Book Release Parteeeee

YOU (yes, you) are invited to my book release party and book signing at Christian Book & Gift Store (Fairlawn Plaza).

2 - 4 pm -- tomorrow, June 9.

Come on over...I'd love to see you there!

LIVE in 5, 4, 3...

Tune into KSNT Channel 27 at 11:00ish tomorrow morning and you'll see me doing my first live book interview!!

Been Awhile...

A LONG while. Yikes, where to begin? How about with some pictures?

Here is a picture of my March of Dimes event in Atlanta...reading to some beautiful kiddos...oh, and I had a blast seeing old friends and visiting my old haunts. Thanks to my dear friend, Lisa, for letting us invade her living quarters! :-)

And a bonus picture of Jamaica. Wow...

First *Booked* Event!

Mark your calendars...especially all you folks from Hotlanta! I will be reading my book, But, God! to children (and anyone I can bribe to attend) at this race. So even if you aren't racing, come on out and see me! :)

--Gwinnett WalkAmerica is Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Holiday Pavilion at Lake Lanier. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.--

See you there!

Check out my Book Cover!!

Say Cheese!

This weekend is my author picture photo shoot (for the back of my book). We had to move it to Sunday morning, so I am on my own for hair and makeup. I doubt my typical wash-and-wear look will be appropriate, so I must experiment. Cute hats, anyone?

I’ve heard it’s best to not look too different from your every day appearance, as you don’t want to surprise “fans” at book signings. Ha…PHOTO SHOP, BABY!

Perhaps I’ll post a few on here next week...after I learn how to photoshop in a golden tan! :)

Get Organized...or Not!

Okay, so my bedroom is a disaster. I admit it. Occasionally, I will sift through the clothes and clutter and narrow down to a more manageable level. But right now, I’m starting to look like a tornado victim. So when we had a professional organizer come to work, I readily signed up for the class. Perfect timing, considering I will be merging my bedroom and office…SOON!

When she asked for volunteers to give their reason for attending the class, my hand shot up in a way it hadn’t since I was working to secure teacher’s pet status in the second grade. No way would I pass up this chance to get free personalized organizational advice! A behind-numbing hour later, she finally addressed my issue.

Her advice: “Don’t.”

Brilliant.

How Much Is Too Much?

When does being “real” turn creepy? For example, I can spill my guts on this cyberjournal in an attempt to be authentic and honest in the hopes that somewhere along the line someone will be encouraged, helped, or even entertained. But more realistically, random people will come across this page, read intimate details of my life and feel like they know me, and therefore can judge me on whatever issue I choose to reveal, all before having a real conversation.

As a writer it’s easy to get carried away when describing emotions and scenarios. If it’s fiction, it makes it all the more entertaining, but when it’s an autobiography, be prepared for a level of judgment.

Growing up in small town USA and living in a glass hill-top house thickened my skin, but there will always be a small part of me that still cares what other people think. But, in truth, I have a responsibility. Not to myself or to you, but to my God. And I believe He wants authenticity. What’s the point in hiding our weaknesses or failures? Does it make us weaker to admit our issues? Or does it take courage to stand up and admit we aren’t perfect? The only one who truly matters knew what we’d do long before we were even here. We can’t hide our emotions in some chamber of our heart and hope God doesn’t look there. But maybe there is an arbitrary line we should draw when posting in blog world. Wherever it resides…just know that what I post, is this sinner’s truth (in all its glorious creepiness).

"Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10)

New Year, New Start

I spent the final weeks of 2006 yucky sick and the beginning of 2007 trying to recover. Despite the nagging weakness, I am extraordinarily excited about this coming year. I love starting new and fresh and having a entire year of blessings and challenges to look forward to. 2006 was a year of many changes and growth for me and a definite turning point in my life. I never want to stop growing and changing, but I am hoping many of the growing pains have been sufficiently dealt with. :)

I pray this coming year is extremely blessed and every day we will see what our God is doing in our lives. May we all find more of Him.

Here's to a great year!!

Christmas Prayer

I hope you all have a blessed and very Merry Christmas.

My prayer for you:

God, we love you. On this day of your son’s mortal birth, help us not to lose sight of the real reason for this holiday, and let us experience a morsel of the joy and expectation the heaven’s felt when Jesus shed his glory and came quietly to this dark earth to save us.

As we go through the rituals and everyday busyness of this season, help us remember that it was a simple innkeeper’s busyness that caused him to miss out on the greatest birth of all time.

Instead of dreaming about mere toys and games, let us remember the magi’s long journey and their gifts to you. May we be as wise and follow after The Good Shepherd every day of our lives.

As we lay down to sleep in our comfortable beds tonight, let us remember our King of King’s first night wrapped in rags sleeping in a feed trough.

As we feast together, let us reverently remember our Deliverer’s last supper and prepare for the bridal feast yet to come.

As we sing Christmas carols, let our hearts rejoice in the presence of our High Priest.
As we worry over temporary and worldly things, let us remember the sacrifice Immanuel made for our eternal salvation.

How truly blessed we are to know how this nativity story ends, but on this day, bring the painted, plastic characters to life and out of the miniature stable and help us to see the integral parts they played in the miracle you created.

Help us to remember Jesus not only as a baby, but every miracle he performed, every life he touched, every man he loved, and every soul he saved. Truly there is no better God to serve. We don’t deserve your unlimited grace and mercy, but we thank you that you are love, unchanging in your goodness, and holy beyond belief. As the New Year commences, I pray our hearts would be softened to your truth, and that we would come to know your voice as our Shepherd and follow in obedience so we too can take part in your masterfully crafted plan for our lives.

God, today we remember you and all you give us daily. Thank you for the best gift of all – your son. May this day glorify only you. In our holy Savior’s name we pray. Amen.

Waiting...

Waiting…patiently…on God. Difficult…humbling…worthwhile.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
~Crosby

The Loss of a Presence

Though I didn’t see her every day
Or even think about her but occasionally
The loss of her presence sneaks up on me
In the hours I never expected

Somewhere, someone else is mourning her
And will until she is gone too
The cycle continually flows, rarely ebbing
Until the day of redemption

When all the promises foretold
Everything we faithfully hoped for
Comes to fruition and victory is here
Hearts are mended, presences reunited

Until then, sorrow will unexpectedly pierce
And what can I do
But call the comforter
And receive His merciful relief

Thanksgiving

My favorite holiday.
No presents.
No work.
Time with family.
Yummy food.
Good sale ads. :)

I pray everyone would take a few moments tomorrow to thank God for all of the wonderful blessings in our lives...the little stuff we rarely think about and the big stuff we take for granted. May it be a safe and beautiful day for everyone.

And gobble up some turkey!

Raining Babies & Blankets

During the past month, there has been a great influx of American citizens. No, not from Mexico. Newborns!

I just wanted to give a warm welcome in this cold world to:
My cousin Kammi’s second
My friend Beth’s first
My friend Todd’s second
My friend Julie’s second
My friend JC’s first

Even though it's my blog, I won’t give out names...well, since they aren’t my kids. ;)

May you all grow in favor with man and God.

Boo at the Zoo

Saturday, I took Angel and her little brother to Boo at the Zoo (trick-or-treating at the zoo). Gasp…this would be 2 trips in one year for me. Angel was a spider witch and her brother was Spiderman. . I wore an old dance team sweatshirt from college, so when Angel asked me what I was, I said I was a Dancing Blue. She bought it. :) They each received a ton of candy and had fun looking at the poor, caged animals. We even finally spotted the sloth! A special thanks to my friend from work, who was volunteering that day, for showing us around and fielding all of Angel’s questions. Your patience was muchly appreciated.

Now, of course, many religious folks do not celebrate this “pagan” holiday. My childhood Halloween thoughts: I get to wear whatever crazy outfit I want…spray paint my hair…wear makeup…walk around the town after dark with my friends…and get enough free candy for a continuous three-week stomach ache. Never once did I associate this day with any evil or satanistic thoughts or activities. Maybe it is okay to let kids be kids, to free their innocent creativity and dreams to be someone else for a day, and let them enjoy interacting with neighbors and eating too much sugar and chocolate. We should take every opportunity to infuse the darkness with light anyhow. Let’s at least wait until they are in their teens to inject them with our grown up bitterness and legalism.

Walk the Walk

A large part of being a Christian is lip service. I say I believe in the Bible and that sinning is wrong. But do I live what I believe? Does every aspect of my life ooze righteousness, or do I just talk a good game, like the Chief’s defensive line?

As time and again I have felt let down by my closest friends and family members for not living up to their promises, I have decided to take a close look at myself. Sadly, no, I have not always lived up to my own expectations, maybe even lowering my standards at some points in my life. I’m sure everyone can attest to the same. But from now on, instead of judging anyone else’s poor decisions, I need to spend time making sure I am walking uprightly and keeping my mouth shut.

Let Freedom Ring

Lately, a few of my non-Christian friends have made comments saying that to become a follower of Jesus, you have to give up all the fun things of the world. That there is a strict set of rules we must follow and that we are never allowed to sin again. (Darn Pharisees still bugging us!)

The truth is that Jesus sets us free. Free from the bondage of sin. We are no longer under the constraints of evil and actually have the necessary power to be victors. Jesus wants us exactly as we are right now, issues and all. His time on earth was spent with "thieves, sluts, and liars," not the religious, upright, or uptight. Jesus’ blood set us free from the old rules. It becomes all about love and a relationship with the only person who truly understands us anyhow. We are still human and everyday we walk this earth we will make mistakes and have our vices to deal with. But now, we no longer walk alone, and are covered by the undeserved grace and mercy of our Lord.

Yes, we are held to a higher standard than the rest of the world. Every day we will be tempted and we will be shaped and molded into a better person, how we were created, more like our Jesus.

I'm a forgetful person. Actually, I'm very good at memorization, but when it comes to the details of life, I struggle remembering the date. My mind rarely shuts down and prefers to run at mach 800, like my brain is the narrator of my life. I come up with funny or brilliant dialogue that I wish my friends would say so we could engage in witty banter or I focus on a weird characteristic of a person and try to think of way to incorporate it in my writings. The only way such things as dropping off library books or loading the dishwasher gets done is if I have it on my list. I make daily, weekly, and long term lists to aid in my endeavor to live a normally productive life.

But one thing, I have neglected to put on my list was to use gift cards. They are always a popular gift, and one I enjoy receiving. But if it isn't to a bookstore, then it gets meticulously placed in my wallet, probably behind the expired coupons I've been meaning to use for over a month. Needless to say, when I cleaned out my wallet last week, I found a vast assortment of gift cards, which for the most part were still valid. The total amount was way more exciting than the random twenty I found in my coat pocket last year.

Well, I better run. I have to make it to dinner at Cracker Barrel before my card expires. :)

Trapped...

Today, I feel trapped in the four walls of my office. It’s a nice office with plenty of room for at least two people, with even a couple of pictures hanging that allude to a “Quiet Walk” in the forest or an icy drive along a snow ridden country road. But with those and even a large window hinting at what lies beyond, I still feel as though life is passing me by, while I idly slave away in my dungeon. That by sitting in front of my computer for another four hours will rob me of the chance to enjoy not only one of the first cold days of the season, but of the experience of encountering God.

It’s not that God isn’t with me right now, but I can feel His presence when I am most vulnerable to the elements -- in the cleansing power of the wind, the bold colors and contrasts of sky, the tangible feel of the earth beneath my feet, and especially around the dangerous crashing of the waves in the endless ocean. There is nothing that compares to the experience of worshipping God and Him loving back on you. Nothing.

And it’s what I need. Now. Always.

Do as You Say Not as You Want

I was going to regale you with a thrilling story about riding a motorcycle way too fast this past weekend. With the wind blowing through my long, luscious locks of chocolate brown hair, while cruising past grazing horses and green fields, I basked under a clear blue sky and felt like I should be on the cover of a risky romance novel. Perhaps Fabio should replace my dad in the driver’s seat, however. Oh, and remove that helmet, it really cramps the whole hair blowing scenario.

But since this is my blog, I have decided to vent for a moment. People, if you aren’t willing to follow through on obligations, DON’T commit. We all have to do things we don’t like or enjoy, but if you are just going to end up bailing at the last second and leave someone else in a bind, don’t say “yes” in the first place. It’s disrespectful and rude. And I am referring to both big and little commitments. Don’t tell me you are going to call and then don’t. Or don’t agree to help with a project and not follow through. At least give me the courtesy of giving an honest “no” up front. I’ll respect you for it and we’ll get along just fine.

Now go ride a motorcycle and delight in God’s creations. It’s freeing and fabulous. And it’ll make you forget all the annoying stuff in your life, if only for a few minutes.