rejected me. Thank You, Abba.

Have a happy and very blessed Easter.

Abundant blessings!

E is for Easter

2006-04-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

I just got back from viewing Lee Stobel’s The Case for Easter. It is late and I am tired but I want to share what I learned. To hear and see irrefutable proof of what I hold dear in my soul demands that I share, so here are the basics.

1. Execution—there is no way that Jesus could have lived through the torturous execution he suffered. Medical and historical documents cannot be argued away. Jesus died.

2. Early—the accounts, including the creed passed on from the Apostle Paul in Corinthians, would have been argued or declared shams. Instead they can be dated back to soon after the actual event. Studies show legends and myths take much longer than two generations to generate. Less time is involved with the reporting of the early accounts. Mr. Strobel calles this a News Flash.

3. Empty—this is one of the most convincing pieces of evidence. If somehow Jesus could have lived through the crucifixion and having his lung and possibly his heart stabbed with a spear, and if he could have gotten himself unwound from the linen cloths and seventy pounds of spices, and if he could have moved the stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb, He would have held far more scars than just the ones on his wrists and feet--the only ones attested to in any account. So, he really did die, but the tomb was empty—historical evidence other that the Bible backs that up. The Jewish leadership and the Roman government didn’t want Jesus to be alive. If he was dead, all they had to do was produce the body. For Roman soldiers to admit they fell asleep on the job? They would have been put to death for that. And to be tricked by a bunch of itinerant fishermen? Oh, please! The tomb was empty.

4. Eyewitnesses—over five hundred people personally saw and interacted with the risen Jesus. FIVE HUNDRED EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS! If you produce less than one-fifth that many in any court of law, you will get the verdict you want.

5. Emergence—the birth of the Christian Church is based on the sermon Peter gave at Pentecost. Three thousand people heard him cite information they knew to be true—"Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed though Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—" That is verse 22 of Acts 2. Peter is telling them things they knew—they knew Jesus did miracles and had walked among them. The also knew He’d been crucified. And after seeing and hearing the apostles in their own language, they could not refute it—3000 people could not refute and asked what to do, begged to be told what to do. Three thousand people gave their hearts and lives over to the Lord. Mr. Stobel also pointed out that people of all creeds will die for their faith. The difference was, the apostles knew the truth. If they had been making up the story, each would have died a martyr's death for a lie they knew to be a lie. To die for what you hope is true is one thing, but to die for what you know is not true of your own accord when you can easily say “hey, I was just telling a good story to make a point” and live just wouldn’t happen. And it didn’t happen.

So as you go through this Passion Week, it isn’t just a good story that teaches a lesson. It isn’t a warm fuzzy in your heart to help you get through your grief at the loss of a loved one. It is the truth—He is the truth. It is His story in history. And I am overcome with gratitude and love for my Abba.

Abundant blessings!

Savoring Satisfaction

2006-04-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

I struggled this week with what to write. Somehow I knew the answer would come at church this morning. I was right.

Our pastor, Steve Chiles , is in the middle of a six part sermon series that examines who Jesus said He is. Today Pastor Steve spoke on “I Am . . . The Bread Of Life!” I thought I would share (with his permission) some of the insights of today's three hankie sermon.

To begin, the main Scripture reference is John 6:25-35. I won’t print it here but you can follow the link. Steve made two main points based on those verses: 1.) He (Jesus) wants us to look to Him as the true source of satisfaction; and, 2.) He wants us to learn to savor Him.

Amid an unruly chorus of “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” Pastor Steve noted that most of what we seek for satisfaction is simply medication. We look for Mr. or Miss Right in all the wrong places. We fill our time up with busy-work and “holic-isms” (my word) and miss out on the One Who can satisfy our every need. Remember the verse “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”? (Psalm 37:4 NIV) I thought I had matured when I realized it didn’t mean "love God and He will give you what you want the most,” but instead meant “put God first in all things and He will place within you what your heart needs to desire, longs to desire.” Sounds pretty good, huh?

I had an epiphany this morning when Steve shared how the Lord had opened his eyes. “He (God) is not a MEANS to what your heart is looking for; HE IS what your heart is looking for!” I draw near to Him and HE IS the desire of my heart. He gives Himself to me freely. All I have to do is open the door. Powerful!

The second point--He, Jesus, wants us to learn to savor Him--also hit home. I have my quiet time each morning. My dog, Mack, and I have a routine involving Scripture, a devotional, prayer and yogurt—Mack’s favorite part. I’ve learned my day will not be as it should be, or as it could be if I neglect to begin it with my Abba. This doesn’t make me extra pious, it's just that I’ve learned a few things in my fifty years on the planet. But the savor part, that was new—“to enjoy something with unhurried appreciation.”

And then Steve made this telling statement: “We say Jesus is the Bread of Life, but treat Him like fast food.” Ouch! But I have to work for a living. I have to be at work on time. People depend on me. Then my pastor asked, “What does God dream?” If I knew Him well enough, I would know that answer. The point being, when we savor Him, we truly come to know Him. And the only way to know someone is to spend time with him.

That led to the next point—when we savor Him, we move from salvation to transformation. And we aren’t transformed by walking with Him across the street. We need to walk the whole journey with Him, every step of the way. With that in mind, read 2 Corinthians 3:18. I just love it when familiar Scripture becomes new again.

Steve’s final thought was when we savor Jesus, His life flows in us and through us. Think about how Peter’s mere shadow flowed with healing power ( Acts 5:15-16) My shadow only offers shade.

So, tomorrow morning, I want my first thought to be, in the words of King David, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” No more nibbling at the Bread of Life and hurrying on with my day. That diet is over. From now on, I want to savor my Savior. May you find satisfaction at His table as you linger to savor His goodness.

Abundant blessings!

Word Games

2006-03-25T12:27:00.000-08:00

I love words. Even when I’m not writing, I’m surrounded by wonderful, stimulating words. I find humor and pathos in the conversations that fly around me. For instance, one of my little kinder Romeos tried to plant a big wet one on another kidlett. His classmates met him with the rule, “No kissing in Kindergarten!” Don’t you just love that?

Oh, and my class now has a favorite new word: Hallelujah! I kid you not. One Friday when I was longing for Saturday a student asked, “What is today?” I answered, “It’s Friday, Hallelujah!” The word spread throughout the room and I heard Hallelujahs echoing over and over, and smiled at the personal revival they inspired. About a week ago, while writing the Morning Message, I added the word after writing “Today is Friday.” All this week the class asked me to put the word Hallelujah into the Morning Message. I get so excited hearing them praise God—even if they don’t know that’s what they are doing.

After school last Wednesday, I got into a discussion with a friend about favorite movie lines. Her favorite? “Toe pick.” Took me a minute, but I remembered the movie. My own personal fav only illustrates my very warped sense of humor. “Nailed’m.” My hubby’s favorite line is “It’s a good thing your mother died in childbirth ‘caused she’d have died of embarrassment by now.”—that one may not be perfect, as I didn’t go double check the DVD.

I won’t tell you the names of the movies here but will add the answers in the comments tomorrow. Promise. In the meantime, I’d love to know your favorite lines and what makes them your favs. You can comment on your favorite quote, kid wisdom, or even most clever book title—I’ll give you my favorite on that one. James Howe has written a great series of books for kids all about the hare-raising (correct spelling) adventures of a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula. One of the sequels is titled The Celery Stalks At Midnight. Man, I love that title! I know, I know, I’m still a Three Stooges fan after all these years, too.

So, I’ve shown you my words (or ones I wish I’d thought of). Now you show me yours.

And may the words of my mouth (and fingers) bless my Abba, bring encouragement to others, and a smile to all.

Abundant blessings!

Interview With Jack Cavanaugh

2006-03-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I just posted Saturday and you are used to me posting once a week. There is a reason for this mid-week update--I have a very special interview for you, dear reader. Best-selling author, Jack Cavanaugh teamed up with the late Bill Bright to write a series of books, based in our history but relevant to our today. Dr. Bright has since gone on to be with our Lord but Mr. Cavanaugh has now completed the first book in their series. I am so excited to be able to bring you this interview with one of my favorite authors, Jack Cavanaugh. Enjoy!

Tell us about the conception of The Great Awakenings series.

JC: This series was born out of a shared desire for revival in our country. When Dr. Bright and I learned that we were both praying for revival, it seemed only natural that we would team up to write this series about the historic revivals in America.

There are so many unexpected twists in Storm, were those plots twists made during the planning sessions with Dr. Bright, or were they inspired as you wrote?

JC: The creation of a novel has many stages. Before he passed away, Dr. Bright and I met and prayed and sketched out the broad strokes for not only Storm, but three other stories as well. We knew that unless God intervened in a miraculous way, Dr. Bright would not be alive to see the release of any of the books. My task has been to bring our stories to life.

As you researched the revivals that once swept our country, what most affected you?

JC: Two things: First, that God so often chooses common, ordinary people to be the spark for the extraordinary outpouring of His Spirit. Second, the unexpected nature of revival. Not only the timing of revival, which is wholly in God's hands, but the unimaginable wonder of it all. The historical events that occurred are far more fantastic and wondrous than anything we could have imagined.

Do you consider Storm a character or plot driven novel?

JC: Storm is a character driven novel. But don't mistake that for lack of action. Character driven simply means that readers keep reading because they want to find out what happens next to the characters. Storm is a personal duel between two men. Imagine if you were given the task of leading your greatest rival to the Lord. The one person you can't stand. The person who annoys and torments you endlessly. Then imagine you learned that God had chosen him, a non-Christian, and not you, to start a national revival. That's exactly what happens in Storm.

What do you hope your readers will take with them from this series?

JC: That's easy. When we began this project, Dr. Bright and I got on our knees and prayed that after reading these novels Christians would turn their hearts to God and cry out, "Lord, do it again."

Until next time, Abundant blessings all!

Raining and Reigning

2006-03-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

I awoke to a familiar sound this morning. It was one I knew but couldn’t place at first. Then, going deep into the recesses of my mind, I found a closet where sensory memories are kept, and dug into the back. Low and behold, I found the memory.

Rain.

Rain tickled my senses and dripped down onto my skylight, pinging a rhythm that told me God still reigned, even over the driest deserts of my life.

Our valley has begged for precipitation now for over 140 days. God heard our prayers and told the clouds, heavy with needed moisture, not to pass us by this time. The clouds obeyed, breaking open with a welcome shower and soaking our parched ground.

I snuggled down into my warm covers. In my mind I sang thank yous to my Abba and danced in His rain.

One more time my Abba explained, in patience and in love, “All in My time, My child. All in My time.”

I really need to remember that.

Abundant blessings to desert dwellers everywhere!

Waiting With Elijah

2006-03-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

I’m feeling a lot like Elijah these days, though he hasn’t always been the Biblical character I relate with the most. In fact, I generally feel a kinship to Peter and the uncontrollable desire to say the wrong things—especially after I just got something right.

But these days, I’m more like Elijah—I’m in the waiting mode.

Not a fun mode, I have to tell you. And this mode applies to many areas of my life—both collective and personal.

As you may or may not know, our wonderful valley, in the midst of what should be the best season of the year, is knee deep in drought. One hundred thirty seven days, to be exact. Oh, sure, we experienced a wee bit of spittle a couple days ago, but as our weathermen explained, if it doesn’t get the cup at the end of the runway at Sky Harbor Airport wet, we haven’t had measurable rain.

So we wait.

And then there is that Postal Service snafu which is playing havoc with my time and temperament. How long does it take a priority package to arrive from Arkansas? Well, it’s been a week and a half and we still don’t know.

I have work related waiting issues. I have medical related waiting issues. I have spiritual related waiting issues. In fact, I am just now getting over no Internet waiting issues—that’s why I can now update my blog.

I don’t remember praying for patience.

So, like Elijah, I wait.

Only, unlike Elijah, have no one to send to check my PO Box for that little fist of a cloud, er, I mean priority package. So day after day, I faithfully look. I think I’d be happy for junk mail. Or a cloud burst. Or unexpected dark chocolate (I know, it always comes back to chocolate).

One good thing came of this, though. I had time to read two wonderful novels. And in reading them, I realized I was hungry, ravenous even, for good fiction. My appetite was sated with both these books.

The first is actually the third in the Ahab’s Legacy Series by Louise Gouge. I’ve had the pleasure to learn from her--in a cyber class and in person. When reading Son of Perdition, I knew without a doubt, this woman knows her stuff. Even when forced to put the book down by things that wouldn’t wait, my mind continued to check in on the characters as if they were real members of my acquaintance. Though not a suspense, this historical contained enough plot twists to keep me guessing. Even when I thought I could see where she was headed, she led me with such artistry, I was caught unaware. I do not want to give away too much, for this book is so worth the read, but know, you will never look at Captain Ahab or Moby Dick or even the sides of the Civil War in the same light. When one learns and grows while reading well-written fiction, that is the sign of a great book.

The second book I picked up on a friend’s recommendation. I was not disappointed. Christine Schaub’s Finding Anna is the first in the Music of the Heart series that looks at the stories behind the great hymns of faith. She began with a story many claim to know, me included. However, I was so taken by her retelling of H.G. Spafford’s writing of the lyrics to It Is Well With My Soul that the black moment was made very real. Even though I thought I knew what was coming, in reality, I didn’t. I was swept along with the flow, bringing humanity to the tragedy. Ms. Schaub writes in her Author’s Notes “If I did my job and convincingly wove those two elements (history and fiction) together, if I presented you with a really exciting, plausible story, you won’t get caught up in the details wondering, ‘Did that really happen?’ You’ll just believe it.”

I believed it.

Abundant blessings, all!

The Hat

2006-02-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

I first saw it on a quick run-through trip to my neighborhood Walmart. That oxy-moron should have been the first clue. There is no such thing for me as a quick run-through Walmart.

But, that no longer matters.

What matters is, I saw it, I loved it, I bought it, thrilled at the bargain price.

And since then this soft white, angora Gilligan-type hat has turned into a matter of contradiction for me on so many levels.

From the moment I put it on, I felt fun, sporty, and (okay, I’ll admit it) cute. The one thing I did not feel was fifty years old (but that’s another blog).

Since that moment in time, I’ve had confirmation (“Oh, you look so cute in that hat!”) to confrontation (“I can’t hear what you’re saying. I’m too focused on that white fuzzy thing on your head.”). One person told me, “It makes you look young.” Another said it made me look like an 80 year old person of color.

One of my loving daughters put it this way: “It makes your face look fatter.”

BTW, she’s out of the will.

Even my very own Pastor Steve has expressed repulsion nearly on the same scale as his aversion to country music.

I’m toying with the idea of buying a hat just like mine for his wife.

The crux of the matter is this: I love my hat. When pressure is stressing me, I can reach up and touch the soft fuzz and be instantly transported to my happy place. One would think that is a good thing for everyone involved.

Alas, no.

I love my hat but my loved ones do not. What’s an anal retentive, compulsive people-pleasing codependent to do?

Well, I’ve decided this is where I draw my line in the sand (sand, of course, since if I make a mistake, I can always rub it out).

I love my hat. I will wear my hat. I will enjoy my hat.

Besides, Punxsutawney Phil has said there’s only six more weeks of winter. In Arizona time, that’s only four more days. I think I can last that long.

Maybe.

Abundant blessings!

Jenny

A Cactus Bloomed in the Desert Today

2006-01-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

Not that my friend, Lori, is prickly, but in the desert valley she has lifted her arms toward heaven and stands as a beacon calling all in our state to prayer.

And today, she bloomed. Officially, she was ordained to do what God has been calling her to do—what God designed her to do.

Lori and I go back a long way. We’ve seen each other through the good and the bad. We’ve celebrated together and grieved together. She is my sister, my friend. And now she is officially my pastor (though she was that, too, before it became official).

At her service, our senior pastor, Steve Chiles, made a couple statements that hit home to me. He was explaining this call to ministry had some special facets, among them the call to fellowship and the call to discipleship. And then he said, “God does not call us because of who we are. He calls us in spite of who we are. If God doesn’t show up for our ministry, we are dead in the water.”

The weighty truth of those words still resonates now that I’m back home. God has designed each one of us for a ministry. It is about Him and His plan. He provides the equipment and if He isn’t in it, there is no ministry. Why? Because it’s all about Him.

And that’s something Lori has run with since the moment she first heard God whisper in her ear. Step by step He has called a music teacher, meek and reluctant to pray aloud let alone before a group of people, to become a strong, courageous woman of prayer. A warrioress. An intercessor who, as one speaker pointed out, no longer takes no for answer—that is, from man. From God, she might not like it, but she accepts it. She knows Who makes the rules.

So, Lori, I am honored to call you friend. I am thankful to know you and have you in my life. And I count you as one of my very special abundant blessings from our loving Abba.

Congratulations, LB! You rock!

Love ya!
JC

The Class of ’74 is Turning 50

2006-01-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, so some mornings I feel twice my age. The truth is, I never thought I’d even reach fifty. But I have and can look back with wonder at how in the world it has happened. Definitely a God thing.

Believe it or not, I can even remember not having a radio in the family car. My parents would sing when we went anywhere. (And that explains my infatuation with Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook collection.) When I began school, little girls had to wear dresses to class. Even in the winter. Snowsuits, or, when older, corduroys under the skirts, had to suffice since no self-respecting young lady would be caught dead in slacks at school. Sometime about eighth grade, dress slacks were allowed and finally by high school, I learned about living in jeans.

I’ll bet you’ve read the e-mails about the good old days and all that has changed over the years. So have I. And I can remember my parents and their friends discussing how much life had altered over the years.

But then, I think of my grandmother. When my mom complained how her kids were getting old, GrammaDear (as she’s called) knew just the answer. “Your kids? What about my kids!” GrammaDear will be celebrating her hundredth birthday this summer.

So what does one do now that one is f-f-f-fifty? It’s just a number, I know, but sometimes it's just hard to get out. I find myself relating to the Roman god, Janus—whose two faces looked both forward and backward.

And I don’t like it.

For the most part, it has been a lovely ride but I’m not at my journey’s end—not yet. I could be very close or just halfway there like GrammaDear. Only God knows. So, I’m taking St. Paul’s advice. Looking forward and leaving the past behind me, I press on. Richly blessed already, I can’t wait to see what’s around the bend—and I’m betting there’s chocolate involved somewhere. My Abba is good like that.

The picture above is of the three members of the class of '74 at our school. Jackie Lowery and Patti Vail, you are the best! And for the record, we don't look fifty. Forty-five maybe, but not fifty.

Abundant lifelong blessings to all!

Life Should Be Dipped In Chocolate

2006-01-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

Glendale glitters.

Not all the time, but at least at this time of year. Last night, my husband and I went to downtown Glendale to see the final night of lights and glitz. The great finale included glowing hot air balloons, imported snow for the kidletts and horse and buggy rides for the romantic.

Walking past one of the vendors, Phil noted how they had about everything under the sun dipped in chocolate. And my quip back? “Life should be dipped in chocolate.”

Now let’s review. In case you are a newcomer to this blog, I am a chocoholic—not a recovering one either. No, I here and now admit, my name is Jenny and I am an active and current chocoholic.

So, my husband wasn’t the least bit surprised at my remark. However, I was. When I say something and have no idea where the thought came from, I must analyze.

And I realized from the start, the whole evening was a chocolate covered presentation. What began years ago as a small town event in the midst of one of the biggest metropolises (is that a word?) in the country, had to have some sweet coating. The original idea was to bring community together and build on a safe family environment. Yet, when you scratch the coating away it is revealing.

Parking has become such a chore cars circle the area for near to thirty minutes hunting for a space within a mile of the festivities. And sadly, the older structures where the latecomers leave their cars aren’t exactly what the historic preservation society had in mind for Old Town. Only blocks from the fun, some of the poorest of our state try to find shelter.

And, of course, what would chocolate be without nuts? The revelers may be families but small town America is learning new definitions of the word.

However, I don’t think so much has really changed. We’ve always put the white wash (white chocolate?) over what we don’t want to acknowledge. We have chocolate covered elephants in the room, I mean park. Is this bad? Well, when it comes to a matter of faith, I don’t want to bite into a candy only to find some filling I would rather trash than eat. But, there are times when a spoonful of sugar—or chocolate—makes the rough days easier to get through.

I’ll bet you can tell where I’m going with this. Yep, back to that blessing thing again. The unexpected hug from a kidlett you wanted to give to the coyotes that melts your heart, or the email that makes you laugh after a day you wanted to cry through, or just knowing your Abba is walking down this sometimes glitzy and sometimes spooky road with you are certainly ways of coating your day in a chocolate hug.

And when we accept that person who looks a little different or help that family struggling just to stay together, we help pour a chocolate sweetness on what otherwise may be a hurtful day or existence. You may be the only delicious thing they will experience. But it may be just what they need to point them to the Source of all goodness.

I thought of saving this for Valentine’s Day but when it’s on my heart, it is time. Besides, the Chocolate Festival will be hitting Glendale in a few weeks. I can do a reprise then.

So, until next time, I wish you abundant blessings and chocolate covered days.

Round Robin Story part 9 - Hey we still need a title!

2006-01-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

So maybe I'm starting to like writing suspense. Just don't tell, okay? I've added in another one of the requirements--you'll see it as you read. And, of course, if you haven't read the previous posts, go to Jen Tiszai's blog (the link is at the side--Sonoran Saga)and she has all the links for all the other posts on her part 8. (She's gone to bed and isn't available to help me with html--a language I've yet to conquer.)

So, here's part nine. Enjoy! Oh, and abundant blessings!

So, here she was, dangling like a worm on a hook. Sarah shuddered. What had she been thinking?

“The map we found under Chas, he had apparently grabbed from his sister Emily. Of course the dog had gotten to it before we did. But after we cleaned it up, we got a map of the meeting places. It looked like Emily was listing them for Chas.” Kyle’s voice was a little stactic-y in her earpiece. Not comforting in the least.

“If we don’t get a nibble, we’ll try another spot. There are several on the map. By the way, we think she saw him attacked and that Emily is the target. Chas probably got in the way.”

Way to go, Kyle. You sure know what to say to make a girl feel safe.

Knowing she was wearing a wire and had police all over the place watching her did little to help her nerves.

She crossed her ankles and tried to get comfortable on the park bench. The desert, only a couple hours from the beach, was hot enough to fry an egg. If it weren’t for the fact she was sure she’d have to do a lot of walking, she’d have stuck with her flip-flops.

Though her sleazy romance novel remained open, it was more to hide her talking back to Kyle. He must have contacts all over the place.

Crackle. “Someone is coming up along the bike trail.”

“Thanks for the warning, Kyle.”

The biker went on past.

Pretty soon a mom pushing a baby stroller wandered along. “Mind if I sit a moment?”

What could she say? “Sure, no problem.” Sarah scooted over.

“Keep your eyes peeled, Sarah.” Kyle’s voice made her jump.

“It sure is a hot one. I try to get out and walk with the baby every day to get rid of the last few pounds.”

Sarah nodded politely. She wouldn’t be much good as bait if she sat there talking with this new mother.

“Oh, I love your nail polish. What do you call that color?”

The blood drained from Sarah’s face. This couldn’t be the contact!

“Remain calm, Sarah. The color is” static “Cherry.”

What did he say? Crap! Why did she go to sleep when Lynne was putting it on her? Think!

“Ah, I think it is, ah, Chick Flick Cherry, or something like that.”

The smile vanished from the mother’s face. A gun appeared from inside the stroller. “That’s what I thought. So, if you’ll just hand over the goods, I’ll be on my way.”

What goods? “I’m sorry I don’t know what you are talking about and you’re scaring me with that gun.” All too true.

“Don’t play coy. You’ve got the color and the signature flower. Just give me the stuff and I’ll be going.”

“Tell her you have” static “car. Get her to” static “with you and” static “there.”

What did he say? “Ah, I didn’t know it was you. The stuff’s in the car.”

The gun motioned toward the parking lot. “I don’t know what game you’re playing but get moving.”

Sarah stood. God please help me! She could feel the cold steel nudge at her. “I'm not playing games. Just being cautious.”

The barrel pressed into the small of her back. "Walk"

"What about the baby?"

The only answer was another nudge from the gun. Mommy dearest left the stroller.

Kyle, where are you. Get me out of this.

Her car stood on one side of the lot by itself. Where were the cops hiding?

“Where is it?”

“Over there. I need to get out my keys.”

“One hand, slowly.”

Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring with the clicker, holding it up so the woman could see. She pressed the button.

A guy popped up from her trunk.

Sarah gasped.

An arm went around her neck and the barrel of the gun pressed a bruise behind her ear.

“You set me up!" The arm dragged her backward. "Back off or she gets it!”

“Right now you haven’t hurt anyone. Drop the gun and it will go easier.” Kyle’s voice came from behind.

“I’m taking her with me." Sarah was flung from one direction to the other. "Once I’m away I’ll leave her on the side of the road.”

Sarah couldn’t get enough breath. The arm about her neck pulled too tight.

“You know I can’t let you do that. Just put down the gun.”

The arm pulled tighter. Her earpiece dropped on the ground.

“Of course, you were wired.”

“Just put the gun down.” Kyle’s voice was fading.

Sarah felt the wooziness from lack of air. The cop in front of her became three. Her knees buckled but she never felt the ground.

Round Robin Story Part 7

2006-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

Well, good intentions and all, I thought I would post last weekend. But the time got away and then school started again. Didn't realize just how much I missed my little kinderlets. That being said, my teaching career really cuts into my writing career time. I was the one who was supposed to post part four. So, thanks Jen Tiszai, Sabrina Fox, Mike Synder, and Malia Spencer for keeping things going until I could post.

Please bear in mind, I write Women's Fiction--Historical Women's Fiction. Where Jen and Mike and Malia can all intro their own characters into this little drama, mine are long dead and buried--about a couple three centuries ago. But I'll give suspense a try--and not shed quite so many tears if one of their characters bites the dust.

So now, without further ado, part seven.
Abundant blessings!

“Sarah, please to take seat. I will serve you soon.”

Thankfully Sarah was a few minutes early for her appointment. “No problem, Lynne. I’ve brought reading material.” She waved the newspaper and sat.

“What you read about?”

“I stumbled on to something yesterday and I thought I’d see if there’s any news.” Though if Kyle weren’t so by the book, he could fill her in and she wouldn’t have to read between the lines in this rag. There’s the story, page three. Just a tiny little blurb. Well, that certainly helps—not.

When the other customer left, Lynne motioned to Sarah. “I serve you now. Do you want pedicure, too?”

That’s a no-brainer. “Yeah, please. The sand at he beach is doing a number on my feet.” Sarah climbed into the massage chair.

“What color you want?”

Reaching over, Sarah turned the spinner, a familiar shade catching her eye. Chick Flick Cherry. No, that would give her more nightmares.

“I see you like new color. I just get. Only one person try that. She like very much. I think like, too.”

Could it be Chas’s sister? No, no way. That would be much too much of a coincidence. “No, I think I’ve seen too much red lately. Try Violet Hush. That is wild enough for me.”

Leaning back, Sarah closed her eyes. Sleep had been nonexistent last night. Every time she closed her eyes, Russell Fink would take her by the hand and lead her into a nightmare. Her heart got a great workout considering how many times she frightened herself awake.

But the chair massage felt almost as good as Lynne’s skilled hands on her feet.

Sarah’s eyes flew open, gulping in air as if she hadn’t had a breath in ages.

“You okay, Sarah?” Lynne capped the bottle of Chick Flick Cherry and set it on the tray.

Another nightmare. And in the middle of the day, too. Sarah looked at her toes. “I thought we decided on Violet Hush?”

“This better. You look like model. You will like. I make flower for you on big toes.”

Sarah wanted to tell the tech to remove the color. She wanted to, but acquiesced instead. Why bother. The nightmares came anyway. “Whatever. I’m too tired to argue.”

Lynne finished by adding a rhinestone to the center of each flower.

Something about the shiny dot made Sarah’s blood chill. But she had been wearing the silly things for some time. Her nerves were so fried.

When Lynne started her fingers, Sarah noticed a newspaper. “Oh, if that’s mine, just tuck it there in my bag.” She nodded toward it.

Instead of answering, Lynne shoved it under her stand.

No big deal. All she had to do was ask.

Though not in a hurry when Sarah arrived, now he tech raced through the fill.

The bell over the door rang and a tall woman entered. Dressed to impress, Sarah knew she was looking at money.

“Please to take seat. I will serve you soon.”

That explains the hurry. Lynne booked too tight.

Sarah finished, paid and booked her next appointment.

“See you in two, Lynne.”

The girl merely nodded, not even looking up.

Well, now I know how I rate.

Halfway to her car Sarah realized the stone from her grandmother’s ring was gone. “Blast it!” She turned around and trudged back to the shop, hoping Lynne found it. Not that it was that valuable but to Sarah it was priceless.

She pushed in the door while the bell tinkled above. “Lynne, I lost my…”

Lynne lay in a pool of blood.

The moneyed lady stood over her, crow bar brandished.

A Poignently Blessed Christmas

2005-12-25T19:38:00.000-08:00

Though I knew Christmas was getting closer by the minute, I still had much to do, much to start. But getting started appeared to be the problem (for one reason, see previous post). I enjoyed shopping and doing for those in true need. And baking bread for my neighbors was fun. But things like Christmas cards and tree decorating just didn’t get accomplished. I did put up a nativity set, but that was the extent of my decorating for the holy day in my house.

The big thought this season has been to go home to my mom. Funny, I’ve only visited the house where she now lives but the peace I feel here called to me like coming home. Finally, last Friday, I had a real heart-to-heart with my Abba. I didn’t think I was feeling depressed but I was longing. I think I even surprised myself when I told Him I miss my Ian.

Ian used to help me decorate. He had an eye for it and made it fun. I remember coming in from work one December day in 1998 to find my 15 year old son hunched up on the kitchen counter by the phone, receiver in hand, with his eyes glued to the TV.

“What in the world are you doing?”

“I’m going to win the contest on that show.” And he did—a family pack to visit the Imax theatre to see The Nutcracker--his Christmas gift to us. I still smile thinking of him there.

But that was his last Christmas. And now I miss my son, just like I do every Christmas. Like I do every day.

But in verbalizing it to my Abba, He reminded me that He also missed His Son that first Christmas. How loving that God would share that intimacy. He truly understands.
He sent his son to a hurting world knowing that world would hurt him. And He did it for me. And you. And my Ian, who no longer hurts. I will see Ian again and I will celebrate Christmas with the angels one day where I can see and touch and hug the guest of honor, my Savior. My Jesus.

In the meantime, I have enjoyed Christmas here today with my family. To you, my husband, my daughters, my mom, my Norman, my 99-year-old grandmother, my aunt and uncle: I love you. To my sister, my brothers, nephews, nieces, in-laws, and friends: even though we're apart on this day, you are still in my heart. Each of you please know, next to salvation, you are the greatest blessings in my life.

And to you, dear reader, may the Christ of that first Christmas live and grow in your hearts, filling all of your new years with Abundant Blessings!

The Allure of Procrastination

2005-12-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

What is it about procrastination that seems to call at the most inopportune times? I’ve been chomping at the bit to have some uninterrupted writing time and now that I do, I find so many other things that need doing. It’s not that I don’t want to write—the Lord knows I do. I guess I feel a bit like the Apostle Paul. What I want to do, I don’t do. What I don’t want to do, I do. Wretched woman that I am! Who will get me off this merry-go-round?

Though misery loves company, I find no comfort in knowing this problem has been plaguing mankind (and womankind) for eons before Scarlet O’Hara announced, “tomorrow is another day.” Aesop’s tale about the hard-working ants and the lazy grasshopper tried to teach industriousness to Greek procrastinators before the time of Christ. The problem’s been around a bit, huh?

And, though I’m a card-carrying member of the club (and I think I recognize a few of you out there from the meetings) I’m going to try something new. An old year’s resolution—only have to keep it a couple weeks. That way I may have a chance. I will read my e-mail before 9:00 a.m. and not again until 3:00 p.m. No AIM until after sundown (sorry Jen and Malia, but at least the sun goes down earlier these days). Blog reading only on Saturdays. And no TV until I’ve put in at least 1000 words (2500 would be better but I have to make this doable).

So, we’ll see how this goes. Now, when to start? Tomorrow sounds good, don’t you think?

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

Joy to the World!

2005-12-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

The excitement is mounting. Can you feel it in the air? I’m counting the days. How about you? Yep, five more days of school until Winter Break. Yea!

Ever wonder when Christmas Break turned into Winter Break?

So many things are different now.

I went shopping today and found a bell ringer. That made my day. I’ve actually stopped shopping at stores that don’t allow the bell ringers. One in particular carries my favorite candy bar. Dark chocolate with espresso—what’s not to love? But I do without. It’s the principle of the thing, an imagined sacrifice. I’ve been sacrificing for more than a year now. For those of you who think my sacrifice paltry, you must not be true chocoholics. One day at a time, my friend.

Chances are you have also received the e-mail decrying how political correctness has gone too far. I won’t repeat it all here but suffice it to say, my greeting is still “Merry Christmas.” I say it more for myself than anyone else. It reminds me this isn’t about Winter Break or two weeks without five year olds or even large chunks of writing time.

It isn’t even about me.

And yet it is about me.

And you.

And everyone on earth.

God sent His Son to us, to draw us to Him, to save us, to die for us, to live for us. Isn’t that enough cause to say Merry Christmas? Or better yet, Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Let Earth, and all of us, receive our King with gratitude and excitement.

Merry Christmas and Abundant blessings,
Jenny

I've Been Tagged

2005-12-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

I’ve Been Tagged

Okay, I’m not sure who started this but I blame Mike Snyder. Doesn’t have to be fair, I just blame him. And Jen Tiszai. I blame her, too. And now that I’ve been tagged, I’m passing it on. Here are my seven sevens. Enjoy! And be sure to go back and check the other blogs for their info, too.

Seven Things I Want to Do Before I Die
1. Finish writing all the books in my head—and write them well.
2. See my daughters happily married to good and godly men and have children of their own—best revenge;-)
3. Play with my grandchildren (none of which exist yet)
4. Return to Ireland and really see it for more than 3 days.
5. Go to my grandfather’s home in Sweden
6. See more of London than just Heathrow and surrounding area
7. Tour Versailles

Seven Things I Cannot Do
This is hard. I really subscribe to I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. But if I think about what I can’t do without Him?—then there’s way more than 7. OK, I’ll come up with something.
1. Organize or Plan in a quick, methodical way
2. Make my loved ones surrender to Jesus
3. Lose weight and keep it off—this is really posturing. I know I can lose the weight if I put total focus on it and let the rest of my world fall apart
4. Go more than a day without some form of chocolate—again, I really could but it wouldn’t be pretty
5. Retire from teaching and work full-time writing
6. Stay away from my computer
7. Resist my husband

Seven Things That Attracted Me to My Husband
1. His blue eyes
2. His sense of humor
3. His intelliegence
4. His long legs
5. His compassion
6. How he makes me feel safe
7. Oh, yeah, and his kiss (OH, yeah)

Seven Things I Say Most Often
1. Knock it off
2. No kissing in Kindergarten
3. I’m never going to get this book finished!
4. Can’t type worth beans
5. lthtt –laughing too hard to type
6. what meeting?
7. Man, I have to cook again? Didn’t I just do that last week?

Seven Books I Love— Like Jen, this is besides the Bible. And I know I’m leaving out lots I really love but am too tired to think clearly at the moment. And these are only including books that have been published or I’d have to make the list longer.
1. Anything written by Liz Curtis Higgs
2. Randy Ingermanson’s City of God series
3. My Utmost for His Highest
4. Les Miserables--yep,I read the unabridged version but in English
5. Jane Austin books
6. Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury series
7. Anything written by Linda Windsor

Seven Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again
1. Fools Rush In
2. Wonderworks version of A Little Princess
3. The Sting
4. The Philadelphia Story
5. Rear Window
6. It’s a Wonderful Life
7. Last of The Mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis

Seven People I Want to Join In Too
1. Randy Ingermanson
2. Linda Windsor
3. Allison Bottke
4. Tiff Miller
5. Greg Williamson
6. Cheryl Wilford
7. Phil Cary

By the way, I do not plan to post more than once a week but this crept up on me. In the future, I want to continue to have a new post on Saturdays. Hope this brings a laugh.

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

Peeves and Blessings

2005-12-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

This past week I discovered a running topic—at school, on a writer’s loop—and it has me thinking. A dangerous thing to do, as my husband would tell you. The topic wove through different categories but the central issue rested on pet peeves. A few of mine cropped up and I’d like to vent…I mean share.

One of my pet peeves has to do with those who are in the spotlight, speaking from a platform of intelligence and authority (evening news, politicians, experts) and they can’t even pronounce the word “often” correctly. It’s not that hard. I know it comes up as a fourth grade spelling word when studying words with silent letters. So why do adults, who surely have gone to school for longer than a high school diploma, insist on pronouncing the word as if the /t/ is vocalized? Huh?

And why must teachers, who have taught for decades and have more certifications than you or I can shake a stick at, need to prove they have enough credentials to be allowed to pay $100+ for one more certificate just to be allowed do the job they were already doing? (Long, ugly sentence—longer, uglier story)

And why is it that when I finally get a chance to work on my writing, I have an inbox overflowing with e-mail just dying to be answered, or unexpected company, or even more unexpected illness. Not fair.

I’ve caught myself feeling peevish about these and other things this week. Funny how once you get started it kind of snowballs into an avalanche of peeves.

Thankfully, I’ve found a solution.

Remember Paul’s instructions to the Philippian Church? “…whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” If I put my mind on the things of God, I can start to be grateful for living in a time where information can be provided so easily, that I have a job where I can touch so many lives (hopefully in a way that lifts Jesus up), and for the stories in my head, the visitors in my home, having a home and relatively good health. That is way more than many can claim and I’m seriously remiss in thanking my Abba for His abundant blessings all around when I focus on the irritants.

So, what to do when you come down with a case of the peeves? Do what I’m learning to do, count your blessings—old song, better idea.

Here’s wishing you lots to count.

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

Shoes That Click to My Clack

2005-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

I love Mr. Magoo.

The perennial favorite, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol thrilled me each December while I grew up, or rather got older (I’ve been told I’ve yet to grow up). But as an adult, the video, and later, DVD, were unavailable each Christmas when I looked. And I looked for several years.

My kids and even my husband could not understand my need to find what they considered an old, silly cartoon. When feeling nostalgic, they preferred Charlie Brown or Rudolph. And I enjoy those as well, but something about Mr. Magoo called to me and my search continued.

Last Christmas I found him. I bought both the DVD and VHS plus a couple extra to share with others. I rushed home and popped him in the player and curled up ready to enjoy.

It wasn’t long before I figured out the pull. I related to Mr. Magoo’s Scrooge on so many levels. And when young Ebenezer sang from his heart, the words came back in a rush and I sang along. There was a time I wondered if there would be shoes that clicked to my clack. I felt alone in the world quite often as a child in spite of my loving family.

But God never wastes a tear, even those shed during a cartoon. I know this tenderhearted mush has driven my family nuts at times but it has allowed me to understand my characters at a deeper level. Even when my writing lacked the mechanics needed to make a decent novel, readers still empathized with the characters.

Yet more important and immediate, it has allowed me to reach out to my students and their parents. I tease my class that they may not move doing the school year since their teacher has abandonment issues (imagine Kindergarteners going home and explaining abandonment issues to their parents). But the truth is we all long to belong, to fit in. Even the rebel who goes out of her way to be apart for fear she won’t fit in is really longing to find her place in the world. And I’m not talking a cookie cutter mentality but an acceptance of who we are, uniquely designed by our Creator to be.

It is not good for man—or woman or child—to be alone.

Mr. Magoo will always be my favorite Ebenezer Scrooge. But more important, I’m grateful for shoes that click to my clack and not being alone in the world. Thank you, Abba.

Abundant blessings,

Jenny

To Blog or Not to Blog...

2005-11-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

They say change can be good. All I know is change makes things different and for a creature of habit like myself, that ain't good. But with a heart full of gratitude and the wonder of the season upon me, I'm stepping out and taking a chance. I've started a blog.

Now comes the part where I need something witty and clever to share with a reader, in case there is a reader.

Actually I think it is God Who is so witty. He knows just how to get my attention and share the moment. Like a couple weeks ago, it was my turn for bike rack duty at school. Outside, when I should be setting up my room, left me antsy. But, wouldn't you know it, I started to have fun watching the families arrive for school. Funny thing, so many are learning English as they go. The language they speak at home can vary from Spanish to Arabic to Vietnamese, to Romanian (you get the idea). Yet, I understood them as they passed by. Why? The smiles, the nods, the kisses on the cheek while the 6th grader squirms. Mom grins and rubbs the kiss in for safe keeping.

The snapshot in time that stuck with me, though, included a mom and two daughters. The girls pranced and skipped while mom held their hands, two backpacks slung over her shoulders, a smile gracing her face.

That's when God tapped me on the shoulder. He didn't need to say a word. I knew. I must look like that at times, skipping and prancing beside my Abba while He carries my heavy backpack. Those are times of rejoicing and delight for both of us. Of course, there are the days I want to be all grown up and independant and carry my backpack on my own. It doesn't take me too long, usually , to realize if I give the burden to my Abba, He will help me and lighten my step on this journey of life.

Yep, it’s funny how God changed bike rack duty into a shared moment of insight with Him. So, maybe change has its good points. Especially when walking along with my Abba, and letting Him carry the burdens. Of course, just because He made bike rack duty fun, doesn’t mean He’ll do the same for blogging—then again… So, if He gives me more, I’ll be back. Until then,

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

2005-11-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

Jenny