This morning, Mom ran up the stairs demanding, in a VERY excited voice, me to tell her what I had been hiding from her.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"You don't know? You've been nominated for the Christy Award!!" As frugal as we writers are to be with our exclamation points, that's an exclamation worthy of two.
I. Can. Not. Believe. It.
Here's a link to the list on TitleTrakk.
Honored and amazed doesn't even begin to describe how excited I am! For one thing, I've read Jennifer Erin Valent's Fireflies in December and LOVED it. So much that I blogged about it back in January of last year. Which means the next book I'll be reading is Scared by Tom Davis.
Back in September, at the ACFW conference, keynoter Debbie Macomber urged us to dream big and set huge goals. Of the five goals she asked us to put on an index card, I wrote *blushing* Be Nominated for a Christy. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
My Divorce-erary
One year ago, we celebrated Earth Day. One year ago, a judge signed a legal document severing my marital relationship.
What a lot has changed! Since then, Sunchips unrolled a new bag that is made of vegetable fibers and decomposes when trashed. My life got trashed, composted, and grew new fiber.
Divorce is never a happy thing and I am in NO WAY promoting it, but I can now see how much better off I am now. My relationships with people are genuine and built on truth. Closer then they ever were before because my ex was my best friend and I didn't really have time for anyone else. My children are thriving like I never thought possible. My bills are still getting paid.
Thank you, God, for caring me through this year. For sending people with food, money, or tender fingers to wipe away my tears. I love You, Lord!
What a lot has changed! Since then, Sunchips unrolled a new bag that is made of vegetable fibers and decomposes when trashed. My life got trashed, composted, and grew new fiber.
Divorce is never a happy thing and I am in NO WAY promoting it, but I can now see how much better off I am now. My relationships with people are genuine and built on truth. Closer then they ever were before because my ex was my best friend and I didn't really have time for anyone else. My children are thriving like I never thought possible. My bills are still getting paid.
Thank you, God, for caring me through this year. For sending people with food, money, or tender fingers to wipe away my tears. I love You, Lord!
Monday, April 12, 2010
One Sick Puppy
I'm humbling myself here and begging for prayer. About a week ago, I started getting body aches. Followed by an extremely sore throat. Turned into clear blisters all over my tonsils. Gastrointestinal issues. Sneezing. Runny nose. Stuffy nose. Barking cough. Stuffy head. Goopy eyes. Every day one symptom disappears, but a new one takes its place.
Finally called the doctor today, but the triage nurse felt I was on the end of the nastiest bug I've had in a LONG time. Felt better all day. Then, as I was getting the four kids into bed, an intense ear ache started. What could possibly come next? Every single area of my body has been in horrible pain sometime in the last week. I'm exhausted ...
Maybe you caught that I said putting FOUR kids to bed? In the early stages of this sickness, a new little guy was placed in our home. He is a 22-month-old sweetie pie I'll be calling "Tyler" online. Despite the extra work he brings for me while I'm feeling sick, he is a bright spot in the day. Always smiling and hopping and jabbering.
I'd love to be well enough to really enjoy him!
Finally called the doctor today, but the triage nurse felt I was on the end of the nastiest bug I've had in a LONG time. Felt better all day. Then, as I was getting the four kids into bed, an intense ear ache started. What could possibly come next? Every single area of my body has been in horrible pain sometime in the last week. I'm exhausted ...
Maybe you caught that I said putting FOUR kids to bed? In the early stages of this sickness, a new little guy was placed in our home. He is a 22-month-old sweetie pie I'll be calling "Tyler" online. Despite the extra work he brings for me while I'm feeling sick, he is a bright spot in the day. Always smiling and hopping and jabbering.
I'd love to be well enough to really enjoy him!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Spring Break Part Two
(In case you missed the beginning of the break, here's the link)
WEDNESDAY: As we drove home from the beach on Tuesday, I thought that the kids were long overdue for a fishing trip with their grandpa. As soon as we got home, shook the sand out of all kind of places, and watered the newly planted flowers, I gave Gigi a call.
She answered laughing. The kind of laugh where I knew she had just been thinking of calling me.
"Grandpa and I were hoping he could pick up the older two for a fishing day tomorrow."
I cracked up and told her it definitely wouldn't work.
The kids had a great time and Papa Gigo informed me they now know how to do every single bit--tying the hook, baiting it, etc ...--and would be able to fish on their own if I took them to the lake.
THURSDAY: I would say this day was our most unique spring break activity.
Six thousand librarians descended on the Oregon Convention Center. Moody had a booth and invited me to come sign. We had a fantastic time. So great, in fact, that my friend Duane asked me to write up a little something about it. The amount of fun couldn't even fit in one blog post, though, so they put a Smorgasbord Part One and Smorgasbord Part Two up on their blog. :) There's lots of pictures of our family, and even one of a spy.
FRIDAY: The older kids went to their dad's house and "Angel" stayed with my parents while I had a GNO. Church on the Hill in Mcminnville has the most amazing DivorceCare program. They decided to take all the women out for the night. Each of us received a pink carnation, complimentary dinner, chauffeured transportation, and great conversation.
SATURDAY: Picked the kids up from their dad's and headed back to downtown Portland for the Rock & Worship Roadshow! We got there hours before the actual show started, forty-five minutes before the doors opened, and this is what the line looked like behind us.
In front of us, it branched into two different lines headed toward different entrances ...
We barely got seats, but had a great time enjoying Fee, Sidewalk Prophets, Family Force 5, Remedy Drive, Francesca Battistelli, David Crowder Band, and MercyMe ... all for $10! What service those bands do, performing for such little money to bring families together in corporation worship of Jesus.
The kids kind of enjoyed it a tiny bit. ;)
SUNDAY: We recovered from break.
WEDNESDAY: As we drove home from the beach on Tuesday, I thought that the kids were long overdue for a fishing trip with their grandpa. As soon as we got home, shook the sand out of all kind of places, and watered the newly planted flowers, I gave Gigi a call.
She answered laughing. The kind of laugh where I knew she had just been thinking of calling me.
"Grandpa and I were hoping he could pick up the older two for a fishing day tomorrow."
I cracked up and told her it definitely wouldn't work.
The kids had a great time and Papa Gigo informed me they now know how to do every single bit--tying the hook, baiting it, etc ...--and would be able to fish on their own if I took them to the lake.
THURSDAY: I would say this day was our most unique spring break activity.
Six thousand librarians descended on the Oregon Convention Center. Moody had a booth and invited me to come sign. We had a fantastic time. So great, in fact, that my friend Duane asked me to write up a little something about it. The amount of fun couldn't even fit in one blog post, though, so they put a Smorgasbord Part One and Smorgasbord Part Two up on their blog. :) There's lots of pictures of our family, and even one of a spy.
FRIDAY: The older kids went to their dad's house and "Angel" stayed with my parents while I had a GNO. Church on the Hill in Mcminnville has the most amazing DivorceCare program. They decided to take all the women out for the night. Each of us received a pink carnation, complimentary dinner, chauffeured transportation, and great conversation.
SATURDAY: Picked the kids up from their dad's and headed back to downtown Portland for the Rock & Worship Roadshow! We got there hours before the actual show started, forty-five minutes before the doors opened, and this is what the line looked like behind us.
In front of us, it branched into two different lines headed toward different entrances ...
SUNDAY: We recovered from break.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
God's Day Planner? :)
Good Friday. The most painful, hopeless day of all history. The disciples didn't understand what was going on. Many, many of Christ's followers were confused. If they had really listened to what Jesus said before He was crucified, things would have felt different ... but I'm not even sure they had the capacity to imagine the reality of His Resurrection.
God always shows up when things are at their bleakest and does more than we can imagine. Not that it was anywhere on the scale of salvation for all human kind, but I saw God work this way in my life this week.
On Monday, I looked at my calendar, realized we were weeks into the pay period and I had yet to get a sub day, only had one scheduled, and (strangely) my mortgage payment had not magically disappeared.
"God, I know You'll take care of me. I know the days I'm going to work are already on Your calendar, but I would really appreciate it if You could put them on mine."
Within twenty-four hours, I had five sub days scheduled!
Praise Him for all things, big and small.
(Here's the newest review of The Familiar Stranger on Double Booked. Thanks, Janice!)
God always shows up when things are at their bleakest and does more than we can imagine. Not that it was anywhere on the scale of salvation for all human kind, but I saw God work this way in my life this week.
On Monday, I looked at my calendar, realized we were weeks into the pay period and I had yet to get a sub day, only had one scheduled, and (strangely) my mortgage payment had not magically disappeared.
"God, I know You'll take care of me. I know the days I'm going to work are already on Your calendar, but I would really appreciate it if You could put them on mine."
Within twenty-four hours, I had five sub days scheduled!
Praise Him for all things, big and small.
(Here's the newest review of The Familiar Stranger on Double Booked. Thanks, Janice!)
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