As soon as we get back from vacation Terry and I are going to get back to our exercise programs. He really loves the P90X by Beach body. I also like it too. He really has seen results with it. I do not have upper body strength so I don't do the chin ups, but I am going to attempt it this round. I used to joke that I didn't think I needed to do chin ups until I only have one chin. Well, I got a few half-hearted laughs over that and now it is time to get real about getting strong. I am going to lift weights and the whole nine yards. (building up little by little mind you!)
I also love the core rhythms DVD. It really does take 2 inches off the waist in 2 weeks! I have to watch and not get over enthusiastic with my hip movements because at my age, my hip goes out more than I do. (I know that's an old joke, but it is TRUE)
What does all this have to do with writing books and reading "Nan's Journey"? Well, I want to be healthy for a good long time and I want my mind to be sharp enough to write a good many books before I die. One way to do this is to get and stay in shape. Terry is my mentor in this because he has a body at 52 that many guys in their 20's would die for. The muscles he has are awesome! His health is great and I am tired of being jealous and ready to DO SOMETHING!
How about this:
Sign my guestbook and I will put your name in a drawing for a free copy of "Nan's Journey" to be given away on July 20. If you tell me you are going to exercise, I will put your name in twice!
Nan's Heritage Series-Set in the 1800s- Book I, Nan's Journey-Book II, Elk's Resolve-Book III, Luke's Legacy- Book IV, The Eyes of a Stranger- Book V, Timothy's Home Rescued...A Series of Hope Book I, Some Happy Day - Book II, Capture the Wandering Heart- Book III, Walk Slowly Through the Dark Nashville Series set in 1974: Six Miles From Nashville
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Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Running Down The Path
Psalms 119:30 – 32 – “I have chosen the way of truth: I have set my heart on Your laws. I hold fast to Your statutes, O Lord: do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set me free.” NIV
When I read the phrase “running down the path” it conjured up memories of bygone summers. I can just feel the hot dust as my little bare feet trot down a windy path to the lake. The warm breeze tugs at my hair and I anticipate plunging in to the cool dark water awaiting me.
The feelings I have when I think of moments like that are of sheer pleasure and freedom. I think the last time I actually did something akin to that was in my young adulthood. Face it, as we grow older we forget how to “run down the path”. We start fretting about whether there are stickers on the way or if there are germs in the water, or a myriad of other things. We don’t have time to even think about the path much less look at the path or run down the path.
Since this Scripture is not speaking of a literal path, how does it pertain to me? The “path” is the way of truth, the laws of God and His statutes and commands. At first those words have a harsh sound to them, but they are no harsher than the statement that there is a law of gravity. “What goes up must come down.” There is absolute truth. That truth is found in God. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” I like to think of the word “Way” as the path. If we walk within the laws of God and His statutes we have no more cause for concern than a law abiding citizen has about being arrested by the police.
When we run in the path of His commands, we are set free. Have you ever noticed that when you are driving your vehicle with an expired safety sticker or tag and you see a police car, you feel uneasy? You pray that they will not be looking closely enough to realize that you are not up to date on your stuff. In contrast, when you have all the updated tags and stickers on your vehicle and you are obeying all the traffic laws, you don’t even think about being pulled over for an offense. That feeling is freeing.
When I started on the path of getting “Nan’s Journey” published I was skeptical. I thought I was too old and uninteresting for God to use in this way. He has faithfully helped me with every step I have taken. Sometimes I feel that I am crawling or creeping down the path. Other times I am running. I thank God that He is still leading me and cares about me. Would you like to join me in a little run?
When I read the phrase “running down the path” it conjured up memories of bygone summers. I can just feel the hot dust as my little bare feet trot down a windy path to the lake. The warm breeze tugs at my hair and I anticipate plunging in to the cool dark water awaiting me.
The feelings I have when I think of moments like that are of sheer pleasure and freedom. I think the last time I actually did something akin to that was in my young adulthood. Face it, as we grow older we forget how to “run down the path”. We start fretting about whether there are stickers on the way or if there are germs in the water, or a myriad of other things. We don’t have time to even think about the path much less look at the path or run down the path.
Since this Scripture is not speaking of a literal path, how does it pertain to me? The “path” is the way of truth, the laws of God and His statutes and commands. At first those words have a harsh sound to them, but they are no harsher than the statement that there is a law of gravity. “What goes up must come down.” There is absolute truth. That truth is found in God. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” I like to think of the word “Way” as the path. If we walk within the laws of God and His statutes we have no more cause for concern than a law abiding citizen has about being arrested by the police.
When we run in the path of His commands, we are set free. Have you ever noticed that when you are driving your vehicle with an expired safety sticker or tag and you see a police car, you feel uneasy? You pray that they will not be looking closely enough to realize that you are not up to date on your stuff. In contrast, when you have all the updated tags and stickers on your vehicle and you are obeying all the traffic laws, you don’t even think about being pulled over for an offense. That feeling is freeing.
When I started on the path of getting “Nan’s Journey” published I was skeptical. I thought I was too old and uninteresting for God to use in this way. He has faithfully helped me with every step I have taken. Sometimes I feel that I am crawling or creeping down the path. Other times I am running. I thank God that He is still leading me and cares about me. Would you like to join me in a little run?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Inspirational Times online Magazine Has a Write-Up About Me!
Inspirational Times has done an article on me. If you want to see it click on the link in the column on the left! Please send a comment to them if you like it. INSP-Times.com Christian Newspaper-
Can I Be "Real" With You?
In my search to study marketing for the promotion of my book, I found a post about blogs. The author of this blog post said that it was not wise to jump from topic to topic on a blog and that the writer of the blog needs to determine the purpose for writing it.
Some of the reasons stated were
*Is it about your book?
*Is it about writing?
*Is it to share experiences in your life?
*Is it for sharing interviews with authors & people connected with the business?
Well, I have to be real with you. I think I want to do most of those things. Will I do them? Who knows? One thing I do know is that I cannot teach writing! Of course I am kinda pushing "Nan's Journey" under your nose all the time on this blog. It is named Nan's Journey after all and I do want those of you who haven't heard about it to get a copy and tell me what you think of it. I love telling the crazy little stories about my life. It seems that odd things happen to me at the oddest times, so I HAVE to share.
I guess the main focus of this blog is that being an author is not what I thought it would be. The weight of the message of my book is heavy on my shoulders. Forgiveness is the overlying theme of the book and it is one of the things I struggle with in my life. Letting go of hurts does not come easy for me, but I know I need to do it.
I want people to know that it is possible to write a book, get it published, and promote it. Each step is a feat, but it can be done. Today I met a man in the post office. He heard me talking with the young woman at the counter about sending a couple of books to Australia. I get kind of animated and goofy, so I guess my conversation stuck out to him. He approached me and said that he wrote a book, sold 1000 copies of it and decided that marketing was not his thing. He doesn't pursue sales anymore. I think he still writes because he said he does reviews for books. I handed him a copy of mine and asked him to review it. He looked at it and said that he had a copy of it and was working on the review. I was awestruck so I forgot to ask him his name! (If, by any chance, he finds this post...I appreciate your kindness this morning.)
Each step is just that...a step. I learn daily about things in the writing world. I don't know many people in "the business" . I have met a couple of authors by email and now I consider them friends. We share tips and such. The thing that scares me most about the title "author" is that people who would like to talk to me will think that I don't care to talk to them. I want to help you if I can. If I can't be of help, together we can brainstorm about what steps to take next for you.(and me;)
One thing I do is to keep a notebook of the things I have tried in marketing. I note the date, cost, effort, and results. I started doing this to help my sons when they are published to not make the same mistakes and spin their wheels as much as dear old mom has. I also write down things that I think I will remember such as: Date I wrote the thank you card to the bookstore mgr, posters sent to the store, books ordered, books sold, books given away for review, date I joined a certain writer's group, etc.
I seem to always be saying that I am pretty vanilla. What I say and write is pretty much who I am as a person. I try to be very honest and hopefully very helpful. In this blog, you have a window into my simple life. I am a very happy woman with a great family and good friends. My life has it's difficulties and is not perfect, but I choose joy.
I hope you visit often. I will try to update twice a week. (We will see how that goes ;)
P.S.
I haven't forgotten that I am supposed to tell you how the bathtub painting story finishes.... we just haven't put on the last coat yet. I think it is going to look great though! The tub is already so much easier to clean.
Some of the reasons stated were
*Is it about your book?
*Is it about writing?
*Is it to share experiences in your life?
*Is it for sharing interviews with authors & people connected with the business?
Well, I have to be real with you. I think I want to do most of those things. Will I do them? Who knows? One thing I do know is that I cannot teach writing! Of course I am kinda pushing "Nan's Journey" under your nose all the time on this blog. It is named Nan's Journey after all and I do want those of you who haven't heard about it to get a copy and tell me what you think of it. I love telling the crazy little stories about my life. It seems that odd things happen to me at the oddest times, so I HAVE to share.
I guess the main focus of this blog is that being an author is not what I thought it would be. The weight of the message of my book is heavy on my shoulders. Forgiveness is the overlying theme of the book and it is one of the things I struggle with in my life. Letting go of hurts does not come easy for me, but I know I need to do it.
I want people to know that it is possible to write a book, get it published, and promote it. Each step is a feat, but it can be done. Today I met a man in the post office. He heard me talking with the young woman at the counter about sending a couple of books to Australia. I get kind of animated and goofy, so I guess my conversation stuck out to him. He approached me and said that he wrote a book, sold 1000 copies of it and decided that marketing was not his thing. He doesn't pursue sales anymore. I think he still writes because he said he does reviews for books. I handed him a copy of mine and asked him to review it. He looked at it and said that he had a copy of it and was working on the review. I was awestruck so I forgot to ask him his name! (If, by any chance, he finds this post...I appreciate your kindness this morning.)
Each step is just that...a step. I learn daily about things in the writing world. I don't know many people in "the business" . I have met a couple of authors by email and now I consider them friends. We share tips and such. The thing that scares me most about the title "author" is that people who would like to talk to me will think that I don't care to talk to them. I want to help you if I can. If I can't be of help, together we can brainstorm about what steps to take next for you.(and me;)
One thing I do is to keep a notebook of the things I have tried in marketing. I note the date, cost, effort, and results. I started doing this to help my sons when they are published to not make the same mistakes and spin their wheels as much as dear old mom has. I also write down things that I think I will remember such as: Date I wrote the thank you card to the bookstore mgr, posters sent to the store, books ordered, books sold, books given away for review, date I joined a certain writer's group, etc.
I seem to always be saying that I am pretty vanilla. What I say and write is pretty much who I am as a person. I try to be very honest and hopefully very helpful. In this blog, you have a window into my simple life. I am a very happy woman with a great family and good friends. My life has it's difficulties and is not perfect, but I choose joy.
I hope you visit often. I will try to update twice a week. (We will see how that goes ;)
P.S.
I haven't forgotten that I am supposed to tell you how the bathtub painting story finishes.... we just haven't put on the last coat yet. I think it is going to look great though! The tub is already so much easier to clean.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Love Crosses All Boundaries
Boundary defined by Webster's New World College Dictionary is: any line or thing marking a limit; bound; border.
Bound: a boundary; limit; confine - out of bounds:1 beyond the boundaries or limits, as of a playing field 2 not to be entered or used; forbidden.
The last post I wrote told that Terry and I were going to West of 50s Camp. We did. It was a blast! There were only a few of the campers who were in their fifties. The rest were in the decades of sixties through nineties. Every one of them were people with something great to contribute to the world and me in particular. After we introduced ourselves the "age thing" ceased to be an issue. (I have to say that it was cool to be one of the "kids" of the bunch.)
As we played games, sang, ate, and worshipped together I was struck by the depth of emotion and gusto they expended. Their enthusiasm was infectious and Terry & I jumped in with both feet too. One lady's home had burned to the ground only three weeks earlier but you would never know it. Despair had not found a home in her heart. She was an inspiration to me.
The sermons were encouraging and passionate. The call to serve was given to all of us no matter our age. Some of the oldest faces glowed with the realization that God was not through with them yet and they still had great purpose in life. I suspect that a lot of well-meaning younger people have taken over jobs from them to help them but in the process made them feel that they were not needed anymore. Of course most of them could not do as much as they did when they were younger, but they still wanted to be used and needed.
The singing was straight from the heart and with great strength. Terry and I sang our tonsils out and had a great time worshipping our wonderful Savior. No, it didn't sound as refined as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but it was a joyful noise presented to our Father in heaven. I am certain that He appreciated the offering. I know I did. I will say it again, these saints were passionate in their praises. I entered in whole-heartedly and I gained strength from it.
Terry and I sang a "special" at the singspiration time that we learned in 1975 at Bible College. "Jesus Will Outshine Them All". In case you don't know that particular song, it talks about getting to heaven and experiencing all that heaven has to offer. After you get there you realize that Jesus is the greatest thing about heaven. I can hardly wait to see Him! Our friends clapped and cheered as if we were rock stars but we knew they were really cheering for Jesus. It was a neat experience. Of course we heard many other "specials" that hour and my tears flowed unchecked because of the devotion of the hearts of these people.
Teen-agers and young sponsors were there to assist all of us and I really appreciated the love they showered on us. They treated us like the people who work on cruise ships would have. They were called "The Furnace Group". I called them the little slaves!!! Boy did those kids work hard! They were learning about leadership in learning servanthood first. "The greatest among you is the servant of all."
As we sat there in the meeting room as people mostly known as Believers, I was very happy that the boundaries were down. They prayed for me and I prayed for them. We were God's children. I feel that in churches today the focus has been on reaching the younger decades. The oldest decades have been ignored and unused. It is as if when someone reaches a certain number, whether it be 35, 40, 50, 70... they are no longer relevant. That is so not true!
Some of my best friends are in their seventies, eighties, and up. They bless me with their wisdom and knowledge of life. I see that they made it through the things I am going through so I know that I will make it too. " I found it interesting that part of the definition of boundary was "forbidden, not to be used, limit" Please, for your own sake, do not discount the importance of our older people. They have the treasure of experience, time, age, wisdom, knowledge, and so much more. It was sad to me to think that some of my new friends may not be around for the next camp, but I am so glad I had the opportunity to talk with them and call them "friends".
Bound: a boundary; limit; confine - out of bounds:1 beyond the boundaries or limits, as of a playing field 2 not to be entered or used; forbidden.
The last post I wrote told that Terry and I were going to West of 50s Camp. We did. It was a blast! There were only a few of the campers who were in their fifties. The rest were in the decades of sixties through nineties. Every one of them were people with something great to contribute to the world and me in particular. After we introduced ourselves the "age thing" ceased to be an issue. (I have to say that it was cool to be one of the "kids" of the bunch.)
As we played games, sang, ate, and worshipped together I was struck by the depth of emotion and gusto they expended. Their enthusiasm was infectious and Terry & I jumped in with both feet too. One lady's home had burned to the ground only three weeks earlier but you would never know it. Despair had not found a home in her heart. She was an inspiration to me.
The sermons were encouraging and passionate. The call to serve was given to all of us no matter our age. Some of the oldest faces glowed with the realization that God was not through with them yet and they still had great purpose in life. I suspect that a lot of well-meaning younger people have taken over jobs from them to help them but in the process made them feel that they were not needed anymore. Of course most of them could not do as much as they did when they were younger, but they still wanted to be used and needed.
The singing was straight from the heart and with great strength. Terry and I sang our tonsils out and had a great time worshipping our wonderful Savior. No, it didn't sound as refined as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but it was a joyful noise presented to our Father in heaven. I am certain that He appreciated the offering. I know I did. I will say it again, these saints were passionate in their praises. I entered in whole-heartedly and I gained strength from it.
Terry and I sang a "special" at the singspiration time that we learned in 1975 at Bible College. "Jesus Will Outshine Them All". In case you don't know that particular song, it talks about getting to heaven and experiencing all that heaven has to offer. After you get there you realize that Jesus is the greatest thing about heaven. I can hardly wait to see Him! Our friends clapped and cheered as if we were rock stars but we knew they were really cheering for Jesus. It was a neat experience. Of course we heard many other "specials" that hour and my tears flowed unchecked because of the devotion of the hearts of these people.
Teen-agers and young sponsors were there to assist all of us and I really appreciated the love they showered on us. They treated us like the people who work on cruise ships would have. They were called "The Furnace Group". I called them the little slaves!!! Boy did those kids work hard! They were learning about leadership in learning servanthood first. "The greatest among you is the servant of all."
As we sat there in the meeting room as people mostly known as Believers, I was very happy that the boundaries were down. They prayed for me and I prayed for them. We were God's children. I feel that in churches today the focus has been on reaching the younger decades. The oldest decades have been ignored and unused. It is as if when someone reaches a certain number, whether it be 35, 40, 50, 70... they are no longer relevant. That is so not true!
Some of my best friends are in their seventies, eighties, and up. They bless me with their wisdom and knowledge of life. I see that they made it through the things I am going through so I know that I will make it too. " I found it interesting that part of the definition of boundary was "forbidden, not to be used, limit" Please, for your own sake, do not discount the importance of our older people. They have the treasure of experience, time, age, wisdom, knowledge, and so much more. It was sad to me to think that some of my new friends may not be around for the next camp, but I am so glad I had the opportunity to talk with them and call them "friends".
Monday, June 2, 2008
We're Goin' Ta Camp!
Terry and I are going to "West of 50s" Camp with a group from our church. We love hangin' out with people our age and older! The older crowd has so much wisdom to share and we enjoy hearing their stories.
Terry will be 52 on Monday, June 9. I turned 52 in January. He likes to say that he "always went for older women!" I try to ignore his cute little remark as much as I can. I remember that I was 20 when the series "Charlie's Angels" came to television. Before the series ended the "angels" were turning 30. I remember thinking, "They don't look toooooo bad for being 30!" It helped me when I had my 30th birthday to remember that. Each decade there were people I watched and was able to be okay with the "age thing."
Since I have become an adult I have never lied about my age. I figured that I had better admit the number or people would think, "Boy, she sure looks older than that!" My two oldest sisters were twenty something years older than me when I was born. When they were approaching 70 I thought, "I wish I could be that pretty when I am 70!" My oldest sister passed away just shy of her 70th birthday and she was a beauty all of her life. (inside and out)
I'm excited about the adventure of spending time with the "West of 50" group. It will be interesting to see which decade over 50 has the most get up and go...I might be surprised!
Terry will be 52 on Monday, June 9. I turned 52 in January. He likes to say that he "always went for older women!" I try to ignore his cute little remark as much as I can. I remember that I was 20 when the series "Charlie's Angels" came to television. Before the series ended the "angels" were turning 30. I remember thinking, "They don't look toooooo bad for being 30!" It helped me when I had my 30th birthday to remember that. Each decade there were people I watched and was able to be okay with the "age thing."
Since I have become an adult I have never lied about my age. I figured that I had better admit the number or people would think, "Boy, she sure looks older than that!" My two oldest sisters were twenty something years older than me when I was born. When they were approaching 70 I thought, "I wish I could be that pretty when I am 70!" My oldest sister passed away just shy of her 70th birthday and she was a beauty all of her life. (inside and out)
I'm excited about the adventure of spending time with the "West of 50" group. It will be interesting to see which decade over 50 has the most get up and go...I might be surprised!