Reflections on the process of being a published author:
1. The process takes a very long time. It is an exercise in patience. However, it is worth every minute, hour, month, year. I signed my contract with Tate Publishing in April of 2009. My book hit the publication process in September. It is available for purchase as of today, March 16, 2010. The official release date is set for June 15, 2010. One good thing about the lengthy process, I knew the whole thing up front. There were no surprises.
2. Each step of the publication process was handled professionally and with ease. I was quickly assigned a staff person who worked with me via e-mail to dot every "I" and cross every "T" both literally and figuratively. I had open access to a warm bodied person to ask questions of and bounce ideas off of. I never felt like I was thrown in the deep end without a floatie. I was always assisted with any of my needs.
3. Writing my first book was easier for me than actually getting it published. The hardest part of publishing was finding the right publisher. In the end, I turned down 3 self-publish offers and one other traditional publishing offer before settling on Tate Publishing out of Mustang, OK. In the process of seeking a publisher, I wrote a very nice professional book proposal. The proposal took me a long time, as I wanted to be sure I got every detail correct. I'm not sure if the proposal tipped the scales in my favor or not, but I would suggest writing one for a first-time author. Every little thing helps.
4. I could have saved money (and lots of it) up front if I had chosen to go with a self-publishing company. However, in the end, my book would only have been available for purchase on-line. It would not have been carried in local and area book stores. I would not have had any support in marketing my book, and I would not have had all the fabulous aid in layout, design, proof stages, etc. The book would have been a fast effort that saved time and money, but in the end, it would have cheapened the book. Besides, if my book sells well enough, I'll get my investment back, along with the royalties I make. I am confident I made the right choice, as I've felt God's hand on the process all the way along.
5. Holding a copy of my first book is something akin to holding a newborn child. It took months to nurture and develop those thoughts and put them together in a book. The words were born of my heart, soul, and mind. They were planted there by the Lord, and He expected me to use them to further His kingdom. I don't value the book for the sake of the book. After all, in a few weeks it will be just another thing on the shelf. I value the book for the journey it signifies. It encompasses the story of God's redeeming power in my life. The words weave the story of my divorce and recovery, my marriage and new life with Mike, my wonderful second husband. I also value the book because it signifies a huge leap of faith for me. In pursuing the book, I stepped out of my comfort zone and did something that I did not know I was capable of doing. In the middle of the night I heard God say, "It's time to move on." In a nutshell, I quit my ten-year teaching career and headed for unknown territory. The book I now hold in my hands is just one more example of God's faithfulness.
6. Through it all, I have continually prayed that my book would be a blessing to others who are faced with the same trial of divorce that I have lived through. I want to be a vessel that God can use to shed some light on someone else's journey. No two accounts of divorce are identical, but one thing is the same. Rejection is the pits, but God is always greater than the sin in our world. I want first book to glorify God and bring praise to Him for all that He has done in my life. If no one else reads the book, and it proves to have been only a theraputic process of healing for me, then it would still be worth every cent, second, and bit of energy. I would do it all over again.
If you have ever wondered about pursuing a dream that seems just out of your reach, ask God if it is from Him. Don't be afraid to "move on." Forgetting the past, pressing on to take hold of the future. See, God IS doing a new thing!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Tween Parent Texts
As a parent I have tried to keep up with the trends, strategies, and techniques of parenting four children. When I reflect on the years that my children were infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and even lower elementary ages, I can honestly say that I've done a pretty good job. I don't feel that I've emotionally scarred them for life. I fostered a safe and healthy environment for them to grow in, and I believe they all have been happy and reasonably content people.
That was before they hit the tweens. This is a relatively new term used now for children ages apx 8-12. This is the term now given for children who fall between childhood and adolescence--not quite children, but not yet teenagers. Wait a minute...when I was eight years old I was child. I pulled on my roller skates (the metal kind that fit over my shoes) and hit the driveway and the entire block of my neighborhood. When I was ten, I played jacks at recess and even managed to blow up a light socket in my classroom by gingerly dangling a metal staple in it and throwing a bouncy ball at it. (I think my teacher forgave me...after I moved on to sixth grade.) And by the time I was twelve, no one could convince me that I wasn't already a teen, except that I hadn't reached the blessed age of teen-dome (thirteen).
Now, as a parent, I have three tween daughters. Lord help me! Here is a snippet of what I read about them:
Tweens now suffer from eating disorders, are exposed to intense peer pressure, want to go places on their own, keep up with fashion and watch videos rated for older children, just as teenagers do...They have been targeted by the advertising and marketing industry as a new and distinct group to exploit, and with huge success...We give them more freedom to demand and consume material things but considerably less freedom than many of us experienced to play and explore the wider world. They are the immobile, mobile phone generation, speaking to or texting their freinds rather than going out to play or visit: they let their fingers (or thumbs) do both the walking and the talking as they key in their conversations via mobile phone and computers from the safety of their homes. We ask for more responsibility from our tween for doing well at school, but by and large, less domestic and personal responsibility at home....The "traditional" boundaries of childhood seem to be withering away. We should not be surprised, then, if our tweens do not know quite where to pitch themselves in terms of image or age, or simply how to be: whether to feel confident about what they can do, or uncertain because they are increasingly made aware of what or who they are not, or what they do not have. (as taken from the book Talking to Tweens by Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer)
This author-parent is scared by that! Even more scarey is that this is happening in my own home. In the past, I have made every attempt to read good books that are on the market to help guide me in many areas of my life, not the least of which is parenting. I have relied heavily on the expertise of people like Barbara and Dennis Rainey, Dr. James Dobson, and Kevin Leman. However, with the coming of the tween era, not one of that elite group raised their own children in this techno-tween age. Sure, many of the day-to-day issues of parenting are the same as they have been for generations. How much should I make my child eat at dinner? Must I force him to eat broccoli? How do I get my child to make his bed? Should I use incentives and rewards (bribery, as some call it) or should I only expect my child to obey and then follow through with loving discipline if he chooses not to? And on and on the list goes.
However, the real issues that tweens are facing raise the stakes. Parents of tweens must not only contend with all of the aforesaid "traditional" parenting issues, but then add a whole other dimension to the mix. For starters, how do we parents effectively communicate with our tweens? Notice I did not use the word "talk." Do we talk to them? Do they talk to each other? Just two years ago my oldest was elated to get her first cell phone. I thought she'd use it to talk to her friends. Truthfully, that is a rare occurrence. More often than not, she uses it to listen to music, play games, take pictures and text.
I have long contended that texting is at the heart of the breakdown in communication with our current tweens and society at large. However, in reality it has been a slippery slope. Telephones, fax machines, e-mail, cell phones, texting, instant messages, blogging, twittering (still haven't figured that one out), and the list will surely get longer by tomorrow... Each one of these has been just another step away from serious face-to-face communication. The kind where body language and facial expression mattered more than the actual words used in a conversation. All the texting and e-mails are great for one thing, hiding the reality of a person's needs. These new ways to "talk" only drive us further and further away from truly sharing life with each other. Instead, we get a sound bite (usually no more than one sentence) and consider that good enough to last our relationship for a few more days.
So how does this factor into parenting? Well this week I caved. I bought a Blackberry Bold 3G. I added texting to our family plan. I can now officially communicate with my tweens, no matter where they are or what they are doing. I really believe I held out as long as I could. I don't like the choice I made this week, but as a parent whose children live in and must function in this current society, I need to be able to "talk" to my children, no matter the medium used. I will hold the line, though. We will still sit down at our dinner table every night together. No one will answer phones or texts during our meal. The tv will not be on. We will still meet in my bedroom every night for prayer and sharing time. I will still travel to four beds to tuck in each tween and their little brother and give each a kiss and tell each that I think they are wonderful. I will still make lunches, go on field trips, attend games and concerts, and work my fool head off to make enough money to send them on all the "character building" camps, trips, and retreats that I would like for them to enjoy.
Most of all, I will be here for them. I will hug them, love on them, cry with them, laugh with them, and walk each step of their journey with them. Undoubtedly I will call them, text them, IM them, twitter them (what is that, exactly?) and pray for them. I will share life with them all the way to the pearly gates and beyond, even if my thumbs go numb.
PS: When running spell check on this post, the following words were flagged as unidentified: tv, IM, tweens, and texting.
That was before they hit the tweens. This is a relatively new term used now for children ages apx 8-12. This is the term now given for children who fall between childhood and adolescence--not quite children, but not yet teenagers. Wait a minute...when I was eight years old I was child. I pulled on my roller skates (the metal kind that fit over my shoes) and hit the driveway and the entire block of my neighborhood. When I was ten, I played jacks at recess and even managed to blow up a light socket in my classroom by gingerly dangling a metal staple in it and throwing a bouncy ball at it. (I think my teacher forgave me...after I moved on to sixth grade.) And by the time I was twelve, no one could convince me that I wasn't already a teen, except that I hadn't reached the blessed age of teen-dome (thirteen).
Now, as a parent, I have three tween daughters. Lord help me! Here is a snippet of what I read about them:
Tweens now suffer from eating disorders, are exposed to intense peer pressure, want to go places on their own, keep up with fashion and watch videos rated for older children, just as teenagers do...They have been targeted by the advertising and marketing industry as a new and distinct group to exploit, and with huge success...We give them more freedom to demand and consume material things but considerably less freedom than many of us experienced to play and explore the wider world. They are the immobile, mobile phone generation, speaking to or texting their freinds rather than going out to play or visit: they let their fingers (or thumbs) do both the walking and the talking as they key in their conversations via mobile phone and computers from the safety of their homes. We ask for more responsibility from our tween for doing well at school, but by and large, less domestic and personal responsibility at home....The "traditional" boundaries of childhood seem to be withering away. We should not be surprised, then, if our tweens do not know quite where to pitch themselves in terms of image or age, or simply how to be: whether to feel confident about what they can do, or uncertain because they are increasingly made aware of what or who they are not, or what they do not have. (as taken from the book Talking to Tweens by Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer)
This author-parent is scared by that! Even more scarey is that this is happening in my own home. In the past, I have made every attempt to read good books that are on the market to help guide me in many areas of my life, not the least of which is parenting. I have relied heavily on the expertise of people like Barbara and Dennis Rainey, Dr. James Dobson, and Kevin Leman. However, with the coming of the tween era, not one of that elite group raised their own children in this techno-tween age. Sure, many of the day-to-day issues of parenting are the same as they have been for generations. How much should I make my child eat at dinner? Must I force him to eat broccoli? How do I get my child to make his bed? Should I use incentives and rewards (bribery, as some call it) or should I only expect my child to obey and then follow through with loving discipline if he chooses not to? And on and on the list goes.
However, the real issues that tweens are facing raise the stakes. Parents of tweens must not only contend with all of the aforesaid "traditional" parenting issues, but then add a whole other dimension to the mix. For starters, how do we parents effectively communicate with our tweens? Notice I did not use the word "talk." Do we talk to them? Do they talk to each other? Just two years ago my oldest was elated to get her first cell phone. I thought she'd use it to talk to her friends. Truthfully, that is a rare occurrence. More often than not, she uses it to listen to music, play games, take pictures and text.
I have long contended that texting is at the heart of the breakdown in communication with our current tweens and society at large. However, in reality it has been a slippery slope. Telephones, fax machines, e-mail, cell phones, texting, instant messages, blogging, twittering (still haven't figured that one out), and the list will surely get longer by tomorrow... Each one of these has been just another step away from serious face-to-face communication. The kind where body language and facial expression mattered more than the actual words used in a conversation. All the texting and e-mails are great for one thing, hiding the reality of a person's needs. These new ways to "talk" only drive us further and further away from truly sharing life with each other. Instead, we get a sound bite (usually no more than one sentence) and consider that good enough to last our relationship for a few more days.
So how does this factor into parenting? Well this week I caved. I bought a Blackberry Bold 3G. I added texting to our family plan. I can now officially communicate with my tweens, no matter where they are or what they are doing. I really believe I held out as long as I could. I don't like the choice I made this week, but as a parent whose children live in and must function in this current society, I need to be able to "talk" to my children, no matter the medium used. I will hold the line, though. We will still sit down at our dinner table every night together. No one will answer phones or texts during our meal. The tv will not be on. We will still meet in my bedroom every night for prayer and sharing time. I will still travel to four beds to tuck in each tween and their little brother and give each a kiss and tell each that I think they are wonderful. I will still make lunches, go on field trips, attend games and concerts, and work my fool head off to make enough money to send them on all the "character building" camps, trips, and retreats that I would like for them to enjoy.
Most of all, I will be here for them. I will hug them, love on them, cry with them, laugh with them, and walk each step of their journey with them. Undoubtedly I will call them, text them, IM them, twitter them (what is that, exactly?) and pray for them. I will share life with them all the way to the pearly gates and beyond, even if my thumbs go numb.
PS: When running spell check on this post, the following words were flagged as unidentified: tv, IM, tweens, and texting.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Meeting Place
The chair sits in my bedroom. It can best be described as a high-backed, Queen Ann chair, I think. It is burgundy with some diamondish design lightly imprinted on it. The foot rest kicks out and makes a comfy spot for my legs and feet. The always nearby pile of fleece blankets is within reach, so as I climb into the chair, I grab a blanket or two.
After adjusting the covers just so, I kick out the foot rest and my always aching back settles perfectly into the lumbar portion of the chair. On the left side of the chair stands a lamp that I bought a few years ago. The light is just right for reading. Not too bright, not too dull. While the base of the lamp is stationary, the top arm swings to perfect adjustment. I pull the arm to the exact right spot to help me read.
The floor on the right side of the chair sports a woven basket. The colors match the room in burgundy and hunter green. The basket is large. It has a handle on each end, but the basket is never moved or picked up. It is completely off limits to all other people or animals. The basket is not special. Instead, the contents of the basket are what is so important. The basket holds the printed materials for my special meetings. I have meetings every day or two, and I always need to know exactly where to find my materials.
Maybe I settle in the burgundy chair at 9:00 in the morning or 9:00 at night. Sometimes I get there at 2:43 in the afternoon. With four kiddos and a busy house, each day dictates a different meeting time, but I've learned to be flexible with the schedule. It's okay with me, and probably with my prayer partner, too.
I reach into my basket and pull out a few things. First, I get out the devotional book that I am currently using. Right now it is simply called Truth. I like it. Each day aligns what the world thinks with what God thinks. Refreshing. Next, I pull out my journal. In this, I write my deepest thoughts, fears, prayers, concerns, joys, and anything else that strikes me. Then I pull out my personal Bible. You know what I mean? The kind with a leather cover, my name inscribed on the front, with pages that turn, words that I can underline, and margins in which I can write. There will be no electronic technology used during this meeting. None. Absolutely none. My prayer partner and I don't need anything like that to communicate. He's already there waiting for me to get started.
After reading through my devotional thoughts for the day, I turn in my personal Bible to the place where I left off yesterday. Currently I'm ready about Elijah and Elisha. Quite a pair! God never ceases to amaze me with his super powers. Beats anything I've seen from Superman, that's for sure! I read in my Bible until a specific thought or detail jumps off the page to me. When it does, I find a quick stopping place and pull out my journal.
My journal is hard-backed, lined, with heavy spiral binding. I can't remember how many I've used up, but I keep them all and just keep writing. You know about writing, don't you? You hold the pen in your hand and apply pressure to make the ink come out on the page. I do this to my journal. I write all over it. I express myself on the pages. However, the pages aren't written to Dear Ann or Dear Abby. Instead, I write my journal thoughts, questions, prayers and concerns to my dear Lord. Sometimes He answers me right then. Sometimes He guides me to more reading of His Word. Sometimes, much to my chagrin, He tells me to wait. One thing I know for sure, He always has the right answer at the right time.
The best thing of all about these meetings is something quite simplistic. The more I go to my meeting spot and spend time with my prayer partner, the more things I hear Him say and the more I know that He is real in my every day life. The Counselor isn't just with me in my meetings in the burgundy chair. He goes with me from that spot to the next and the next and the next. However, I refuel in that chair. I get filled up. I take the fuel with me to make it through the next thing on the agenda. Most of the time I don't just make it through, rather, I soar through it. I've been so filled up I just fly past most of the trouble, shed it off like water from a duck's back, and move on. If I go too long without another meeting, everything starts bothering me. Nothing is easy to rid myself of. I carry burdens that aren't even real.
Thus, I try to have meetings as often as possible. These times are a necessity to me. They are my daily lifeline. They keep me sane. They keep me full. They keep me content. They keep me focused. These times grow my faith. These times grow my patience. These times grow my love. These times are necessary. I can only thank my prayer partner for all of these things. He makes my meetings worth every second and beyond.
After adjusting the covers just so, I kick out the foot rest and my always aching back settles perfectly into the lumbar portion of the chair. On the left side of the chair stands a lamp that I bought a few years ago. The light is just right for reading. Not too bright, not too dull. While the base of the lamp is stationary, the top arm swings to perfect adjustment. I pull the arm to the exact right spot to help me read.
The floor on the right side of the chair sports a woven basket. The colors match the room in burgundy and hunter green. The basket is large. It has a handle on each end, but the basket is never moved or picked up. It is completely off limits to all other people or animals. The basket is not special. Instead, the contents of the basket are what is so important. The basket holds the printed materials for my special meetings. I have meetings every day or two, and I always need to know exactly where to find my materials.
Maybe I settle in the burgundy chair at 9:00 in the morning or 9:00 at night. Sometimes I get there at 2:43 in the afternoon. With four kiddos and a busy house, each day dictates a different meeting time, but I've learned to be flexible with the schedule. It's okay with me, and probably with my prayer partner, too.
I reach into my basket and pull out a few things. First, I get out the devotional book that I am currently using. Right now it is simply called Truth. I like it. Each day aligns what the world thinks with what God thinks. Refreshing. Next, I pull out my journal. In this, I write my deepest thoughts, fears, prayers, concerns, joys, and anything else that strikes me. Then I pull out my personal Bible. You know what I mean? The kind with a leather cover, my name inscribed on the front, with pages that turn, words that I can underline, and margins in which I can write. There will be no electronic technology used during this meeting. None. Absolutely none. My prayer partner and I don't need anything like that to communicate. He's already there waiting for me to get started.
After reading through my devotional thoughts for the day, I turn in my personal Bible to the place where I left off yesterday. Currently I'm ready about Elijah and Elisha. Quite a pair! God never ceases to amaze me with his super powers. Beats anything I've seen from Superman, that's for sure! I read in my Bible until a specific thought or detail jumps off the page to me. When it does, I find a quick stopping place and pull out my journal.
My journal is hard-backed, lined, with heavy spiral binding. I can't remember how many I've used up, but I keep them all and just keep writing. You know about writing, don't you? You hold the pen in your hand and apply pressure to make the ink come out on the page. I do this to my journal. I write all over it. I express myself on the pages. However, the pages aren't written to Dear Ann or Dear Abby. Instead, I write my journal thoughts, questions, prayers and concerns to my dear Lord. Sometimes He answers me right then. Sometimes He guides me to more reading of His Word. Sometimes, much to my chagrin, He tells me to wait. One thing I know for sure, He always has the right answer at the right time.
The best thing of all about these meetings is something quite simplistic. The more I go to my meeting spot and spend time with my prayer partner, the more things I hear Him say and the more I know that He is real in my every day life. The Counselor isn't just with me in my meetings in the burgundy chair. He goes with me from that spot to the next and the next and the next. However, I refuel in that chair. I get filled up. I take the fuel with me to make it through the next thing on the agenda. Most of the time I don't just make it through, rather, I soar through it. I've been so filled up I just fly past most of the trouble, shed it off like water from a duck's back, and move on. If I go too long without another meeting, everything starts bothering me. Nothing is easy to rid myself of. I carry burdens that aren't even real.
Thus, I try to have meetings as often as possible. These times are a necessity to me. They are my daily lifeline. They keep me sane. They keep me full. They keep me content. They keep me focused. These times grow my faith. These times grow my patience. These times grow my love. These times are necessary. I can only thank my prayer partner for all of these things. He makes my meetings worth every second and beyond.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Why Wait
Isaiah 30:18: Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
The other day I heard a radio commercial about how far we have technologically advanced in just the past 10 years. Ten years ago if you had e-mail and the internet, you had to wait a considerable amount of time for the dial-up service connection. Ten years ago texting didn't exist. Ten years ago there were no USB ports. And the list went on and on.
The faster the pace of our world, technology, drive-thru meals, and all modern conveniences, the harder it is for us to learn the key to waiting. For the past six months I have felt like God has had me in a holding pattern, of sorts. My emotions have gone from anticipation to frustration. I have felt like God has been grooming me for something yet to come, but I haven't been privy to the knowledge of what God is really doing in my life.
To me, six months has seemed like a long time. However, compared to the wait that some endure, it is a short, short time. Some people wait for years for a loved one's salvation or return from war or far away places. Some wait for years to be reunited with lost family. The Israelites waited forty years to see the promised land.
Waiting is not an easy task. However, I am praying that I will continue to learn the secret of being content, no matter how long the wait. Psalm 130:5 says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I put my hope."
I think I finally understand one of the concepts of waiting. It is in the ACT of waiting that God IS doing his amazing work. The answers to prayer don't always come at the end of the wait. Many of them come IN the wait. It is when we ARE waiting that we learn to trust God fully. It is during this time of waiting that God shows himself to be our provider, sustainer, and he is enough. It isn't the answer at the end of the wait that is the end of our problem. That is simply another of God's blessings on us. The REAL blessing is gained in the day-to-day grind of the holding patterns of our lives when God shows up in the mundane things to prove himself. He is really all we need. We don't need that thing for which he is grooming us. We just need him.
Psalm 40:1-3 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."
We all know that the anticipation of Christmas is bigger than the actual day that we celebrate the Lord's birth. The month preceding December 25 is full of opportunities to celebrate the reason we give gifts, share times with family and friends, and decorate our homes. During that month, we may hang lights, put up a tree, work through an Advent calendar, attend parties, and wear festive clothes. These things are all done during the wait. What would Christmas look like if we didn't do the wait of Christmas? It would seem lacking, for sure. On Christmas day, many of us spend time eating good food and opening gifts. But by the end of that day, or surely the next, we are ready to take down the tree, put away the lights, and get back to normal, every day life. The anticipation and the wait don't just make the day of Christmas special, the wait itself is special.
And that is surely how Mary and Joseph felt when they knew they were going to be the parents of the Messiah. It wasn't just about the price Jesus would pay on the cross through his death and resurrection. Every day from the moment the angel spoke to Mary about the immaculate conception to the day Mary joined Jesus in heaven, the Lord was working in her time of waiting. And every day in our lives, he is working and moving while we feel we are just waiting.
So, why wait? Because waiting IS the real work of life. During the wait, God is proving, over and ove,r that he is in control. He is God. He is enough.
The other day I heard a radio commercial about how far we have technologically advanced in just the past 10 years. Ten years ago if you had e-mail and the internet, you had to wait a considerable amount of time for the dial-up service connection. Ten years ago texting didn't exist. Ten years ago there were no USB ports. And the list went on and on.
The faster the pace of our world, technology, drive-thru meals, and all modern conveniences, the harder it is for us to learn the key to waiting. For the past six months I have felt like God has had me in a holding pattern, of sorts. My emotions have gone from anticipation to frustration. I have felt like God has been grooming me for something yet to come, but I haven't been privy to the knowledge of what God is really doing in my life.
To me, six months has seemed like a long time. However, compared to the wait that some endure, it is a short, short time. Some people wait for years for a loved one's salvation or return from war or far away places. Some wait for years to be reunited with lost family. The Israelites waited forty years to see the promised land.
Waiting is not an easy task. However, I am praying that I will continue to learn the secret of being content, no matter how long the wait. Psalm 130:5 says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I put my hope."
I think I finally understand one of the concepts of waiting. It is in the ACT of waiting that God IS doing his amazing work. The answers to prayer don't always come at the end of the wait. Many of them come IN the wait. It is when we ARE waiting that we learn to trust God fully. It is during this time of waiting that God shows himself to be our provider, sustainer, and he is enough. It isn't the answer at the end of the wait that is the end of our problem. That is simply another of God's blessings on us. The REAL blessing is gained in the day-to-day grind of the holding patterns of our lives when God shows up in the mundane things to prove himself. He is really all we need. We don't need that thing for which he is grooming us. We just need him.
Psalm 40:1-3 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."
We all know that the anticipation of Christmas is bigger than the actual day that we celebrate the Lord's birth. The month preceding December 25 is full of opportunities to celebrate the reason we give gifts, share times with family and friends, and decorate our homes. During that month, we may hang lights, put up a tree, work through an Advent calendar, attend parties, and wear festive clothes. These things are all done during the wait. What would Christmas look like if we didn't do the wait of Christmas? It would seem lacking, for sure. On Christmas day, many of us spend time eating good food and opening gifts. But by the end of that day, or surely the next, we are ready to take down the tree, put away the lights, and get back to normal, every day life. The anticipation and the wait don't just make the day of Christmas special, the wait itself is special.
And that is surely how Mary and Joseph felt when they knew they were going to be the parents of the Messiah. It wasn't just about the price Jesus would pay on the cross through his death and resurrection. Every day from the moment the angel spoke to Mary about the immaculate conception to the day Mary joined Jesus in heaven, the Lord was working in her time of waiting. And every day in our lives, he is working and moving while we feel we are just waiting.
So, why wait? Because waiting IS the real work of life. During the wait, God is proving, over and ove,r that he is in control. He is God. He is enough.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Bye-Bye '09
Wow! Is it possible that I haven't written on this blog for two months? Is it possible that this year will come to an end in less than 1.5 hours? Is it possible that I'm the mother of four fabulous kiddos? Is it possible that God has allowed me a second chance at love for a life-time? Is it possible that my baby, my son, is half way through kindergarten? Yes! They are all possible and on my mind tonight.
I know lots of people talk about New Year's resolutions. Most try to manage their eating habits and lose weight. My boss tries to eat 4000 calories a day so that he can gain weight, as he (tragically) only weighs 171 pounds. No matter how much he eats, he always wakes up and weighs the same, a measely 171 pounds. Oh, to have that problem! But no, that isn't a problem for me.
Others try to read more, educate themselves more, return to school, etc. Some spend all of their Christmas money on self-help books that will further depress them and then they end up selling the books next summer in their first garbage sale of the season. Did I say garbage sale? Yeah, that's what I said. Remember, one person's trash is another person's treasure. So garbage is right. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll do without the books this time.
People who suffer from addictive habits like smoking often vow to quit their nasty fire-breathing habit. However, their bodies don't want to quit, and then the problem becomes mind over matter. Sometimes the mind wins, and sometimes it just doesn't seem to matter. Thus, by February, the puffs perk up and the habit rages on. This one isn't a problem for me. I like to watch the fire in the fireplace, not up my nose and in my throat, thank you.
Do you have any idea how much money people spend on memberships to gyms and other such places like the YMCA at the end of each year and the very beginning of the next? I can't say that I've done that before, but I have come close. I could never justify such an expenditure, but once when I lived in an apartment complex I decided to make use of the clubhouse gym on the second day of the new year. While there an older guy came in, took one look at me and said, "So, this is your New Year's resolution? Will I see you in here again?" Well, if for no other reason, I never went back, much less wanted to!
So, you are wondering what my New Year's resolutions will be for this year. Here they are: A couple of years ago I vowed not to make resolutions unless I specifically felt led by the Lord to do so. I'm not a fad person. I don't buy crocks just because they are "in." I don't buy those fuzzy suede boots just because they look good on everyone else. In fact, I probably wouldn't buy them just because everyone else has them! If I were to make a resolution for 2010, it would vanish before the end of January. In and of myself, I cannot resolve to do a cotton-pickin' thing if it is not of the Lord and He is not in it.
I can hope to treat my family better, spend more time with my children, prioritize my commitments to only those things truly worthy, try to lose 15 pounds, work out every day, eat more veggies and less chocolate, participate in more charities, work more hours, and even spend more time reading. However, not one of those things in and of itself will make me a better person. The only thing that makes me better is growing my relationship with Jesus Christ. And as far as I know, there is only one way to accomplish that goal: Hang out with Him. That is done by studying His word. The more I hang out with Him, the deeper our relationship grows. The more I speak to Him, the more He speaks back to me. The more secrets I share with Him, the more He sweeps in to gently confide in me the mysteries of His love. The more I seek Him, the easier it is to find Him.
So, as I say goodbye to 2009, I can look back and see events that brought laughter and some that brought tears. I have continued to heal physically and emotionally. I have seen God's fingerprints all over this year. He has never wavered in His faithfulness to me and my family. And, I resolve to do all that I can to invest in the best relationship possible to make 2010 a wonderful year. Why don't you hang out with Him in 2010? He will change your life!
I know lots of people talk about New Year's resolutions. Most try to manage their eating habits and lose weight. My boss tries to eat 4000 calories a day so that he can gain weight, as he (tragically) only weighs 171 pounds. No matter how much he eats, he always wakes up and weighs the same, a measely 171 pounds. Oh, to have that problem! But no, that isn't a problem for me.
Others try to read more, educate themselves more, return to school, etc. Some spend all of their Christmas money on self-help books that will further depress them and then they end up selling the books next summer in their first garbage sale of the season. Did I say garbage sale? Yeah, that's what I said. Remember, one person's trash is another person's treasure. So garbage is right. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll do without the books this time.
People who suffer from addictive habits like smoking often vow to quit their nasty fire-breathing habit. However, their bodies don't want to quit, and then the problem becomes mind over matter. Sometimes the mind wins, and sometimes it just doesn't seem to matter. Thus, by February, the puffs perk up and the habit rages on. This one isn't a problem for me. I like to watch the fire in the fireplace, not up my nose and in my throat, thank you.
Do you have any idea how much money people spend on memberships to gyms and other such places like the YMCA at the end of each year and the very beginning of the next? I can't say that I've done that before, but I have come close. I could never justify such an expenditure, but once when I lived in an apartment complex I decided to make use of the clubhouse gym on the second day of the new year. While there an older guy came in, took one look at me and said, "So, this is your New Year's resolution? Will I see you in here again?" Well, if for no other reason, I never went back, much less wanted to!
So, you are wondering what my New Year's resolutions will be for this year. Here they are: A couple of years ago I vowed not to make resolutions unless I specifically felt led by the Lord to do so. I'm not a fad person. I don't buy crocks just because they are "in." I don't buy those fuzzy suede boots just because they look good on everyone else. In fact, I probably wouldn't buy them just because everyone else has them! If I were to make a resolution for 2010, it would vanish before the end of January. In and of myself, I cannot resolve to do a cotton-pickin' thing if it is not of the Lord and He is not in it.
I can hope to treat my family better, spend more time with my children, prioritize my commitments to only those things truly worthy, try to lose 15 pounds, work out every day, eat more veggies and less chocolate, participate in more charities, work more hours, and even spend more time reading. However, not one of those things in and of itself will make me a better person. The only thing that makes me better is growing my relationship with Jesus Christ. And as far as I know, there is only one way to accomplish that goal: Hang out with Him. That is done by studying His word. The more I hang out with Him, the deeper our relationship grows. The more I speak to Him, the more He speaks back to me. The more secrets I share with Him, the more He sweeps in to gently confide in me the mysteries of His love. The more I seek Him, the easier it is to find Him.
So, as I say goodbye to 2009, I can look back and see events that brought laughter and some that brought tears. I have continued to heal physically and emotionally. I have seen God's fingerprints all over this year. He has never wavered in His faithfulness to me and my family. And, I resolve to do all that I can to invest in the best relationship possible to make 2010 a wonderful year. Why don't you hang out with Him in 2010? He will change your life!
Friday, October 30, 2009
An Author at Boot Camp Workout
Suffice it to say, I have failed at retelling my readers (you) about how the boot camp workout experience has been going. So, for those who follow the blog, I'll bring you up to date. I have continued the crazy workout, but modified it to fit this old body. Since I've had back surgeries, some of the most amazing moves of the workout just don't work for me. The crab crawl killed my wrists and left my lower back cramping. The rope pull put me over the edge without even a thread of hope, much less an imaginary rope.
I have adapted the timing of the workout to fit my weird schedule, and some days I don't get the entire hour in. Ok, honestly, most days I get in about 45 minutes. However, I do believe the important thing to emphasize here is that I am doing a workout on a regular basis. The biggest key to helping me reach this milestone is words. Yes, I am a female. I use more than the estimated 50,000 words a day, and if I have no one else to talk to, I simply talk to my pets and myself. When I am on the treadmill, I read other people's glorious words. The time flies by so fast I can hardly believe I've been on the moving motion maker for 2.5 miles. I haven't quite figured out how to read and run at the same time, so while I run, rather than briskly walk, I am bored silly and want to quit. However, I plod on.
To date, I've lost about 4 pounds, but then a couple find me again. No matter. I'll plod on still. I feel good, I know I'm giving my heart a run for its health, my energy level is higher, and I'm more alert throughout the day. Now if only I could lose the Mountain Dew. On that tender subject, I believe all people have a venue for release. Maybe you would call it a vice. Some are gamblers, some drink too much alcohol, some wear too much makeup, buy too many shoes, lead the gossip circles, etc. My vice is Mountain Dew. I know it has way too much caffeine. I know it is full of processed sugar. I know it is one of the worst sodas on the planet. And yet, I like it. I have one can a day, and on some days, a second can. For now, that makes me happy. I want to be happy, don't you?
I'll keep running on the treadmill, doing as many of the boot camp moves as possible, drink my Mountain Dew and anticipate the holidays. Personally, I'll be glad when Halloween is over. My neighbors decorate their yards with creepy gravestones, grim reapers, men in electric chairs being fried, and skulls without bodies and bodies without heads. Yuck! But when this horrible "holiday" is over, those same neighbors put out serene displays of the nativity. That's what I'm looking forward to. In between, I'll remember how thankful I should be for so many beautiful people in my life.
And now this author must do what authors do. I'm deep into editing my two books, and a deadline approaches, so I much leave this blog for now. I'll try to return before another month has passed!
I have adapted the timing of the workout to fit my weird schedule, and some days I don't get the entire hour in. Ok, honestly, most days I get in about 45 minutes. However, I do believe the important thing to emphasize here is that I am doing a workout on a regular basis. The biggest key to helping me reach this milestone is words. Yes, I am a female. I use more than the estimated 50,000 words a day, and if I have no one else to talk to, I simply talk to my pets and myself. When I am on the treadmill, I read other people's glorious words. The time flies by so fast I can hardly believe I've been on the moving motion maker for 2.5 miles. I haven't quite figured out how to read and run at the same time, so while I run, rather than briskly walk, I am bored silly and want to quit. However, I plod on.
To date, I've lost about 4 pounds, but then a couple find me again. No matter. I'll plod on still. I feel good, I know I'm giving my heart a run for its health, my energy level is higher, and I'm more alert throughout the day. Now if only I could lose the Mountain Dew. On that tender subject, I believe all people have a venue for release. Maybe you would call it a vice. Some are gamblers, some drink too much alcohol, some wear too much makeup, buy too many shoes, lead the gossip circles, etc. My vice is Mountain Dew. I know it has way too much caffeine. I know it is full of processed sugar. I know it is one of the worst sodas on the planet. And yet, I like it. I have one can a day, and on some days, a second can. For now, that makes me happy. I want to be happy, don't you?
I'll keep running on the treadmill, doing as many of the boot camp moves as possible, drink my Mountain Dew and anticipate the holidays. Personally, I'll be glad when Halloween is over. My neighbors decorate their yards with creepy gravestones, grim reapers, men in electric chairs being fried, and skulls without bodies and bodies without heads. Yuck! But when this horrible "holiday" is over, those same neighbors put out serene displays of the nativity. That's what I'm looking forward to. In between, I'll remember how thankful I should be for so many beautiful people in my life.
And now this author must do what authors do. I'm deep into editing my two books, and a deadline approaches, so I much leave this blog for now. I'll try to return before another month has passed!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Author Workout
My mother yearly gets me a subscription to Prevention Magazine. I'm not sure what I'm trying to prevent, as I've already had thyroid cancer, surgery on both feet, two back surgeries, four baby deliveries, enough stress to last a lifetime, and an extra twenty pounds have found a new home in my almost 40 body. Most months I peruse the pages of Prevention and find tidbits of info that interest me. However, this month about six pages caught my eye.
The pages contained lots of pictures and the title "Walk Off Two Sizes In Two Weeks with this fun boot-camp style workout." Ok, so does the title make this workout sound fun to you? Boot camp has never been my idea of a good time. So, I thought I'd read further.
I am already a walker. Ever since I took a job as a server at a nearby restaurant, I have walked more than my fair share. Each shift I work I clock about three miles on my feet. I work about four to five shifts a week, so that is pretty good. On top of that, I have four kids to keep up with. I run behind and beside bikes, I play basketball against my oldest, we take family bike rides, so you get the point.
Back to the boot-camp workout. How about trying it, I thought. Maybe it will do this body some good. This morning was day number one. The workout is something like this:
Five minutes of brisk walking (3.5-4 miles per hour) followed by 30 second breaks where one of the following is added before doing brisk walking again: High knees walks, the walking lunge, traveling squat, backpedaling walk, high step skipping, the shuffle, the crossover, incredible push ups, the bear crawl, the wood chopping squat, the crab walk, and the rope climb.
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE FUN? No, but it does sound like boot camp. They got that part right, at least.
By the time the whole workout was over, I spent exactly an hour sweating buckets. I spent 50 minutes on the treadmill (3 miles) broken up by bits and spurts of crazy moves like putting an old thirty-something though the bear crawl. Oh my goodness, it is a good thing no one else was home or could see me. I'm sure I looked utterly ridiculous.
I seriously doubt I'll lose 20 pounds or even four inches from anywhere on my body, but I am going to try to stick with this crazy boot-camp fun-filled workout for six weeks, at three times a week. That means that I have 17 more of these one-hour-embarrassingly tough-sweating profusely-workouts. That is only 17 hours of my precious time over the next six weeks. I can do that, can't I?
In order to keep my focus on the completion of this minor task, I am going to try to blog about it once a week. I'll let you know if my mind can master the matter of boot camp or if it is way too much for me. I'll share my moments of exhilaration and my points of frustration. And if you care to join me on this mind-blowing adventure, get a Prevention magazine from October 2009 and look at pages 88-94. Let the boot camp begin!
The pages contained lots of pictures and the title "Walk Off Two Sizes In Two Weeks with this fun boot-camp style workout." Ok, so does the title make this workout sound fun to you? Boot camp has never been my idea of a good time. So, I thought I'd read further.
I am already a walker. Ever since I took a job as a server at a nearby restaurant, I have walked more than my fair share. Each shift I work I clock about three miles on my feet. I work about four to five shifts a week, so that is pretty good. On top of that, I have four kids to keep up with. I run behind and beside bikes, I play basketball against my oldest, we take family bike rides, so you get the point.
Back to the boot-camp workout. How about trying it, I thought. Maybe it will do this body some good. This morning was day number one. The workout is something like this:
Five minutes of brisk walking (3.5-4 miles per hour) followed by 30 second breaks where one of the following is added before doing brisk walking again: High knees walks, the walking lunge, traveling squat, backpedaling walk, high step skipping, the shuffle, the crossover, incredible push ups, the bear crawl, the wood chopping squat, the crab walk, and the rope climb.
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE FUN? No, but it does sound like boot camp. They got that part right, at least.
By the time the whole workout was over, I spent exactly an hour sweating buckets. I spent 50 minutes on the treadmill (3 miles) broken up by bits and spurts of crazy moves like putting an old thirty-something though the bear crawl. Oh my goodness, it is a good thing no one else was home or could see me. I'm sure I looked utterly ridiculous.
I seriously doubt I'll lose 20 pounds or even four inches from anywhere on my body, but I am going to try to stick with this crazy boot-camp fun-filled workout for six weeks, at three times a week. That means that I have 17 more of these one-hour-embarrassingly tough-sweating profusely-workouts. That is only 17 hours of my precious time over the next six weeks. I can do that, can't I?
In order to keep my focus on the completion of this minor task, I am going to try to blog about it once a week. I'll let you know if my mind can master the matter of boot camp or if it is way too much for me. I'll share my moments of exhilaration and my points of frustration. And if you care to join me on this mind-blowing adventure, get a Prevention magazine from October 2009 and look at pages 88-94. Let the boot camp begin!
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