Are You a Catfish or Do You Have a Catfish?

You may be wondering about that title about now. Yesterday I was listening to John Hagee on television. He gave an interesting example in his sermon that I will paraphrase here. He said that in the eastern United States when the cod fish industry was just beginning to get orders for their product in distant areas, they began by freezing the cod fish and sending them. The fish did not taste very good when the consumers prepared them so they went with plan B. They shipped them alive in water. If anything, they tasted worse. One of the men came up with an idea to try. He put a catfish in the water with the vat of cod fish. Catfish are natural enemies to cod fish. When they arrived they were better than fresh caught! The catfish kept them active and fresh.

His point was that God gives us conflict to keep us fresh and alive. When I told Terry this story I informed him that I was changing his nickname to Catfish! He didn't say it but I think he was thinking the same thing about me.

I have wondered why there is always some conflict whether large or small and nagging in my life. I guess it keeps me on my toes and on my knees. There is nothing like a crises to increase your prayer life. That is for sure. It shouldn't be that way, but let's face it; it is.

Next time someone gets on your nerves just smile and think..."catfish".

A Review of "In a Pit With a Lian on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson

I highly recommend "In a Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. There were statements made in the book that answered some questions that have always nagged at me. One of them being how to deal with being fearful. He states in this book: "The cure for fear of failure is not success. Its failure. The cure for the fear of rejection is not acceptance. It is rejection." The thought behind these statements comes from how we deal with allergies. We can either avoid the allergen or we get injections which are small doses of the allergen that causes us to build up immunity. "What are you afraid of? What allergens trigger a fear reaction? Those are the very things you need to expose yourself to. If fear become reality you could discover that its not the end of the world. Your fear is worse than the actual thing you're afraid of. If you learn from every mistake, then there is no such thing as failure anyway."

Even this observation was worth the purchase price. There are many other "nuggets of truth" in the book. Let me know what you think of it.

Tomorrow by Jeral Davis

Never trust appearances.

Juliana DeLauer, clothed by trendy designers, awakes beside the blood-drenched, silent body of her best friend, Tomorrow. Benjamin Powers, box-office sensation, seeks the privacy only the common man can afford.
When the destinies of these two powerful people collide, both are left contemplating the purpose of their lives. And both are left with remorse—hopeless as they replay events, wondering if they could have made bigger differences.
Someone is always watching, threatening their future. And both of them know it. Their lives depend on what happens Tomorrow.

This gripping page-turner is part romance, part suspense and the author rivets the reader from the breathtaking opening scene to its shocking climax.

Endorsements

“Tomorrow is a powerful story that grabs your attention from the very first page! The gentle message of God's love flows throughout this book, and the characters’ struggles and triumphs will touch your heart. This beautifully written book will stay in your thoughts long after you finish it.” —Sheri Martin

“Jeral Davis does everything right in her debut novel, Tomorrow. It’s wonderfully romantic and always surprising; yet at its tantalizing core, Tomorrow is an enduring testament of God’s redeeming love that will prove to be a landmark contribution to Christian literature.” —Marcus Folmar

“I am not an avid fiction reader. Yet, once I picked up Jeral Davis’ debut novel, Tomorrow, I simply could not put it down. Once you delve into the lives of Ben and Juliana, it will be hard to turn away.” – Judith Nelson


Author Bio


Author Jeral Davis actively ministers at Victory Praise Christian Center, a ministry she and her husband founded in 2006. She has also served as a small group leader through Life Exchange Group Ministries. Jeral believes everyone is created to fulfill a divine ambition and is passionate to assist others to discover their gifts and encourage them to fulfill their God-given purpose. Jeral and her husband, Richard, reside in Colorado with their two sons.

Update on Getting Fit

As promised, I am checking in. I may be a little late with this, but here I am. For the past 11 days I have been building up the time I spend on the elliptical. I was so pitiful that I could only exercise on it 3 minutes. Each day I added a minute or two. I am now up to 17 minutes at a pretty fair clip. That is great for me.

As far as measurements...I lost 1 inch in my waist and 1 1/2 inches in my hips. As far as weight loss...none yet, but I will take the inches lost.

I tried on a formal type dress that I wore 2 1/2 years ago in hopes that it would fit me for this author cruise/seminar we are leaving on next week. I procrastinated because I was afraid. When I put it on I was blown away. It was very big on me!!! yay! I think it will still work, but I am so pleased.

I urge you to start where you are at and build up. Be consistent. You will be pleased with the results.

Meeting Authors Online

This year I have had the joy of meeting other authors online. (A few in person) I love to hear about the passion each of us have for our books. As a reader I didn't really think of the tender loving care each author puts into a book until I was published. For me the story was my baby. When people held "my baby" in their hands and read it, I felt nervous and excited to see their reaction. (I appreciate all the encouraging letters and emails. Each one came at a time I really needed it.)

If you are reading this and are an author or a writer who is yet to be published, I would like to hear from you. I want to encourage you to keep your dreams alive. When I think about how many times I was embarrassed to be "writing a book" without a clue as to how proceed, it makes me mad. I felt that it was a stupid dream to think that anything that special could ever happen to me. I pushed through in writing just so I could know that I finished something that I started. A miracle happened when I finished. A friend asked me which publishers I was submitting my manuscript to. I told her that I didn't know how to go about the process. She gave me direction. Her niece is in the publishing business and with her help I was published in 2008. My second book will be released this year, 2009. I wrote a third book and can hardly wait to submit it to my publisher.

Realize this, I am so ordinary. If this could happen to me. It can happen to you. Keep writing and keep your chin up. Even after you have your book in your hands there are a few people who want to make sure that you keep your feet on the ground and may say unkind things. Don't let that get to you. Keep on writing and dreaming.

If you have been published already...I rejoice with you! There is no place for jealousy. Every story is different. Every book is unique. If you love books like I do, there is never enough! If you want to send me a comment with the description of your book and a photo of your cover, I will post it. (Christian or G rated books) God bless you!

The Biggest Loser

One of my favorite reality shows is "The Biggest Loser". Last night I watched the first episode of the new season. Some of the things the trainers said at the very beginning of the show really struck home with me. Things like: Don't just watch this while you are stuffing your face. You can do this too.
Then they showed the participants at the doctor's office. The MRI images (or whatever they were) showed how cramped up the lungs can get from belly fat. Also they showed how fat begins to infiltrate the liver and other organs. It really isn't about looks. It is about health.
I have been like so many other "loser want to be's" and thought mostly about the physical attractiveness of a fit body. I still want to look better, but now I want to be stronger and be fit. I want to have stamina and strength. I want to grow to be a healthy woman until the day I die.
I got an eliptical for Christmas and have begun using it. My sweet daughter-in-law encouraged me to go ahead and do what I can even if it is only 3 minutes at a time at first. I took her advice and began with 3 minutes. The next time I did 4 minutes. Yesterday I was up to 8 minutes and did 8 minutes in the a.m. and p.m. Most people can do more than I can right now, but that is ok. I am making progress and I won't be stopping any time soon.
At first I was upset that I couldn't do any more than 3 minutes but I am so out of shape that is where I have to start. I will not be out of shape for long!
The Biggest Loser is an inspirational show that has really shown me that I can do this. I am going to stick my plump neck out here and tell you that every Monday I will give you a progress report. Hopefully each week I can tell you about minutes added to the eliptical workout, pounds and inches lost, and encourage you to do the same. Tell me your stuff too!

Resolution/Resolve

Happy New Year 2009! Yep, it's that time again. New Year's resolutions. For the first time in my life I finally looked up what the word "resolution" is defined as in the dictionary. Webster's New World College dictionary says:

resolution 1. a)the act or process of resolving something or breaking it up into its constituent parts or elements.
2. a) resolving or determining; deciding b) the thing determined upon; decision as to future action; resolve
3. a resolute quality of mind
4. a formal statement of opinion or determination adopted by an assembly or other formal group 5. a solving, as of a puzzle, or answering, as of a question; solution
6. that part of a play, novel, etc. in which the plot is explained or made clear
7. Med. the subsidence or disapperance of swelling, fever, or other manifestation of disease.
8. Music the passing of a dissonant chord or tone in a cord to a consonant cord or tone
9. Physics te capability of an optical system or other imaging system, of making clear and distinguishable the separate parts or components of an object.

If you are like me, that is a bit much! I suppose the New Year's Resolution falls under the #2 catagory, but it takes the resolute quality of mind to follow through along with the answering of a question. "What exactly am I resolving to do?" To follow through with a resolution you have to break it up into doable parts...and it helps to have and "assembly" of people to help you stay with it.

My new book's name is "Elk's Resolve". Elk had to make a decision to overcome his circumstances and become his own man. He determined to not let the negative events in his life define him. Resolve is defined as fixed in purpose or intention. Sometimes it takes that kind of grit to step away from the knee jerk reactions and take the high road. In my experience that is easier said than done. Reactive words seem to hover at the tip of the tongue. Noble words seem to have to be sought out in the far recesses of the mind. (Am I alone here?)

What are my goals or resolutions for 2009? That is tough but I will make a stab at it.
1. I desire to grow closer to the Lord.
2. I desire to be a sweeter wife and mother...grandmother...sister...friend..etc
3. I want to improve my writing and marketing skills.
4. I want to reach 5000 books sold for "Nan's Journey" and at least 2000 for "Elk's Resolve" by 2010.
5. I want to submit Book III of Nan's Heritage Series to the publisher for consideration to the publisher before 2010.
6. I want to do more speaking events and meet more readers this year.
7. I want to get physically fit, thus, lose weight so that I can be stronger.
8. I want to read 25 books this year.
9. I want to finish book #4 and #5 before 2010.
10. I want to open for whatever the Lord has in mind for me.

How did I do with my goals for 2008?

1. I sold 1119 copies of "Nan's Journey"
2. I maintained my weight loss from the summer before although I did not lose the pounds I wanted to.
3. Get out of debt...nope, still in there! That is something we are gaining on, but still have to work on.
4. Read 24 books! Yea! I still have a stack of about 20 that I can't wait to get to.
5. Write more. Yep, I was much more disciplined with that.

How did you do?