Blogs: Life, Learning and Laughter

I listened to a couple of friends chat the other day; they were talking about blogs. Why do we read blogs? Why do we care? Should we spend our lives reading about other people's lives? Or should we live our own life to the fullest instead? Good questions! Since I write a blog and am a follower of several blogs, I definitely have an opinion on the issue. I personally prefer blogs that make me think or make me laugh. The blogs I read MUST bring value to my life in order for me to follow one on a daily basis. Right now my favorite blog is www.stuffchristianslike.net . It's sort of a tongue-in-cheek blog on Christians and our quirkiness. Remember, God said we are a peculiar people!

1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (KJV)

So with these thoughts in mind I am going to change my blog posts up a bit. I am going to make each day a selective topic so that YOU can decide if you want to read or not depending on the topics.

Here’s the schedule:

Monday Minutiae: Facts on me, life in general and current events that are truly not important, but may be entertaining.

Hot Topic Tuesday: Topics that should push an emotional button in your mind—one way or another.

Wednesday: Heart-Print Faith—How does our faith apply to our hot topics?

Thursday: Babbling about Books—a book review, possibly concerning our Hot Topic.

Friday: The Writer’s Porch—Topics of interest for writers.

All right, so let’s agree to this. Unless I have something to say that is newsworthy, a debatable topic, or something that is entertaining, I will resist in posting. However, if you want to be a part of a few topics that will spark debate or just need some mindless entertaining prattle, then stay tuned.

Keep the Heart-Print Faith,

Minnesota Nice

Most of you know that I have been in Minnesota for the past couple of weeks visiting my kids and grandkids. It's fun stuff up here--even the cold weather.

But here is the thing about Minnesota--the people here are nice--extremely nice. It must be something in the water, because I hardly ever run into someone cranky. Everyone goes out of their way to be helpful and friendly. The phrase "Minnesota Nice" is commonly used to describe the residents.

For example, I was in the grocery store and received the typical question, "Did you find everything all right?" I mentioned I had trouble finding one item. No kidding, the employees almost tore the store apart for twenty minutes--but they did find the elusive item.

Then yesterday I had a mental headslap moment. I backed my car into the garage door. It was almost open, but not quite. Duh me. So the local garage door repairman was called. He was so nice, I felt like I was in a sitcom from the 1950's. And to top it off the total charge was only $79 to realign, fix the bent brackets, etc.

I am going to work on becoming Minnesota nice. Cold hands and feet, but a warm heart.

The Writer's Porch--NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is here. Yup, it's National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word or more novel during the month of November. Check out the site! http://www.nanowrimo.org/

There is not a lot that I find is unique out there in the writing world, but this thrilled me. Maybe because I have wanted to write fiction for years, but just could not seem to get motivated to do it with all the other stuff that kept pouring onto my desk each year.

However, NaNoWriMo has spurred me on to begin my book. It is an exciting thing to say, "I am writing a novel." Now, I may not get all the 50,000 words completed. I most likely will not win the contest. But the important point for me as a writer is to say, "I am writing!" Because writers write. Procrastination is a writer's bane. If you long to write, but then stare at the computer screen, do laundry, walk the dog, and make your grocery list, then you will be tickled by this video compiled by author Angela Hunt. It's in honor of NaNoWriMo and it's writers "finding more important things to do." Things Novelists Do While Their Novels Remain . . .Unwritten. You can view it on YouTube or on Angela Hunt's blog. http://www.%20lifeinfpages.blogspot.com/

Now I am off to work on my novel. I only have 1500 words written--need to write about 48,000 more. YIKES!

The Flu, The Fever and The Blahs

One of the symptoms of H1N1 is the blahs. No one actually lists the blahs as a symptom, but it is and it lasts for days. Almost two weeks ago, I had fever, a headache, a cough and fatigue. I slept for days, it seemed. After about a week I slowly began to feel better except for the cough and the blahs.

Today I finally decided I needed to get out for a long walk and clear the cobwebs from my brain. So I walked for an hour with my three dogs and had a good time. It felt great. However, I sat down to write--BLAH. I would rather play Solitaire or better yet peruse Amazon for great books and Christmas ideas.

However, I MUST write. Here's a list of the things piled on my desk.

#1. Blog posts

#2. Devotions for Proverbs 31 Ministries

#3. It is NaNoWriMo. What in the world is that? Check tomorrow on the Writer's Porch.

#4. I have been offered a new contract for another Bible study, so I need to get started on that project.

#5. Magazine articles that I should have written months ago.

#6. Need to work on new messages as I have a busy spring speaking schedule.

#7. Prepare a conference/retreat with my friend Glynnis.

All of this seems overwhelming to me. The Blahs in my head say, "It's too much. You just can't do it, so why bother at all?"

That's a good question, Ms. Blahs. But it is my purpose and calling. So I will finish each of the tasks--maybe not today, maybe not even in 2009, but the flu, the fever and the blahs will not steal me away from what I am called to do.

So on that note, one checked off my list. The blog for today is posted.

Returning to Raising Faithful Children

Hey! A couple weeks ago I drove from Las Vegas to Minneapolis by myself. Well, I did have my three dogs. I know, am I nuts or what? Here's the thing--I had a great time. I listened to teaching tapes, music and watched the peak leaf change all the way through Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. Now I am in Minnesota and it feels, looks and probably is winter. I think we are going to have snow later in the week.

So as I drove I pondered a lot of things. I again wondered why children leave the faith. What as parents are we missing? Do we think our church will provide the cornerstone of faith? Do we trust that since our children go to "Christian" school they will be protected? Do we think because we home schooled our children, they will be kept from doubt?

I look back to when I became a Christian at the age of 15. I was so on fire for Jesus. I truly loved Him from the depths of my soul--with all my heart, mind and strength. But in my mid-twenties I walked away from the faith. Why?

Because I could not understand the pain of suffering of life. If God was good how could He allow all this junk in my life. I remember going to my pastor's wife for help. (She will remain unnamed.) What did she do? She criticized me for my lack of faith, my sinful nature, blah, blah, blah. Needless to say I did not return to her for counseling. I turned to my friends who seemed to understand my confusion. Sadly because they didn't walk strong in their own faith, they inadvertently led me further away from God.

So for seven years I walked in a desert of faith. I knew I believed, but yet I didn't behave as I did. Finally after years of frustated living, Jesus drew me back to Him. It wasn't a big church event. It wasn't a friend who "witnessed" to me about my sins. Jesus spoke to my spirit in a Volkswagon Jetta in the parking lot of Knott's Berry Farm. It wasn't mystical. It was supernatural. It was just Jesus reconnecting with His lost lamb.

I do believe wholeheartedly that my mother's prayers were being answered. Her prayers never wavered. Her love never failed. She persevered when the future looked bleak for her eldest child's faith walk.

Never underestimate the power of a parent's prayer. Remember what James 5:16 states, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." (NLT)

Amen!

Fall Fun

Hi, this is daughter-in-law Steph again, showing you what grandma Susanne has been up to the past couple weeks here in Minnesota! We have all been very sick this past week (including grandma), but luckily last weekend before the sickness came, we had time to go to the pumpkin patch. Here is grandma and her chickadee peeps on the hayride!

Picking out our pumpkin. . .

and now decorating.

Speaking of "chickadee peeps", guess what costumes I found online this year? In honor of grandma being here for Halloween for the first time, the girls are going as Peeps!

We love you, grandma!

Love,

your chickadee Peeps -- Emily and Bri

Friday--The Writer's Porch

The Art of the Article -- Part 5

In this final post on "The Art of the Article" we are going to chat about what you do once you’ve sent in your query to a magazine publisher—you start to write your next article or devotion.

Do not wait to hear from the editor. It could take anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months before you have a response. In fact, once I heard from an editor three years after sending a query. They wanted to publish it after all that time—amazing!

Somewhere between 60 to 90 days it is permissible to send an email just to see if they have received your query. Do not expect them to remember it off the top of their heads, but you can jog their memory with a brief description.

If you have not heard anything from the publication after six months and you would like to query another magazine with the same article then you must send a formal withdrawal to the magazine withdrawing your article from consideration. Keep a copy of this withdrawal for your own personal records.

Perhaps you will receive an offer to be published in the magazine. Yippee! Most publications will send you a contract describing the “rights” they are offering. The rights are usually something like this:

All Rights—Your relinquish all rights to your manuscript. The publication can publish the article as many times as they would like and in any magazine.

First Rights—They have the rights to print the article the first time and then the rights return back to you after a certain amount of time. You can then republish the manuscript in another magazine or chapter of a book, etc.

Reprint Rights/2nd Rights—The publication is acquiring the rights of your manuscript to publish a piece that has previously been published.

Well, are you thoroughly confused? Welcome to the world of writing! Please let me know when you have submitted your query. I would like to pray for your success in the Art of Article Writing.

Pens & Pencils Hugs,